In one of the more delicious ecclesiastical contretemps of recent years, the Episcopal bishop of California, Marc Andrus, was prevented from attending last week's installation of Salvatore Cordileone as the new archbishop of San Francisco. As other clerical dignatories were ushered to their seats of honor, Andrus was kept cooling his heels in the basement of the cathedral, until he got the hint and departed the scene.
That, at least, is Andrus' version. In due course, Cordileone's spokesman released a statement that it had all been a misunderstanding.
It is hard to avoid the suspicion that Cordileone was displeased with Andrus' public letter welcoming him to San Francisco and pledging to work together on matters of common concern but emphasizing their disagreement over gay rights generally and same-sex marriage in particular (which Andrus strongly supports and +Cordileone led the charge against while serving as bishop of Oakland). And then there was this:
Some Catholics may find themselves less at home with Salvatore Cordileone’s installation and they may come to The Episcopal Church. We should welcome them as our sisters and brothers.
I'm inclined to think that had the failure to seat really been a misunderstanding Cordileone would have quickly gotten on the horn and apologized to Andrus. Assuming the opposite, it would have been a good deal more lionhearted to signal his displeasure by publicly announcing that Andrus was not welcome to attend.
Whatever, with Catholic bishops on the warpath against SSM and the ECUSA offically endorsing it, I'd say it's time for Andrus and company to man up and announce the establishment of an ordinariate for U.S. Catholics who want to become Episcopalians. Last January, you'll recall, the pope announced a U.S. ordinariate for Episcopalians who want to become Catholics but would like to retain some of their own liturgical and other traditions.
If what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander, the new Episcopalians would be able to retain some of their Roman traditions. Of course, the pope thing would have to go. On the other hand, priests and bishops would now have the opportunity to marry, including (in some jurisdictions) members of the same sex.
The pope's ordinariate is headquartered in Houston. Where better to locate the Episcopalians' than in San Francisco?
Adriana | Oct 9, 2012 | 12:37pm
By the way what is religion?
Mary O'Shaughnessy | Oct 9, 2012 | 3:27pm
The Episcopal Church welcomes everyone—and their parents, and their kids, and their spouses/partners…
Integrity, the organization of LGBT Episcopalians and our friends, will be happy to help anyone seeking a welcoming Episcopal parish close to them.
http://www.integritynycmetro.org with links to http://www.integrityusa.org
toujoursdan | Oct 9, 2012 | 3:45pm
Marc’s letter was addressed to Episcopalians, not to Roman Catholics. It also reflects the reality that 1-in-5 Episcopalians are former Roman Catholics who often transfer because of issues of gender and sexuality, and there may be more who should be welcomed IF they show up.
Given that the Roman Catholic Church created an Anglican Rite, relaxed their priestly celibacy requirement and publicly encouraged Anglicans to become Roman Catholic to get away from women bishops and gay people, even if Marc did encourage Roman Catholics to become Episcopalian, they can’t be too sore about it.
Mark | Oct 9, 2012 | 4:54pm
The Anglican communion has beautiful liturgy, but the American and British versions are no longer a serious Christin communions. They have learned, the hard way, that people who become too open minded evntually become scatter brained.
The heart of Anglicanism’s problem is the lack of authority. When Canterbury broke with Rome, Apostolic succession stopped. Modernity hit like a thunderclap, and the communion folded like a house of cards. It could do no other.
Let’s face it: A king wanting to make his mistress queen is no basis for founding a true Church. Traditional Anglicans now admit this, and are “crossing the Tiber.” As a practicing Roman Catholic, all I can say is “Welcome Home!” What took you so long?
Roberta Kelm | Oct 9, 2012 | 5:00pm
Not sure I really see a need for an “Episcopalian ordinate”—I know several former Catholics who retain quite a bit of their Catholic heritage, including devotion to Mary and the other saints. There is even an Anglican rosary with prayers for those who wish to retain the devotional practice. Many “high church” parishes have quite a bit of Anglo-Catholic influence, and of course many of the musical works from great Catholic composers such as Palestrina, Bruckner, and even William Byrd (who retained his Catholic roots even in the midst of the English persecutions) are prominently featured in choir selections.
Usbek de Perse | Oct 9, 2012 | 5:11pm
While an “ordinariate” is not needed in a functional way, a “home away from home” for Catholics in the Episcopal Church is not a bad idea. I had expected there would be some kind of dust-up between these two bishops, though I did not expect these fireworks. I have met Bishop Andrus on several occasions and I have no reason to doubt his version of the events. I have not met Archbishop Cordileone, though I can say from conversations with Catholics in the Oakland diocese that they are quite pleased to see his back.
Bishop Andrus should have, perhaps been a bit more delicate in his letter to the diocese. He has perhaps learned the wisdom in this non-canonical proverb: “He doth abuse all nature’s laws who tickleth surly mules with straws”.
Therese Z | Oct 9, 2012 | 5:34pm
“On the warpath” about SSM? Please.
As though all of recorded history in which there is NO SSM AT ALL AT ANY TIME is not “on the warpath” against this recent anomaly.
