THE P RTAL
May 2014
Australia Pages - page 10
The Church
of Torres Strait (Cts)
I
n 2007, Tolowa Nona, Bishop of the Traditional Anglican Church of Torres Strait, was one of the TAC
bishops to sign the letter and copy of the Catechism that were subsequently presented to Pope Benedict
seeking his advice as to what the next step on the road to corporate unity might be. For the Church of Torres
Strait this was a solemn and binding act.
Following the announcement that an Ordinariate their recommendations to the Holy Father.
would be erected in Australia, the Church of Torres
Strait (CTS) petitioned the Holy See in 2011 for their
It is with joyous thanks and deep gratitude to our
own Ordinariate rather than become part of the Personal Holy Father Francis that I am able to announce that
Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross.
he has responded positively to the petition of the
CTS and has given his blessing to the creation of a
Since 2013 many discussions have taken place Territory for the Torres Strait to be established within
involving, among others, Bp James Foley of Cairns, the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross.
Monsignor Harry Entwistle and Bp Tolowa Nona. This Territory will be subject to the jurisdiction and
These discussions addressed what might be the best way authority of the Ordinary of OLSC, but administered
forward taking into account the cultural uniqueness of on a daily basis by a Regional Vicar who will be
the Torres Strait and the ecclesial history of the CTS.
appointed when the first ordinations of clergy and
reception of laity takes place.
As the discussions progressed, the CTS has come
to the conclusion that their desire for a separate
The implementation of this new Territory will be a
Ordinariate needs to be a staged process with the measured process. It will be a co-operative effort by
prayerful hope that in God’s time it will come to many people who will work together in joyful hope
fruition.
in the knowledge that the journey to full ecclesial
communion, for which Our Lord prayed, is taking
Their revised petition, containing some proposals another step forward.
for its implementation, was forwarded to the
Monsignor Harry Entwistle PA
Congregation for the Doctrine for the Faith in
Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate
February of this year. The Dicastery considered it in
of Our Lady of the Southern Cross
March and the Prefect, Cardinal Müller, presented
Bishop Tolowa and parishioners of Holy Trinity Church
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