Understanding the Anglican Issue

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I don't know enough about the Anglicans and what they believe to have a really informed opinion on what is happening inside their church right now. Anytime I want information on a subject I don't know enough about (it happens often!) I turn to the net. I honestly do give thanks to God that I have a resource of pretty much limitless information available to me. The responsibility with it is to sort the true information from the rubbish (balance is about 10% reliable, 90% waste of cyberspace, in my experience)

One particular resource that has been particularly helpful to me in the last could of days has been the blog of Fr Dwight Longenecker. He has an understanding of Anglican issues, himself being a former Anglican priest. He has a post here with advice about things to consider for those looking to move to the Catholic Church.

There is another post here which has excerpts from an email sent to Fr Dwight from an Anglo Catholic priest. It really does help to understand where people who would call themselves Anglo Catholics are coming from.

And this is an excellent post about alleged proposals being made to the Vatican by Anglo Catholic bishops. I found the post to be very informative and it touched on some points that have been concerns of mine in my limited understanding of the situation. Particularly, point 4:

.....We cannot assume, even in the most trad Anglo Catholic parish that everyone in the pew is up to speed on the fullness of Catholic doctrine. Nor can we assume, for all their smells and bells, that they really understand the true reason for becoming Catholic. Each convert needs to be instructed in the faith. We can't just accept them en bloc.

There are enough people in the Church already who call themselves Catholic but in reality have little knowledge or understanding of what the Church actually teaches. Each convert to the Church has to be fully aware of the teachings of the Church and must accept them and be prepared to live them.

I can accept it must be difficult for people who have lived a prayerful life in the Anglican church to see what they believed in being ripped away from them. I'm sure for a lot of people there is hurt, confusion, and probably anger too. My prayers are for them in this difficult time; my rosary intentions have one more item added to the list.

There is room for everyone in the Catholic Church, but the Church is not a hiding place. I pray that all those who think of moving into the Catholic Church do so for the right reasons.