An Anglican church in Calgary is set to become the first in Canada to accept an offer from the Vatican to become Catholic.
The congregation at St. John the Evangelist — the only high Anglican
church in the diocese — has felt increasingly isolated as the parent
church slowly liberalized, accepting women as priests and blessing gay
and lesbian unions.
"There has been very much a lack of unity," said congregation member Richard Harding.
Last year Pope Benedict XVI offered to let disaffected Anglican
congregations switch to the Roman Catholic faith through the adoption of
Anglican Ordinariates.
After months of meetings with Catholic officials in Calgary, the
congregation at St. John voted earlier this month to accept that offer.
Under the new orders, which have not yet been created, former
Anglican parishes will be permitted to maintain their distinctive
liturgical practices, and priests will still be allowed to marry.
"The Pope says 'sign this, and you can do your service however you
like,'" said lifelong St. John parishioner Cheryl Lee, who complained
that the Anglican leadership lost touch with its more conservative
congregations.
Until the new arrangement is formally established with Rome, the
Calgary church will remain Anglican, said Barry Foster, archdeacon of
Calgary's Anglican Diocese.
"The bishop's concern is to maintain a good pastoral relationship
with the parish, so that in good Anglican fashion, whatever happens next
will be done in an orderly manner," he said.
But ownership of the 105-year-old church, at 1423 8th Ave. S.E. in Inglewood, will stay with the diocese, Foster added.
"It's not the case that … they take the property with them. It's not theirs."
SIC: CBC/CANADA
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