By Anthony Barich
THE Vatican is aiming to establish an Anglican Ordinariate in Australia by next year, the Holy See’s delegate for the Anglican Ordinariate in Australia has revealed.
Melbourne Auxiliary Bishop Peter Elliott, who addressed a Festival introducing the Ordinariate in Melbourne on 11 June, told The Record that there is momentum leading to the establishment of an Anglican Ordinariate in Australia with recent events in England and, closer to home, the Torres Strait.
“We have been advised that the Ordinariate will take shape here next year,” Bishop Elliott told an Anglican Ordinariate Festival in Melbourne on 11 June.
“I know that many, including myself, had hoped it would be sooner, but it seems best to take the necessary and somewhat complex steps slowly and surely, inspired and encouraged as we are by recent events in England and the interesting prospects for growth that that are already being revealed.”
He also told The Record last week that a timeline would be announced in due course once this has been approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. “Australian Anglicans and Catholics working towards an Ordinariate are much encouraged by recent events in England, where the Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham is expanding every week. The recent ordination of seven former Anglican clergy in St George’s Cathedral, Southwark marked another step forward,” he said.
Australian Anglo-Catholic leaders had originally hoped to have an Anglican Ordinariate established in Australia by Pentecost – 12 June – as previously reported by The Record.
This Ordinariate was also to include Japan as their key liaison is Adelaide-based Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC), which claims a global membership of 400,000. The Church of the Torres Strait decided at a 3-5 June Synod to petition Rome for an Ordinariate for Indigenous Australian Anglicans in the islands to the north of Cape York.
The clergy and lay people who voted for an Ordinariate at their recent Synod are within the jurisdiction and pastoral care of the TAC, which respects and honours their culture and traditions, Bishop Elliott said.
Should their request be granted, there will be a Confirmation of each person’s decision and an ordination of the present priests and deacons as Catholic priests and deacons. The Church of the Torres Strait has set a target date of Advent Sunday this year.
Bishop Tolowa Nona SSC, who presided over the TAC Church of the Torres Strait Synod, said the establishment of an Ordinariate would be the most significant event in the Christian history of the Torres Strait since the Coming of the Light in 1871, when the London Missionary Society first arrived at Erub Island introducing Christianity to the region.
Thursday Island parish priest Fr Tom Stephen told the Synod that while religion can unfortunately often divide people and even kill people of other beliefs, Torres Strait culture is “a guide for right actions towards others”, as the local Church often holds joint events with other denominations.
Torres Strait Church Vicar General Fr Gordon Barnier said the Church recognises that other Christian communities also have the faith in varying degrees and wants to reach out to embrace them. Relationships with other communities of Christians will continue and expand, he said, and combined services are often held and “are helpful to many and we are mindful of the support that many other pastors give us.
All pray and long for the day when we will be able to receive the one bread and the one cup in the Eucharist (Holy Communion, Lord’s Supper, Breaking of Bread).”