THE
P RTAL
June 2011
Page 9
The Ordinary’s Page
This month Monsignor John Broadhurst writes...
The first few weeks of this year have been a whirlwind. I
was reconciled with the Holy See on 1st January and ordained priest
on 15th January. I approached it all with a great deal of trepidation,
wondering how it would work out. Now, a thousand of us have
entered into the Ordinariate and a large number of new priests will
be ordained at Pentecost. Certainly these are exciting times.
One of my great pleasures was to confirm my oldest
daughter’s family (together with her in laws) on Holy
Saturday. At the same time Monsignor Keith was
confirming my eldest son’s family in Chelmsford.
There is a real sense in which we are coming home
together.
Reconciliation with the Holy See
I have always felt that reconciliation with the Holy
See was a communal rather than a personal issue and
these simple facts demonstrate that for me and my
family it has been just that. The weeks since January
1st have not been without their problems. Fr Keith,
Andrew and I have met regularly with Bishop Alan
Hopes trying to get the whole thing set up.
We are very lucky to be part of a community of
able and competent people. I do believe we have real
possibilities.
Places to live our Anglican heritage
That said how are we to make it work? One issue
that is not yet resolved is that of Ordinariate centres.
We have discussed money, strategy, training and Inevitably a group appended to a much larger Catholic
mission. Obviously our major concern in these parish will eventually dissipate. We need to find places
opening weeks is the housing and payment of the to live our Anglican heritage in a new Catholic context.
stipendiary clergy. Even at this late moment those I would hope that in the next two or three years we will
issues are not all resolved, so what of the future?
find new places to be faithful witnesses to Christ.
Generous provision
The Ordinariate is here to stay
My real concern is that the Ordinariate should work.
I have just moved to the Midlands and there are
The Holy Father has made a generous provision which no Ordinariate Groups here but I already have a list
concerns our culture and history. The great danger is people, supplied by a local priest, who have expressed
the Ordinariate could be seen simply as a fast track a real interest.
into the Catholic Church. This is certainly not what
the Holy Father intends.
The Ordinariate is here to stay and will offer much
to the Church. I am sure it will grow and we owe it
Mission and ecumenism
to the Holy Father to make it work. The leadership of
The Ordinariate is about mission and ecumenism. the Catholic Church in this country have been very
So a serious situation sits in front of us. How do we helpful and welcoming.
address our many friends in the Church of England
Positive and enthusiastic
and how do we contribute to evangelism.
As I said at the Forward in Faith Assembly 18 months
Able and competent people
ago the Holy Father has made a generous offer and we
Most of our Groups are by Catholic standards very have no choice but to respond. My response is positive
small though, by Anglican standards they are not. and enthusiastic.
In the Church of England we had a very different
As we develop our future we will watch with interest
pastoral strategy and many parishes were small. On
the positive side our ordinariate groups are filled with the emergence of Ordinariates in North America and
Australia.
the committed and the activists.