Vatican Decree Makes Room for Anglicans

The Catholic Church still rules Europe. At least that is what the Pope would like us to believe. On Oct. 20, Pope Benedict issued a decree that will allow Anglicans to convert to Catholicism in groups. This decree is a shrewd tactical move on the part of the Catholic Church, which hopes to make it easier for conservative Anglicans to join its ranks. The decree is, in large part, a reaction to the Anglican Church's ordination of female and homosexual clergy, which upset many traditionalist Anglicans. Interestingly, the Vatican will allow married priests from former Anglican groups to retain their priesthood. This will be a Counter-Reformation for the 21st century … or maybe just a complete disaster.

The Anglican Church opened its doors to female priests 17 years ago. In the near future, we can expect female bishops to be ordained by the Church as well. Although traditionalist clergy members have been previously able to avoid serving together with female priests, they are unlikely to retain this option in the future. In 2003, the Episcopalian Church in the United States opened its doors to the first openly homosexual bishop. In response to this liberalizing trend, conservative Anglican groups, including the Traditional Anglican Communion of Australia, have sought to join the Catholic Church. However, while the Anglican Church is on a path of change, it remains to be seen whether the Catholic Church will be able to adhere to its cherished traditions following its embrace of converted Anglicans.

It seems that the Anglican Church's forward-looking trends may ultimately foil the Pope's campaign to bolster Catholicism in Europe and elsewhere. The Pope's tactical concession to former Anglicans - the admission of married priests - will certainly introduce a liberalizing current, particularly in Europe (since the celibacy of clergy is not widely enforced in Africa and Latin America). We must wonder, in that case, how conservative Catholics will react to this change. Certainly, this concession will initially bring the Anglican and Catholic churches closer together. However, counter-reforms may push out the newly-admitted Catholics; a preservation of the status quo, on the other hand, will provide an incentive for traditionalist Catholics to distance themselves from the Church.

The Anglican Church, on the other hand, will face less opposition from traditionalist members, as Anglo-Catholics gravitate toward the Vatican, while Evangelical groups remain without support. Thus its position will be fairly stable with a liberal outlook. Ironically, by seeking to extend its influence and attract new followers, the Catholic Church has made itself vulnerable to internal division and external criticism.

As centuries go by, ideological beliefs should undoubtedly evolve in order to keep faith alive for its followers. From a humanitarian standpoint, we can applaud the Anglican Church for championing the reforms that have led up to the Vatican's decree. We can also give credit to the Catholic Church for being more realistic about the issue of celibacy for its clergy. Yet there is an eerie coincidence in the Vatican's decision to adopt one of the major changes made by the Protestant Reformation by forgoing the requirement of priestly celibacy. But should we be surprised by the Vatican's concession?

While the Catholic Church considers itself the center of Christian tradition, particularly in the West, it has been able to penetrate communities worldwide with the aid of a certain flexibility. Many Latin American Catholics, for instance, often incorporate festive elements reminiscent of pagan practices in their worship. Their lively and colorful faith seems to differ from the more somber rituals of the Europeans. The Anglican Church, of course, reaches several countries as well, and its ability to thrive among different constituencies has been dictated by the same ideal of accommodation. Nevertheless, localized accommodation is rather tacit; the Vatican's centralized decree, then, is a more significant, more official concession that will be institutionalized from the top.

The ideological shifts between the two churches are reminiscent of those of two political parties. Though opposed to each other in theory and rhetoric, both vie for popularity by shifting closer to public opinion. As a result of their movement along the ideological spectrum, the parties often end up rather close to each other - and to prevailing common sentiment. In today's situation, it seems that the Anglican Church is closer to the mark and that the Catholic Church's decree is a step in the direction of liberalization rather than a defense of religious traditionalism. Yet the outcome of Pope Benedict's decree and his success in strengthening the Catholic Church remains to be seen.