An Episcopal clergyman who was ordained into the Roman Catholic priesthood thinks "the Roman Church missed a great opportunity between 1977 and 1980 to gather in large numbers of Episcopal laity". Those were the years following the fateful General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the U. S. A. in Minneapolis, Minnesota, when dissatisfaction spread widely among Episcopalians, both clergy and laity. In September 1976, the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen said, "hundreds of thousands of Episcopalians mourn the departure of the official Church structure into heresy".

Out of this schism there emerged several branches of the Continuing Anglican Catholic Church, which claims to maintain the traditional doctrine and practice of the Anglican Communion. There was, however, at least one group, the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine of Canterbury, that ultimately sought Uniate status with Roman Catholicism. The key person of this group was Canon Albert J. DuBois, who had been president of the American Church Union and also leader of Anglicans United. In the spring of 1977 the Alliance of Anglican Parishes formed the non-geogra-phical Diocese of the Holy Trinity at St. Mary of the Angels in Hollywood, California. Canon DuBois was elected bishop, but because of his advance age he was not consecrated.

Albert DuBois' father was Roman Catholic, his mother Episcopalian. He has been rector of the Church of the Ascension in Washington, D. C., and was an honorary Canon of St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, but appears to have had most influence on the West Coast. He was the representative "senior priest" among the members of the several congregations that formed the Pro-Diocese in June 1978. The name Augustine of Canterbury was chosen to "emphasize the fact that Catholic faith and Order belonged to England from the start, and to express the hope that the same generosity might be exhibited in the present day to Catholic Anglicans seeking to return to the Western Catholic Church, and to preserve their particular traditions."

They were determined to retain their Anglican identity, but also wanted to be accepted as part of the larger Christian tradition. One of the options they had was to affiliate with the schismatic Polish National Catholic Church, which had just broken off its intercommunion agreement with the Episcopal Church. When this failed the Canon opened negotiations with the Greek Orthodox community, which also showed no interest. Meeting at St. Mathias Church in Sun Valley, California, the leaders stated, "if other options fail, the Roman Catholic Church might grant Uniate status to us, if we are faithful to Catholic doctrine and tradition".

The concept of ecclesial uniate structure is commonly associated with Catholic churches of Eastern rites. The Armenians and Maronites had retained their rites when these churches entered into union with Rome at the time of the Crusades. The Vatican Council degree of Eastern Rite churches praised the "admirable brotherhood" among these churches that manifests their unity. Uniate status is enjoyed by more than half a million Catholics in the United States, under nine episcopal sees, the largest group which the Byzantine-Ruthenians. The American experience has in some instances been an unhappy one. Dissatisfaction with the Latin hierarchy led to a schism into the Russian Orthodox jurisdiction in the early 1900s. In March 1929 the Roman Catholic Church decreed that only celibate priests were to serve in the Eastern Rite churches in the United States. The result was another large defection of Ukrainian and Ruthenian Catholics.

Although the American Roman Catholic bishops were generally uncomfortable with the whole structure of uniate churches, the Holy See continued to approve new jurisdictions in America. Even during the years of denial to the Anglican Rite Catholics, new Eastern uniates were approved. In 1976 the Melkite-Greek Catholic Diocese was elevated to an eparchy. In 1982 the Romanian exarchate was instituted for all Romanian Byzantine Catholics, in the United States. Even the small Chaldean Catholic Rite, with only five parishes and less than three thousand members, had its first Bishop- Eparch, Ibrahim N. Ibrahim, installed in 1985.

The Second Vatican Council decreed that "all Eastern Rite members should know and be convinced that they can and should always preserve their lawful liturgical rites, and their established way of life". This is precisely what the leaders of the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine proposed to do. They were unwilling to be absorbed into the larger Latin Church. The did not want to lose their Anglican identity. "Their goal was a Uniate arrangement through which they could be assured of having their own bishop, and would operate as a separate, parallel diocesan structure while in full communion with the Roman Church".

This was the proposal Canon DuBois and his associates intended to present to Rome. He had long been active in ecumenical circles and counted many friends among the Roman Catholic clergy. One with whom he shared his aspirations was Monsignor Robert Schuler of St. Paul, Minnesota, who happened also to be acquainted with Cardinal Franjo Seper, Perfect of the Sacred Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith. While the proposal of some kind of ecclesial unity was obviously of an ecumenical nature, the Vatican steered it away from the Holy See's ecumenical expert, Cardinal Jan Willebrands, President of the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity.

