THE
P RTAL
November 2012
The Ordinariate is meant to bring the best of the
Anglican Patrimony to the Catholic Church. With that curious
mixture Anglican self-doubt and humorous self-mockery,
members have been busy telling themselves that the patrimony
amounts to…Sung Evensong, perhaps, and gin-and-tonics after
some big church event, and...Um...that’s about it?
Well, here comes a plea from a “cradle Catholic”
who, in line with the Holy Father, believes that there is
a real patrimony and that it should have a valued place
in the Church.
anything and everything
Many involved in the Ordinariate have campaigned
passionately for a Catholic tradition within the Church
of England: I detect a reluctance to see value in other
aspects of Anglicanism, but what Pope Benedict had
in mind was wide and large. “Please bring with you
anything and everything that you can – there is lots of
room and Mother Church can make use of so many
things”.
These thoughts are prompted by the Ordinariate
Pilgrimage to Walsingham in September and also
the Ordinariate Chrism Mass. At both events cradle
Catholics turned to one another as the first hymn
started and whispered “Wow!”, because we had never
heard hymns sung like that in a Catholic Church.
We hadn’t known that hymns could be sung so
magnificently, or that this was a normal part of the
patrimony.
Anglican
Patrimony?
Page 6
na
wri tes
and beauty of
Ordinariate Masses – and these are having their
own quiet influence at all sorts of levels. There is a
fine tradition of good preaching that is part of the
Patrimony. And not only your clergy but the laity
bring good things such as good readers who bring to
the spoken word what your singers are bringing to the
sung.
long white surplices
Please don’t sneer at all your own traditions: those
Anglican-style long white surplices are traditional and
English and echo with images that belong to all of us
from Remembrance Days and Royal events, so don’t
discard them. We’d like to see them in use. Don’t sneer
at Harvest Festival: its origins go back a long, long way
beyond the 19 th century and “We plough the fields
and scatter”. Many today need a reminder about God’s
generous provision for us and how we should thank
him. There is scope here for linking our understanding
of food, farming, “green” things, the avoidance of
greed, and more. A Harvest Thanksgiving Mass could
be a glorious thing.
There is a rich heritage of beauty – not just in liturgy
and in music but in things like flower arrangements
Anglican music patrimony is more than hymns of and candlelit carol services, and special celebrations
course – but such hymn singing is worth bringing for patronal feasts. Don’t deride the idea of beautifying
to the Catholic Church. Don’t think this is a small the church with flowers: it is a worthy way of honouring
thing. School assemblies, Benediction, processions, God, and not only in fine old buildings – it might be
are all too often blighted by the “Catholics can’t sing” even more important in a bleak modern one, or in
dreariness that makes bleak what could and should some hall that has been pressed into service and needs
be magnificent. So please share the Patrimony, get us to be made suitable for the worship of God.
all singing and help us all to rediscover the glorious
heritage of church music.
Much could be written about the Anglican
Patrimony. This is just a plea from a cradle-Catholic
Then there is an authentic patrimony in a fine who is enchanted with the Ordinariate and urges you
vernacular liturgy rendered with love and care. The not to knock your traditions and heritage; they are
fullness of this will be with us when the Ordinariate things that you can give the whole Church.
liturgical books are eventually published, but meanwhile
there is already a gift to the wider Church in the dignity
Joanna Bogle
music patrimony is more than hymns