An Anglican priest has been explaining his reasons for not defecting to the Roman Catholic Church.
In January it was revealed up to 300 Essex Anglicans and
seven vicars could join the Ordinariate, set up by Pope Benedict XVI for
disaffected clergy.
Father Richard Tillbrook of St Barnabus Church, in Colchester, said he had thought long and hard about the offer.
"I have made my decision to stay because I love the Church of England," he said.
"I pray the new synod may well understand more fully the need
to have provision within the Church of England for our sacramental
surety and what it's all about."
Anglicans, some opposed to developments including women
bishops, gay clergy and same-sex blessings, can enter the Ordinariate to
convert to Rome while maintaining many of their own traditions.
Reverend Tillbrook told BBC Essex his views on issues such as
the ordination of women vicars could be labelled as "traditionalist".
"I've always believed that Christ called men as apostles and
therefore we're the successors to the apostles as priests," he said.
"I don't think God changes his
mind about things, but I sit easily with people who have a different
opinion than me and if people in the Church of England think women are
called to the priesthood I don't stand to protest."
He admitted he had given the offer of switching to the Catholic church some serious thought.
"In the early stages I thought perhaps the Pope was
suggesting this might be a place where Anglicans could still be
Anglicans, but in communion with Rome," he said.
"But as it developed it's clear to me that it's actually
becoming a Roman Catholic priest and Roman Catholic people in a separate
Ordinariate in this country of ours.
"That in itself didn't appeal to me, because I don't want to be out of communion with the Church of England."
Reverend Tillbrook, who grew up as a Catholic before "falling
in love with the Church of England," said he did not think the Church
of England would not be weakened by the defections.
"I don't think the voice of the 'Catholic wing' will be
weakened because we still have good men and women in the synod who are
of a Catholic persuasion and very fine priests who will speak up and
teach the faith, so I think we'll be fine," he said.