Monsignor Schuler arranged an appointment with Cardinal Seper, but a severe heart attack prevented Canon DuBois making the trip. In his place he sent two younger priests, the rector of St. Mary of the Angels and the rector of St. Mathias parish. Together with Monsignor Schuler they had several conversations with Cardinal Seper, who was well aware that neither the Vatican nor the American hierarchy wanted another uniate rite. Out of their conversation arose a compromise proposal that later came to be known as the "unit of common identity" or the Anglican-use parish.

It is clear that the Cardinal was thinking in terms of group affiliation, not simply the conversion of individual Episcopalians. He recommended that they preserve their cultural characteristics, customary liturgy, and sacramental practices. On the strength of this recommendation the Pro-Diocese submitted its request for affiliation directly to the Holy See. Even though they felt that the matter belonged in the Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity, it was logical that they should dear with Cardinal Seper who had originally give them encouragement. Yet this approach led to the charge, especially after Cardinal Ratzenger replaced Cardinal Seper, that they were "bypassing" official channels [which had in fact been set up several years later under Bishop Bernard Law]. "In one instance", wrote Law in 1982, "an approach was made directly to the Holy See, but was referred to the National Conference of Catholic Bishops".

Meanwhile, two other Episcopal priests, James Parker and Lawrence Lossing of the Anglican Order of the Holy Cross, brought their requests to the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Jean Jadot, in Washington, D. C. He listened carefully to their petition that married Anglican clergy be accepted in the Roman Catholic priesthood, and that the be established "some means of preserving the spiritual heritage of Anglican parishes seeking full communion." The Archbishop promised to bring the request personally to Rome in the next few days and to inform Archbishop John Quinn, President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops [NCCB] in the United States.

Since the implementation of any uniate program of this size would ultimately require the co-operation of bishops at the diocesan level, the Seper compromise was thoroughly discussed at two meetings of the NCCB. In May 1979 the bishops passed a resolution requesting that the Holy See allow married Episcopal priests to enter the Roman Catholic priesthood, with a provision that some groups would be permitted to preserve their common Anglican identity. The vote was not unanimous. Some bishops did not want to bother of accommodating "common identity" parishes in their diocese. Vehement opposition came from the Eastern Rite bishops who complained that the decree CUM DATA FUERIT in 1929 had eliminated married Byzantine clergy from the United States. Why would the American bishops now make an exception for convert Anglican clergy?

Pope John Paul II granted the petition of the American hierarchy in June 1980 with the understanding that details for implementation of the pastoral provision for the common identity group would be worked out under the supervision of the NCCB. The existence of this papal decree is said to have been leaked to the media by the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine, with the results that it was prematurely released in August 1980. The circumstances of this leakage, if it occurred, are not common knowledge. Nevertheless, the leaders of the Pro-Diocese were eager to promote the promise of an Anglican Rite Uniate Rite.

From Bishop Arthur Voegel, the most prominent American ecumenist of the Episcopal Church, came the objection that the proposed units of common identity would hinder the ecumenical movement. In early September 1980 he visited the Vatican and raised the issue with Pope John Paul II. He argued that it was ecumenically important that uniate status not be granted to the collective Anglican converts. After all, fragmentation had already occurred among American Episcopalians. Another separate ecclesial body would make ecumenical negotiations still more difficult.

The clergy of the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine held a meeting at San Antonio, Texas, in November 1980 for mutual encouragement and to plan strategy for the future. At this moment most of them had not yet become Roman Catholics. Among the less interested Episcopal clergy they were known as a bunch of "spikes", slang for extremely ritualistic high church Anglicans. They did not invite any Roman Catholic bishops or other church representatives to attend this meeting. Their focus was on the development of an identifiable church organization that would be recognized as an uniate structure within the Roman Catholic Church. They had faith in the imaginative proposal Cardinal Seper had made for their future.

Despite the hopes nurtured among Episcopalians, there were subsequently only five congregations established under the protocol of "Anglican usage", or units of common identity. The west coast Episcopalians of the Pro- Diocese of St. Augustine, and perhaps thousands more, were unable to get clearance for establishing more such parishes. From the beginning the rule was individual submission to Rome, not group affiliation. As Bishop Law declared, "Even in the matter of congregations, as in the four small parishes of the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine of Canterbury, the members will be received, after catechesis, as individuals."

While the Holy See has occasionally, even recently, given approval to uniate rites, the Anglican Rite Catholics with their bishops and priests has not been taken seriously by the American Roman Catholic hierarchy. Negotiations were carried on at a faltering pace, with long interruptions in communications. Letters sent to the Vatican were re-routed to the NCCB or to Bishop Law's office. With the passage of years most of the Anglican Rite parishes have maintain their loyalty to the Anglican Rite Catholic Church. The most interesting examples are that the four parishes in the Los Angeles area that declared their independence from the Episcopal Diocese in January 1977 with their intention of becoming Anglican Rite Catholics.