EssEm | Oct 9, 2012 | 5:53pm
“... it would have been a good deal more lionhearted…” Good one. Cor di Leone. But then there is the old business of Romanitá, the Roman way of handling these things. Perfectly matched to allowing Andrus in and then not seating him and then saying it was a misunderstanding.
I read Andrus’ letter. It was rude and provocative. “Some Catholics may find themselves less at home with Salvatore Cordileone’s installation…” The reference is subtle but audible and personal. The WASPs know how to be bitchy, too.
I enjoyed the whole spectacle. The “ecumenical” game has been nothing but window dressing and fake PR for quite a long time now.
Bill Freeman | Oct 9, 2012 | 6:23pm
I think Bishop Andrus is wonderful. Being Christian is first and foremost being an ally to the marginalized—gays and lesbians are marginalized. If his witness irritates the rarified Roman Church so be it.
And to those who responded that gay marriage is “an anomaly” so was enfranchising blacks until the laws were changes.
Bishop Andrus, thank you.
Fr. John W. Morris | Oct 9, 2012 | 6:45pm
What do you expect, the Episcopal Church has rejected traditional Christian moral teaching and has embraced the immorality of our secular culture. Actions have consequences. If the Episcopal Bishop publicly attacks the beliefs of the Catholic Church, how can he expect to be welcome at the installation of the new Catholic Bishop? Many people have left the Episcopal Church. I was an Episcopalian who became Eastern Orthodox. Although I use the Byzantine Rite, some former Episcopalians in the Antiochan Orthodox Church have joined Western Rite Orthodox parishes that use a revised form of the 1928 Book of Common Prayer for decades.
Steve | Oct 9, 2012 | 6:58pm
Mr. Silk…is it acceptable to be anti-semitic as you are anti-Catholic?
Mark Silk | Oct 9, 2012 | 7:33pm
No, Steve. And I’ve stopped beating my wife too.
Steve | Oct 9, 2012 | 8:27pm
I don’t understand your sarcasm. So you are anti-Catholic? If one were to post as many attacks on Judaism as you post attacks on Catholicism, could one assume that one is anti-semitic? Are you anti-Catholic? Just answer the question, please.
Marj Silk | Oct 9, 2012 | 9:50pm
The best answer I can give you, Steve, is that I’m no more anti-Catholic than I am anti-Mormon, anti-Protestant, anti-secular, or (indeed) anti-Semitic. I do have certain political and moral values, which should be sufficient evident. I see my job as providing a critical perspective on religious actors and institutions, and this means that I’m far more likely to write about things I find objectionable than things I find favor with. And there is, I’ll admit, a fair amount I find objectionable in what the clerical leaders of the Catholic Church do and say these days. You may regard this as anti-Catholic, but there are plenty of devout Catholics who find those same things objectionable too. Believe it or not, I have spent a good portion of my working life studying Roman Catholicism, from Late Antiquity down to the present day. I find much to admire in the tradition, and in its adherents, as well as a good deal that’s problematic. Altogether, it’s an endlessly fascinating subject—which is why, I suppose, I write as much about it as I do. I expect you will not find this answer satisfactory, but there it is.
Steve | Oct 9, 2012 | 10:54pm
I appreciate your honest response.
Since you have spent a good portion of your working life studying Catholicism, I suspect a your consistent attacks on the Church are really a public manifestation of your internal spiritual struggle between rejecting the Church and a gnawing desire to enter the Church and embrace the teachings of Jesus that come from the apostles. Your studies of Catholicism must have led you to the realization that real spiritual journeys are lifelong battles with the Truth that leave one challenged and unsettled, e.g., St. Augustine, St. Anselm, St. Catherine of Siena, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avilla, Blessed John XXIII, and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, to mention only a few.
dominic1955 | Oct 10, 2012 | 10:46am
“Bishop” Marc should have written a letter to Archbishop Cordileone seeking to discuss property sales. They won’t be needing Grace Cathedral for much longer and Our Lady of Maytag is rather unpreposessing, an amicable business relationship could have been set up.
Although I am not privy to what Archbishop Cordileone is thinking, I can say pretty confidently that Catholic bishops do not loose sleep over the passive-agressive bitchiness of Episcopalians who play the part of public martyr.
Bishop Michael Vono | Oct 10, 2012 | 12:50pm
I wholeheartedly support setting up an Episcopal Ordinariate in San Francisco. We already are welcoming many unhappy Roman Catholics and recent statistics are showing many more each year are leaving the Roman Church. I am welcoming them at every Confirmation I seen to do here in the Diocese of the Rio Grande.
Bless you Bishop Marc.
Bishop Michael
Steve | Oct 10, 2012 | 4:06pm
Michael and Marc need to understand that Catholics who leave the Church are not unhappy with the Church; they are unhappy with the teachings of Jesus, such as Jesus’ teaching on divorce. They leave the Church so they can believe whatever they want to believe. The teachings of Jesus are only relevant to them if they agree with Jesus. This is the founding principle of Protestantism; that is, an individual’s right to change or ignore what Jesus taught; and at the same time still call oneself a follower of Jesus’ teachings.
The Church may have many faults and Catholics might be great sinners; but the Magisterium of the Church has remained true to the teachings of Jesus taught by the apostles. Protestantism can make no such claim.