The Congregation of Saint Athanasius
The Anglican Use: Why we are Roman Catholics
There are many, many sincere, fervent lovers of the Lord
Jesus Christ who are not Roman Catholics.
When we were Episcopalians, we believed as many still do that
in the true sense we were Catholics, although not in communion
with Rome. There are still Anglo-Catholics in the Episcopal
Church who believe that of themselves, and there are members of
other denominations (such as the "Evangelical
Catholics" in the Lutheran Church) who believe that as well.
Many of them would look with dismay at our decision to seek
reception into the full communion of the Roman Catholic Church,
because of them it would seem unnecessary.
On the other hand, there are other, equally sincere and
fervent Christians who come from very different Christian
traditions. For them, the term "catholic" is seldom if
ever used; they would look to Scripture as their only doctrinal
standard, and from their point of view the Catholic Tradition
requires belief in so many teachings and customs that it seems to
them a completely foreign religion.
But, here we are, a group of Roman Catholics worshipping as
the Anglican Use chaplaincy of the Archdiocese of Boston. We
deliberately chose to embrace Roman Catholicism, believing that
this was necessary if we were to live a full Catholic, Christian
life. Why?
Evangelical Christians troubled by churches which seem to
insist on practices and believes not explicitly found in
Scripture will not understand us unless they realize how
important the continuity of the Christian tradition is to us.
Scripture plays a very prominent part in our worship -- both as
we celebrate the Eucharist and as we pray the Daily Offices. But,
we treasure the witness of Christians of every age who have
sought to live the Faith of Jesus. We can go back to the letters
of Justin Martyr, written in the second century, and reading his
account of the early Christian worship we see clearly the
celebration of the Mass. Reading Christian history, and the
writings of the Fathers of the Church, we see how in every age
godly men and women sought to come to grips with the saving
Gospel, be faithful to its teaching, worship in spirit and in
truth. Every age's contribution to the tradition is reverently
preserved and studied. "Tradition" is not something
dead; it's a living heritage which we are privileged to inherit.
Some groups of Christians point to Catholicism with its
"man-made traditions" and are critical of the place in
Catholic life occupied by teachings and customs which they cannot
find in Scripture. But, they have, surprisingly, forgotten
something which the Bible believers should be expected to
remember -- The Old Testament. The Old Testament is an authentic
revelation from God. But, the devout Jew who sought in the time
of our Lord, or who seeks today to live a life faithful to that
revelation simply won't find everything he needs to do set out in
the first part of the Bible! There are many customs, many feasts,
many traditions not contained in the Hebrew Scripture, and for
which the devout Jew looks to the tradition of the sages for
instruction.
So -- there's no reason for a biblically-believing Christian
to expect that everything in the revelation of Christ would be
set forth in writing in the New Testament. The one other example
of divine revelation we have --the Old Testament -- is NOT
contained exclusively in Scripture. The unfolding Tradition of
God's People, guided by His Spirit, was necessary then, As it is
now!!
That's how He works.
For Christians on the other end of the spectrum -- Anglicans,
Lutherans, and others who have regarded themselves as somehow
part of the Catholic Church, and see no reason to seek the full
Communion of the Roman Catholic Church -- we understand your
position, and respect and revere the lives of prayer and service
you lead.
But, we found ourselves impelled to seek the full Communion
of the Catholic Church. In a society increasingly in turmoil and
experiencing the erosion of common values, we found that the mind
of the world seemed to have invaded the church in which we had
lived and served, that voices within the church who claimed to be
speaking "prophetically" were actually doing nothing of
the sort, but were urging the wholesale adoption by the church of
the bankrupt values of the world.
We watched this with sorrow, but it got clearer every day. It
is as though there had been a sort of principle of inertia at
work in our Anglican Communion. While the body was at rest, it
tended to stay at rest; but when it began to move, when the
common bonds of an innate conservatism began to loosen, we found
that there was no check, no brake to the flood of revisionism.
Gradually we found that the church would tolerate clergy who
denied fundamental Christian doctrines; we watched as the
marriage discipline of the church crumbled, then as traditional
Christian sexual morality was no longer even spoken of, and as
the traditional doctrine of sacraments was overturned.
As we recount these sad memories, we hasten to add that they
were so many good, holy, precious gifts we had received in our
years in the Episcopal Church. The time came when we saw quite
clearly the paradox: if we were going to be true to the best
things we had learned and received in that church, we had to
leave, for these things were no longer taught or treasured there,
and we certainly could no longer convince ourselves that we were
witnessing to the world the truth of the Catholic Faith by
remaining outside the full Communion of the Catholic Church.
We have been blessed in the loving guidance and support of
our Bishop, his Eminence Bernard Cardinal Law. The Cardinal
firmly believes that everything which is good, and true, and holy
finds its home in the holy Catholic Church, and he has encouraged
us to bring our gifts, the treasured elements of the tradition in
which we have lived for so long which helped us to serve the Lord
Jesus, to bring all of this to enrich the life of the Catholic
Church. And so, there is a congregation worshipping in Boston
today which is the Anglican Use Chaplaincy of the Archdiocese. We
are fully committed, believing Roman Catholics, worshipping
according to the traditional Anglican Liturgy with the
modifications which the Holy See directed. If you come to join us
for Mass some Sunday, you will find a group of joyful, committed
Catholics anxious to share their joy with you.
So -- why not join us some Sunday?? For Sunday and feastday
Mass times see.
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