Each of these Episcopal congregations, Holy Apostles, Our Savior, St. Mary, and St. Mathias, through the action of their vestries, officially separated from the diocese with which they had been associated. They had been incorporated at different times and had made regular financial contributions to the diocese, but they insisted that their properties belonged to them and not to the diocese. The Episcopal diocese brought suit against the clergy and people of these four parishes for the return of the properties, and won the case. The Court of Appeals, however, reversed the decision of the Supreme Court and judged that three of the congregations had the right to retain their properties, but that Holy Apostles Church was a constituent part of the Episcopal diocese.

During the lengthy litigation, which concluded in October 1981, the clergy and lay leaders of these parishes tried to bring the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles in on their side. Taking sides would have jeopardized the cordial ecumenical relations that existed between Roman Catholics and Episcopalians, especially since the convert group retained certain valuable commercial properties must be turned over to him. Cardinal Manning of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese prudently remained aloof from the controversy. The Roman Catholic Inter-Religious Commission carried on successful dialogue with the Episcopalians, and were the advisers for Manning's successor, Archbishop Roger Mahoney, who took office in 1984.

This account of the rise of the Anglican Rite must remain incomplete because most of the relevant conversations and negotiations are still confidential. Aside from the ecumenical embarrassment of the court litigation, there appears to be two reasons why the petition from an Anglican Rite within the Roman Catholic Church has been refused. The first is the already vast complex of subdivisions in the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. The Roman Catholic Church has many ethnic and language parishes: Armenian, Chinese, Croatian, Hispanic, Italian, Korean, Philippine, Polish, and many many others. There are also congregations of non-Latin rites: the Russian-Byzantine, the Ukrainian-Byzantine, the Melchite-Greek Catholic, and the Maronites. The Personal Prelature of OPUS DEI is also represented in the United States.

The great variety of language parishes and autonomous rites constitute and obvious administrative problem. This multi-ethnic phenomenon is familiar in most large American cities. These ethnic and language parishes are under the jurisdiction of the Ordinary, but this is not the case with uniate groups. The priests and people of the Eastern Rite parishes answer directly to their own bishops, or eparches, and are not under the authority of the local Latin Rite bishop.

Another and more personal criticism has been made of the people of the Anglican Rite, in that they wanted to deal as a group directly with Rome. This is how they initiated contact with Cardinal Seper before the pastoral provisions were decreed in 1980. The claim that they bypassed the delegated "middleman" only because they could not receive satisfactory communication from this episcopal intermediary. Cardinal Seper had encouraged them, but he had also advised them they had to apply for admission through their local Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Church. Since the local bishop of the Roman Catholic Church did not have authority to grant them uniate status, they felt they should be in contact with the Holy See. Nevertheless, when Cardinal Ratzinger replaced Cardinal Seper, their contact with the Holy See was terminated.

The role of the middleman, Bishop Bernard Law, who had been appointed delegate in March 1981 to supervise the transfer of Episcopal clergy into the Roman Catholic priesthood, has diminished since he himself was elevated to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston. He had turned over the routine paperwork to Father James Parker, the first married priest to be ordained under the pastoral provisions. Except for convening a conference for these priests and their wives at Danvers, Massachusetts, in 1984, Cardinal Law has either lost interest in the project or has been too busy to give it his attention. In consequence these convert Episcopalians and their parishes do not have an official advisor or ecclesiastical "protector".

The mishaps of the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine and the lack of official hierarchical support of the Anglican Rite parishes have reduced the prospects of recovering the "lost opportunity' to gather in more thousands of converts from the Episcopal Church. Even if formal uniate status is not granted to the Anglican Rite, they are in need of episcopal encouragement and supervision. In lieu of uniate status, another organizational model may be suggested: a personal prelature or vicariate similar to that established in 1982 for OPUS DEI by the Pope. Obviously, no parish can be established without the approval of the local Ordinary of the Roman Catholic diocese. Most of the bishops seem to know little about this movement, and some of them have expressed active disfavor.

Under these conditions the prospect of a further step in the establishment of a uniate Anglican Rite in the United States is remote. It is understood that the current provision has been granted AD TEMPUS NON DETERMINATUM, and can be recalled by the Holy Father. The Roman Church of the Latin Rite, which has learned to live, but not always joyfully, with a number of Eastern Rites, could certainly accommodate another uniate, the Anglican Rite. Indeed, some of the most active members of the Anglican Rite are sure that their survival depends on the establishment of the uniate. After all, the Holy Father unexpectedly set up a Personal Prelature for OPUS DEI in November 1982; it is not outside the realm of papal possibility that he make some similar move on behalf the Anglican Rite faithful.

