THE
P RTAL
March 2018
Page 12
Evangelising the wider Church about the Ordinariate growth and hope here - a new group in York is starting
is simply through conversation, whether face to face or up. I went to visit them earlier this year; all young, all
online. So much can be achie ved in this social media enthusiastic, all full of life.
age simply by sharing and engaging with Ordinariate
stories.
There are also vocations coming from within the
Ordinariate. We saw ten deacons ordained in May,
T he P ortal : What do you believe the Ordinariate can do? all of whom will be ordained priests by the summer, I
know there are at least three more men in formation.
RH: In seven years the Ordinariate has already done so All of this means more clergy for a Church which is
much! It is now difficult to imagine an English Church desperately short of men to administer the Sacraments.
without it. There are dioceses that have been able to
keep open a great many parishes simply because of the
I think Anglicanorum Coetibus is something of a
provision of Ordinariate clergy.
ticking time bomb. Its influence might seem small
now, but in 50 or a 100 years, it will go off, and then we
I remember being quite inspired and encouraged by shall really see something.
Mgr Newton when he gave the first press conference
after his ordination in the Catholic Church. He saw
I don’t think any of us knows how the Ordinariate is
the Ordinariate as being outward looking and not going to grow and flourish - only time and Providence
existing solely for itself, part of the Church’s vision will tell. But it must be remembered that this is an
for Evangelisation, encouraging an “English form Institution in the Church which is not even ten years
of Catholicism”, with an Anglican attitude towards old. It will all take time.
mission, not seeing small scale operations as a negative
thing. It makes it easier for priests and people to build
I think the greatest weakness of all in the Ordinariate
up a strong relationship with their local community. is that it is missing the help and support of a great many
people who have chosen to remain in the Church of
It’s all very early days. People are very quick to England, who would be welcomed, encouraged and
judge the Ordinariate, to say, “Why don’t they become supported in the Catholic Church, where they would
proper Catholics like us?” This is changing, slowly, but be allowed some real “Mutual Flourishing”!
the church is naturally suspicious of new movements.
She is a fundamentally conservative institution, and T he P ortal : How would you like to see the relationship
this is a very young institution. Youth can be perceived between the Ordinariate and the Friends develop?
as inexperience, though I think the church is waking
up to the fact that they have a group of people who RH: What the Friends are for is to be outward
have been practising the Christian faith for not a little looking. We exist to encourage people to support the
Ordinariate, to donate money, to offer prayers, all for
time!
the benefit of the Ordinariate. The Ordinariate doesn’t
Of course, people love to play numbers games, and need telling what good news the Ordinariate is! The
there have not been great swathes of Anglican parishes rest of the Church does.
dashing to be taken into full Communion. This is sad,
We are here to help the Ordinariate. It is run
of course, but to be expected, there never have been.
The Ordinariate is, of course, going to be clergy heavy. by people who learned the Christian faith in the
The Church of England is clergy heavy. Interestingly, Church of England, but became Catholics before the
numbers are growing however. Precious Blood, London Ordinariate came into being. They want to help others
Bridge numbered about 60 on a Sunday morning. This who have made that same leap, though in different
is now up to around 250, clearly something is being circumstances, and to help the Ordinariate to grow
done right. Our Lady of the Assumption, Warwick and flourish.
Street now has a good many more attending Mass than
Christianity is about a personal encounter with
it did before the Ordinariate took it over 2013.
the Living God, and as a consequence, much of the
I mention these two because I know these parishes, way we work best with people is to do with personal
but I also know that the Ordinariate is growing in encounters. I think this is the best way that the
other ways too. More and more Ordinariate clergy relationship can grow between the Friends and
are being put in positions of trust in the Church. An members of the Ordinariate.
Ordinariate priest is director of studies at the seminary
at Allen Hall, another is a senior schools inspector for T he P ortal : Thank you Richard. We wish you well in
the diocese of Westminster. There are real signs of your work with the Friends.