www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Trad Anglican Church to 'Dox

Christ Church, a parish of the "continuing" Anglican Church [sic] in Lynchburg, Virginia will follow it's pastor, Robert Waggener, into Western Rite Antiochian Orthodoxy.

The parish members became catechumens on March 5th and will soon be full-fledged members of the Antiochian Orthodox Church. The Anglican pastor will hopefully be ordained an Orthodox priest.

For more information, go to the church's website: www.christchurchlynchburg.org [christchurchlynchburg.org]

Logos Teen

Well we should rejoice that they are half way home!
Stephanos I

I know continuing Anglican CHurch in Australia, and would take anything they do cautioiusly indeed. Charity forbids making too personal comments about some of their clerics whom I know, but be assured I would be cautious. There are very legitimate reasons they have not been embraced by the Catholic or anglican dioceses in general here (with the exception of one in country South Australia). Anyway, that's my opinion.

N

As a clarification, I'm not saying joining the Orthodox is bad. I don't know this particular church, so I can't comment. But I do know the problems with the COntinuing Anglicans in Aust., and there are good reasons why they have not been received into communion here.

NW

I would say that simply by virtue of not being embraced by the established Anglican dioceses, this group has gained credibility in my eyes!

Jesting, of course...kind of.

Anyway, this parish is no longer part of that communion and has embraced Eastern Orthodoxy.

Though I do agree with Stephanos and would've preferred to see this parish welcomed into Catholicism, I refrained from saying so because this is a time to rejoice in the fact that these people have entered into a Communion so close to Catholicism, a Communion with a rich history, Apostolic Succession, and grace-filled Mysteries. I didn't (and don't) think this thread is appropriate to voice my own particular disappointments on the matter, which is why I offered no commentary other than general facts.

From a Catholic POV we know there isn't too much that separates us from the Eastern Orthodox, and a move of one person or a group of people closer to the Truth is always to be rejoiced in, which I why we rejoice when a non-Christian becomes a Christian, even if he becomes a non-Catholic.

I wish these new Antiochian Orthodox grace and peace in their new Church!

Logos Teen

Aren't they technically quite a bit further than 1/2 way home? See https://www.byzcath.org/cgibin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=2&t=003705

CDL

A thought just occured where the comment is about their being Western Orthodox, instead of Eastern Orthodox and not about anything else and that is where the reference to being 1/2 way belongs.

ICXC
NIKA

A thought just poped into my mind.

I thought that there was an agreement that Uniatism was not the way to go.

Aren't the Western Orthodox Churches just reverse Uniatism?

Bingo David you got it!
But then again its them thats doing it so its ok.
Stephanos I

The Western Rite of the Antiochian Archdiocese has many detractors among the Orthodox jurisdictions in this country, for much along the same reasons. It has been established well before any talks between churches were even started. If we like to post snide remarks regarding this, you will find many Orthodox that feel the same way.

I would appreciate some sensitivity, especially by more experinced posters. Especially since we should be rejoicing at least that a parish is finding its way into the Church.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+
Moderator

Mine was not a snide remark, it was an honest question.

I asked this becuase as I recall this end of Uniatism was used to deflect any sort of Orthodox jurisdictions from reuniting with its Catholic counterpart apart from the rest of the Orthodox Churches. I believe.

I apologize if I should not have asked this.

David,

Your post is not who I was referring to.

In IC XC,
Father Anthony+

Yes I also agree with Fr Anthony a bit of consideration for others in this forum should be the norm.

Also this Western Rite Church that these people are joining are not new creations either, as already pointed. This has been around for quiet a while within the Canonical Churches. So nothing new here.

As for so called continuing Anglicans in Australia they are extremely small in number and lead by some I would not be too excited at having in my church at any time and certainly would not wish them on others.

ICXC
NIKA

Well I certainly hope no one took my remarks to be snide.

As I stated before, for exactly the reasons that Fr. Anthony points out, I didn't offer commentary other than saying that I hoped these people would find "grace and peace."

Anyway, enough with the polemics. Let's move on to discussing the issue at hand, if anyone has anything of value to offer.

Logos Teen

I don�t think the situation is comparable beyond a superficial level for the following reasons.

The Western Rite was not concocted as a way to draw people back in to the Orthodox Church. It was established by people who were already Orthodox, but wanted to maintain western liturgical practices. It has been and remains a small movement that will probably always be limited in its appeal and scope. The majority of converts to Orthodoxy from western confessions enter in to, and remain in, churches that use Byzantine practice in their liturgical life. There is no Western Rite hierarchy and no plans to create one that I have ever heard of. I would also say the movement is free from the political dimension that was a part of what would be considered historic �Uniatism�.

Aside from all of those reasons, Orthodoxy has also been better known up until the very recent past for not being open to outsiders and for at times actually discouraging converts. IIRC Bishop Kallistos was at first turned away by the Moscow Patriarchate, in part because they didn�t want to offend the Church of England who they were on good terms with. Obviously the situation has changed today, and a number of Anglicans have explored Orthodoxy due to changes within their church. I think an entire parish community joining Orthodoxy is still a rarity, and I don�t think any Orthodox bishop is seeking to actively rend parish communities from Anglicanism. Obviously converts are welcomed however which is a change from the past. All in all, even if one believed this is a form of �reverse Uniatism�, it would be the Anglicans and not Catholics who should be upset.

Regarding detractors of the Western Rite within Orthodoxy, they most certainly exist and I have read criticisms of them by the late Metropolitan Anthony of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco and Fr. Alexander Schmemann for instance. Some of the criticisms seem fair, and others rather silly in my estimation. The Western Rite have also received encouragement and support from others such as St. John the Wonderworker and the hierarchy of the Antiochian Archdiocese. Not surprisingly I believe the bulk of Western Rite communities are now found either within the AOA or the Russian Church Abroad.

I have never been to a Western Rite liturgy and don't think it would be for me, but I fully support their right to worship in ways that have received the blessing of Orthodox bishops. Personally I rejoice that the community spoken of in this thread has decided to become part of the church and I consider them to be fully at home.

Andrew