The Portal May 2014 | Page 9

THE P RTAL May 2014 Australia Pages - page 9 Mgr Harry Entwistle reflects on the meeting of Ordinaries in Rome T he Ordinaries of the three Ordinariates, Monsignor Harry Entwistle, Monsignor Keith Newton and Monsignor Jeffrey Steenson, met on 17 and 18 February in Rome, where they also visited senior officials in both the Catholic and Anglican churches. While in Rome, the three ordinaries met with the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, and other officials, to report on how the Ordinariates are faring. They also had meetings at the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and with Archbishop David Moxon, director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and co-chairman of the AnglicanRoman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). During their visit, the Ordinaries were asked to submit a report on the progress of their particular Ordinariate since its establishment. Monsignor Keith Newton said, “Each Ordinariate is different, but we share a common goal and a lot of the challenges we face are common ones, so this was a good opportunity to meet and discuss where we all are and how we might help each other and learn from each other’s experiences in the future. The idea is that we should meet perhaps once a year from now on.” “My intention is to work closely with diocesan bishops to enable the Ordinariate Mass to be said in some city suburbs and country towns where there is currently no Ordinariate presence. This is described by Cardinal Müller as a sound strategy. This. of course, is possible only where the availability of priests permits.” Monsignor Entwistle noted with pleasure that all the Ordinariate parishes are using the Ordinariate Use on Sundays because, he added, “This Mass is an expression of the Roman Rite while offering the beauty of Anglican liturgical patrimony.” In his conclusion, the Cardinal assured all the Ordinariates of his prayers, describing us as pioneers of ecclesial communion, and trusts that God, who has begun this good work, will bring it to completion. Monsignor Entwistle was delighted to report that “The book of Occasional Offices” was to be published on the Feast of the Annunciation, March 25th, and said that clergy, readers and other leaders in the liturgy must use the book and not printed sheets to lead the worship, because “this is how ‘variations’ creep into Monsignor Entwistle reported that he had received liturgies. The congregation can have printed sheets, an encouraging response to his report from Cardinal but not celebrants.” Müller who was very affirming of what had been Monsignor Entwistle continued “Anglican Patrimony achieved since June 2012 and how he wished to encourage the Ordinariate in Australia to focus prescribes that the daily prayer of the clergy and laity on evangelisation and increase the visibility and be one and the same. We should encourage our people to pray Matins and Evensong, or at least one of the understanding of the Ordinariate. Offices, so we clergy need to be in synch with them. Monsignor Entwistle plans that, “Evangelisation will This isn’t a fad; it is a very Anglican principle.” be the theme of the Clergy Residential in June and the He was also delighted to report that “The Divine workshop for laity and clergy in our parishes, which will be part of my parish visitation, is considered to be Worship Mass book (bound volume) is expected to a very important beginning for us to ‘come out from be available before the end of this year and that it will behind our defensive barricades’ and confidently invite contain the Mass liturgy, with all the propers, collects others to come and encounter God in our worshipping and prefaces, as well as liturgies for the Triduum, and that music will be includ ed.” communities.” contents page