THE
P RTAL
April 2012
Page 16
F a t h e r P e t e r ’s P a ge
Why not NOW...
Why is
it that ‘Father Ultra-Catholic’ has not taken up Pope Benedict’s
generous offer of The Ordinariate, whilst ‘The Reverend Middle-of-the-Road’ has?
This is especially telling when one recalls that ‘Father
Ultra-Catholic’ has talked about reconciliation for years
and has (outwardly) always followed/done exactly
what the Holy See has decreed, not least liturgically.
In contrast, ‘The Reverend Middle-of-the-
Road’ never went to meetings like
SSC (Society of the Holy Cross) or FCP
(Federation of Catholic Priests) and yet
has bravely, with wife and children,
made the sacrificial move: much to the
amazement – but secret admiration – of
his friends.
There are, I believe, three major factors
(all spurious) which make some people hesitate or
refrain from doing what God wants them to do.
can easily tempt one to ‘put off till tomorrow’ those
hard decisions and sacrificial acts which the Gospel
constantly demands.
But the search for Truth, and the cost of finding it,
are not easy. The powerful pull of a reasonable
standard of living are not proper reasons
for failing to do what in our hearts we
know God wants us to do.
Fidelity:
I am often astounded that ‘Fr X’ or
‘Churchwarden Y’ have not yet set an
example by joining The Ordinariate, or
the Catholic Church as an individual.
Feelings: They seemed such models of faithfulness; so
committed to the cause of Unity; outstanding members
of the Catholic movement . . . . And yet they are still
‘talking about it,’ or procrastinating by claiming that
‘the time in not ripe’. To quote Fr Knox again: “For
some Anglo-Catholics, the ‘ripe time’ is always after the
next crisis!”
There are certain emotional ties which keep
people bound to where they have found a home.
Anglicanism has always historically had a ‘gentleness’
and ‘gentlemanness’. Gradually, over a period of time, the real reason
comes out: They may have claimed to teach and accept
the Catholic faith; but in their private lives they are far
from the Catholic Church.
It was this which kept Fr Ronald Knox so long in the
Church of England. But, as he was the first to admit
in his autobiography A Spiritual Aeneid, emotions,
well-being, and a middle-class existence are not what
the Faith is all about. Or what made the first disciples
leave all to follow Jesus. They continue to practice what was once teasingly said
about a famous Anglican theological college: “Here,
we are strong on the faith; but weak on the morals”!
As Oscar Wilde knew only too painfully himself:
Whatever the past; that can be forgiven. But if you live
a lie, you are on the way to damnation.
Ronnie Knox would have agreed with Oscar Wilde’s
statement: “the Catholic Church is for saints and
sinners alone – for respectable people, the Anglican
Church will do!”. Others before have sacrificed all for the sake of
Catholic truth: Don’t let Feelings; Finance; Fidelity
stand in the way.
For an alliteration, I call them:
Feelings; Finance; Fidelity
Finance:
At weaker moments, even I pine for my previous
Vicarage! The pleasant surroundings; the social
status; the sense of well-being; are all seductive and
If you do, you will fail to experience the joy and peace
of being truly a full member of the People of God.
Father Peter