Additional comments by the author

Out of frustration, the Pro-Diocese of St. Augustine of Canterbury has "officially" ceased to exist, but there has now been organized a jurisdiction which believes itself to be a branch of the Holy Catholic Church. This jurisdiction is called The Anglican Rite Catholic and Apostolic Church in America. By the Grace of God, it has received the Apostolic Succession of its bishops from the Philippine Independent Catholic Church [Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente]. The Anglican Rite's Archbishop and Patriarch was His Eminence, Francisco J. Pagtakhan of blessed memory, the Archbishop of the American Jurisdiction of the Philippine Independent Catholic Church, the present Archbishop is his Eminence, Robert F. Hoeft.

The Anglican Rite Catholic and Apostolic Church in America is divided into five provinces in the United States and includes the Diocese of St. Augustine, St. Andrew, the Holy Cross, and St. John the Beloved, along with the Missionary District of Kentucky and Tennessee, and also has a Missionary District in Canada. The Anglican Rite Catholic Church, by the grace of God, has now become part of the Old Roman Catholic Church of North America [Wexford Jurisdiction], the Old Catholic Churches of Europe and America, the Brazilian National Catholic Church, the Philippine Independent Catholic Church, the Polish National Catholic Church, the Episcopal Church of the United States, the Church of England, the Anglican Church of Canada, the Anglican Church of Australia, the Anglican Church of New Zealand, the Holy Catholic Church of Japan, the Holy Catholic Church of China, the Reformed Catholic Church of Spain, the Reformed Catholic Church of Portugal, the Galician Rite, the Church of Sweden, the Episcopal Church of Mexico, the Holy Orthodox Patriarchate of America, the Holy Orthodox Catholic Church of Russia, the Holy Syrian Orthodox Catholic Church, and the Holy Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Catholic Church.

It is also believed by the bishops and people of the Anglican Rite Catholic and Apostolic Church in America that the time has passed in becoming an Uniate church within the Roman Catholic Church. With the inter- communion that has been established, the Anglican Rite Catholic Church believes that Apostolic Succession has been secured and the need for such an unitate status is no longer necessary.

CHAPTER III.

WHAT IS THE ANGLICAN RITE CATHOLIC AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH IN AMERICA AND WHO ARE ANGLICAN RITE CATHOLICS?

With the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States, held in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the summer of 1976, there was a great deal of dissatisfaction among Episcopalians, both clergy and laity.

Because of the decision of the Minneapolis General Convention with its admittance of women into the Sacrament of Holy Orders and the further consecration of a female bishop in Massachusetts, there developed a schism in the Episcopal Church.

From this schism there emerged several jurisdictions of what has come to be called Continuing Anglican Catholics, which claim to maintain the traditional doctrines and practices of the Anglican Communion.

One of the churches that has come forth as a result of this schism is the Anglican Rite Catholic and Apostolic Church in America or commonly called, the Anglican Rite Catholic Church.

Also, because of the lack of pastoral concern by the Roman Catholic Church in developing the Anglican Rite Catholic uniate jurisdiction, the clergy and laity of the Anglican Rite Catholic Church have had to continue in their efforts of developing a jurisdiction that is truly Catholic, but independent of the Roman Catholic Church.

After a long and searching journey, the Anglican Rite Catholic Church finally found a jurisdiction that possessed Apostolic Succession and was truly a branch of the Catholic faith. This jurisdiction was more than willing to listen and assist the Anglican Rite in bringing about a jurisdiction which would be Catholic and would also possess the all-important Apostolic Succession. This church is the Philippine Independent Catholic Church whose bishops are in succession from the apostles without any question.

One of the bishops of the Philippine Independent Catholic Church that will always be venerated by the Anglican Rite is His Eminence, Archbishop Francisco J. Pagtakhan, of blessed memory. We are sure that Archbishop Pagtakhan will be the first person canonized by the Anglican Rite Catholic Church. Just a point of interest, Archbishop Pagtakhan has been instrumental in granting apostolic succession to most of the Continuing Anglican Catholics, for without his assistance, these jurisdictions would not exist.

