More Commentary on GAFCON/FOCA

You will find that in the main I have unfortunately become somewhat pessimistic and even cynical about the whole enterprise. I am deeply concerned that, although the language of the Jerusalem Declaration and the communique was unquestionably moderated or even orientated more towards a traditional 'Prayer Book Catholic' position from where it would likely have wound up otherwise due in part to the influence of American Anglo-Catholics, the end product will not allow much space for the Catholic Anglican tradition, especially regarding the role of Tradition and the centrality of the Mass and the Sacramental System, not to mention a clear understanding of Priesthood and male Priesthood at that. Were it up to Archbishop Peter Jensen alone, I fear GAFCON would simply have become another Marburg Colloquy in which, this time, modern Calvinists would have prevailed.

Only time will truly tell if traditional Anglo-Catholic faithful can find a home in GAFCON.

Anglo-Catholics are in a difficult spot regarding GAFCON, a proverbial place between a rock and hard place. If we do not join, we could run a risk I suppose, the seriousness of which I cannot forecast, of being marginalised; if we do join we could face a very real possibility of ultimately losing our patristic, traditional and orthodox identity and theology as Anglican Catholics. By necessity and conviction, we are coming to resemble more and more the Non-Jurors. Soon I believe a significant number of remaining Catholics in Britain could flee to Rome for escape. Those of us who deny I Vatican Council and the Papal Claims could never make that leap! And so we are in a bind as to what the best course of action should be. There are no easy answers, and I can only recommend a 'wait and see' disposition for now. I agree with our beloved Bishop Grundorf that we must take our time and watch how this whole phenomenon plays out.

Were the APA to desire to enter into sacramental communion with GAFCON (a concept that even GAFCON itself has not too carefully considered), would we be free and able to do so directly, or would we have to affiliate with the CCP in order to enter the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (unfortunate name, I think)? Would our potential communion be immediate or mediate? This question is not explicitly addressed by the communique. If the APA could retain its jurisdictional autonomy as an autocephalous Church and enter into communion with FOCA, that might be a workable situation. Absorption into a new generic province with permissible women's ordination simply would not work. These matters surely summon us to fervent prayer. I am grateful for your interest and I hope for a greater future than we can at the moment envision.