And there is more...

Further to my last post about the style new Ordinary of Our Lady of Walsingham, I have noticed that the Mass of Thanksgiving (First Mass) celebrated yesterday by Fr Andrew Burnham, he managed to abuse his celebration of the Church's sacred liturgy.

The problem arose during the Eucharistic prayer, which was said silently, covered by the music of the Sanctus and Benedictus. This is, of course, contrary to the rubrics of the Roman Rite, which he was using. He was, of course, less than 3 weeks ago, a protestant.

This may be to the taste of some, but it is wrong to do so on one's own initiative. To be fair to him, I wasn't there, and I don't actually know what happened, rather, I have discovered from reading a report of the event.

Similarly, he has already been styled 'bishop'.

In the CDF document, Complementary Norms for the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, it says that former Anglican bishops who have become Catholic priests in the Ordinariate may be invited to participate in the meetings of the local Bishops' Conference, where he would be afforded the status of a retired bishop. He may also petition the Holy See to use pontifical insignia (to be given pontifical right).

It would be improper to refer to these priests as bishops, as they never have been bishops, and have not been ordained bishops, or, before last weekend, ordained priests, as the bulletin from the Vatican indicated. None of the priests have participated in a Conference meeting yet, and none have - to our knowledge - applied for pontifical rights (which they may be granted anyway upon being admitted to the higher ranks of the monsignori - so long as they cut the lappets from their mitres).

What does it mean, to be afforded the status of a retired bishop, and does that apply just during the conference meetings, or in all cases? Does this mean simply they may be titled, Right Reverend, or will their place-names read, 'bishop emeritus'?

It may be my famously picky scruples, but I do think this issue needs to be quickly cleared up by the Holy See.

People are starting to add two and two, and getting 13. Michael Ramsay, Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, was given a bishop's ring by Paul VI - his own! - and subsequent archbishops have been given pectoral crosses by the Popes. Coupled with this unknown territory, what are people going to think? If these priests are going to be called bishops, even by upstanding Catholic priests outside the Ordinariate, as happened in Oxford yesterday, and they start to wear gloves and mitres, people are going to think they are actually bishops.

And I wouldn't mind but this guy isn't even the Ordinary!

Moreover, people are going to start to think that there was not a definitive break between their protestant 'ministries' and their Catholic priesthood.

What we do as Catholics is a result of our beliefs, and our beliefs are informed by what we do. And what we do - and what the Ordinariate does - is being watched closely by the world.

The Catholic Church - the Catholic Church which they are now in communion with - believes that Anglican orders are null and void. Whether they are trendy liberal women or high Anglo-Catholic blokes, their orders do not exist. Those in Anglican 'orders' are laymen. That is why these guys were ordained on Saturday. The Catholic Church did what it believed. It wasn't just for show.

This may be interpreted as a criticism - there is a first time for everything - but the Holy See, the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, and the Ordinariate, need to clarify what the position actually is, both in words and actions, before any confusion takes root.

If the Holy Father wills all of this, then, I have to say frankly - for the first time - that my will is not in accord with his.