The following jurisdictions came into being with the laying-on-of-hands by Archbishop Pagtakhan: The Anglican Catholic Church; The Anglican Catholic Church of Canada; The Anglican Church of America; The Anglican Church of North America; The Anglican Rite Jurisdiction of the Americas; The Anglican Rite Synod of the Americas, Holy Catholic Church; The Anglican Rite Catholic and Apostolic Church in America; The Independent Episcopal Church of Canada; The Philippine Independent Catholic Church in America; The Southern Episcopal Church; and the Episcopal Church of Mexico.

With continuing discussions among these separate jurisdictions, it is sincerely hoped and prayed for that in the future all of these separate and independent jurisdictions will be able to come together and form one Anglican Catholic Church.

The Philippine Independent Catholic Church [Iglesia Catolica Filipina Independiente] with its Holy See in Manila, the Republic of the Philippines is one of the jurisdictions that received its apostolic succession from the Episcopal Church of the United States and therefore in communion with the Anglican Communion worldwide. It is also noted here that the Philippine Independent Catholic Church has come into inter-communion with the laying of hands by one of the Polish National Catholic Church.

The Anglican Communion, as the results of the Bonn Agreement of 1931 is in full inter-communion with the Old Catholic Churches of Europe with its Holy See at Utrecht, the Netherlands. These Old Catholic Churches in Europe have never received a denial of Holy Orders from the Roman Catholic Church, therefore, with the acceptance of the Holy Orders of the Anglican Communion by the Old Catholics, the Anglican Rite Catholic Church, through the Philippine Independent Catholic Church and the Polish National Catholic Church, stands in apostolic succession with the Roman Catholic Church.

On August 10, 1996, the Feast of St. Laurence, with the laying-on-of-hands and the consecration of the Most Reverend Robert F. Hoeft, by Archbishop Francisco J. Pagtakhan as Chief Consecrator, Bishop David H. Marion-Davis [in Old Catholic apostolic lines], as Co-Consecrator, Bishop Benjamin Martinez Zendejas [in Brazilian National Catholic apostolic lines] as Co- Consecrator, the Anglican Rite Catholic Church received the Apostolic Succession. This is considered the birthday of the Anglican Rite Catholic Church and with the Grace of God it will continue to minister to all who see her sacraments, guidance, education in correct Catholicism, and the liberating understanding and comfort.

The Anglican Rite Catholic Church has officially decreed in Synod that: "We are an open and affirming Catholic Church and will not tolerate any forms of discrimination in regards to race, ethnic origin, color, nationality, creed, sex, or sexual preference. All those who are professing Christians who sincerely believe that the bread and wine at the Holy Eucharist are truly the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity, of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and are baptized, are welcome to participate in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. Also, the same described Christians, may if they wish, participate in any of the other Sacraments of our Church and are encouraged and welcomed to do the same."

By the preceding statement, we are confirming the love that God has for all that are baptized, have received His Body and Blood, and are truly sorry for offending Him. We are not a Catholic Church that judges, but we are a Catholic Church, which wishes to bring all people to the true faith and the Holy Sacraments. We believe that our Apostolic Succession of our episcopacy originated with the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ and has been handed down to us from the Holy Tradition of the Anglican Communion through the Holy Catholic Church. We hold to the seven Holy Sacraments of the Catholic Undivided Church that existed prior to the great schism between East and West, we hold to the seven Ecumenical Councils of the early church, and we believe that eternal salvation is available to all baptized believers through personal faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We are a church that is liberal in its theology and conservative in its liturgy. For example, all women and girls who enter the church must have their heads covered, our altars have not bee turned around so that the priest is facing the people, but is in the proper position against the "east" wall, so that the priest is offering the proper sacrifice of the Holy Mass to God. We celebrate the Holy Eucharist [Holy Mass] according to the Liturgy of St. Gregory the Great [commonly called the Tridentine Mass], but also accept any Eastern Rite priest in celebrating the Eastern Rite Divine Liturgy.

The faith of the Anglican Rite Catholic Church is based on the Holy Scriptures [which contain all things necessary for salvation], Holy Tradition that has been handed down to us by the Holy Fathers through the centuries and the Early Church. And Holy Reason which is based on the premises that we as intelligent adult Catholic Christians who are able to discern, through the guidance of the Holy Church, what doctrines are true and what doctrines of the so-called Catholic Church are false.

We accept all the other Councils of the Western Catholic Church, only as far as they are in harmony with the teachings of the primitive Church.

In closing this chapter, the Anglican Rite Catholic and Apostolic Church in America holds to the ancient ecclesiastical rule formulated by St. Vincent of Lerins, "Id teneamus quod ubique, quod semper, quod ab omnibus creditum est; hoc eternim vere proprieque catholicum". [Let us hold, that which, everywhere, always, and by all has been believe; for this is truly Catholic.]

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