I have been following for some time the crisis in the Episcopal Church. The Espicopal church has always been interesting to me; I remember when I was young that there was a lot of talk about the Episcopal Church reunifying with Rome.
But then the Episcopal Church took a leftward turn that pretty much ended the discussions. First, they began to ordain women, which the Catholic church has said it is not able to do. More recently, the Episcopal church has been torn apart by discussions over human sexuality, particularly homosexuality. While the Catholic church has always viewed homosexuality as being intrinsically disordered (see the Catechism, section 2357), and the Anglican communion has historically viewed it the same way, the Episcopal church has moved away from traditional teaching and has gone so far as to ordain openly gay clergy (which is to say, not only gay, but non-celibate), and in 2003, consecrated an openly gay and non-celibate bishop. The result has been chaos -- the Epicopal church faces possible sanctions from the borader Anglican communion, and some individual parishes and dioceses have begun to leave.
This has forced a lot of traditional Anglicans to reevaluate where they stand, and to consider whether their church can stand against the prevailing cultural tides. Some have concluded it cannot.
Most recently, the Espiscopal bishop of Southwest Florida, John Lipscomb, has decided to become a Catholic.
I was blessed to grow up in a Christian home where I was given the gift of a deep love for the Lord Jesus Christ and a reverence for God’s revelation of his love and redemptive purpose in the Word written, as well as the Word made Flesh. I was blessed to be brought into the family of the Episcopal Church 40 years ago. I have a deep love for the sacramental life, most especially the Eucharistic sacrifice through which God continues to pour his grace into our lives in the Word that needs no words.I will be forever grateful for the opportunities I had to serve this faith community as a deacon and priest. I am most grateful for the opportunity you, the people of the Diocese of Southwest Florida, gave me to serve as your bishop and to participate in the life of the Anglican Communion. You made it possible for me to share in the mission of God that can never be bound by geographical or political barriers.
I believe God is now calling us to continue our ministry to serve in the healing of the visible Body of Christ in the world. I am convinced our Lord’s deepest desire is for the unity of the Church.
I think this trend will continue. Many Espicopalians and Anglicans will, in seeing their leadership abandon the traditional teachings of the faith, begin to enter Rome, as it is the great fortress of the faith. Many who cannot accept the authority of the Pope will approach the Orthodox church, as it, too, has stuck to tradition.
On the one hand, it is a great thing -- for many people are coming into the Catholic church. On the other hand, it is worrisome -- because while many will come to Catholicism, many more will follow their leadership into an understanding of Christian doctrine that is incompatible with Scripture. For every person that comes fully into the light, as we Catholics view it, a greater number are moving further away into the darkness.