THE P RTAL
March 2014
Page 11
Our ritual heritage
by an Ordinariate observer
The tradition
and law of the Catholic Church have been explicit and remarkably emphatic about
the need for personal fidelity to one’s ritual heritage: “...Each and every Catholic, as also the baptised of
every non-Catholic church or denomination who enters into the fullness of the Catholic communion, must
retain his own rite wherever he is, must cherish it and observe it to the best of his ability....”
Furthermore, the faithful “...can and should
always preserve their legitimate liturgical rite and
their established way of life, and... these may not be
altered except to obtain for themselves an organic
improvement... [and] they should attain to an ever
greater knowledge and a more exact use of them,
and... should take steps to return to their ancestral
traditions,” “...desiring that these treasures flourish and
contribute ever more efficiently to the evangelisation
of the world.”
opposed to mere liturgical or sacramental participation
in the ordinariate’s rites.
The primary significance of official membership is
the authority of the Ordinary and the particular canons
applicable to life in his jurisdiction, though for most
laymen there would be very little day to day difference
made by canonical membership in an ordinariate, as
the salvation of souls
While some with no Anglican background may also
feel called to worship with the Ordinariate, former
Anglicans have a special responsibility prayerfully
to consider the call to join. For such faithful, their
relationship with diocesan clergy will remain
unimpaired. Anglicanorum Coetibus specifically
mandates that dioceses and ordinariates “cultivate
bonds of unity” and foresees “common pastoral and
within the Latin Church
charitable initiatives and activities” between them.
While Anglicanorum Coetibus clearly erects personal The Complementary Norms mandate “close ties
ordinariates not as sui juris particular churches but of communion” and the co-ordination of pastoral
as autonomous bodies within the Latin Church, if activity.
one were to consider the full intent of the authorities
quoted above there would seem to be some form of in the families and faithful
responsibility for former Anglicans to adhere to what
Those now joining the Ordinariates will also support,
is coming to approximate to an Anglican ‘Rite’.
encourage and help future incoming Anglicans, who
will need their support and fellowship. The potency
No time restrictions have been set forth on when one of the Anglican patrimony ‘shared’ within the Church
must have joined the Church in order to be eligible for lies not just in liturgical books and ritual culture but
membership in the Ordinariate, which is “composed most importantly in the families and faithful who pray
of... faithful... originally belonging to the Anglican those liturgies and form, and are formed by, that living
Communion and now in full communion with the liturgical and musical tradition.
Catholic Church, or those who receive the Sacraments
of Initiation within the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate.”
Support for the Ordinariates from those who were
Those of the Anglican tradition “who wish to belong received earlier into the Catholic Church would help
to the Ordinariate... are to be entered in the apposite them establish a firm foundation. The more members
register of the Ordinariate.”
the Ordinariates can count on, the easier will be their
establishment.
All Catholics may attend the liturgies of, and
generally fulfil their obligations within, any other rite
So all those who at whatever time, originated in
of the Church. Yet Christians also normally belong to or passed through the Anglican tradition, regardless
a diocese, eparchy, or ordinariate of a particular ritual of when they became Catholic, should give the
culture. Might it be the case, all things being equal, that Ordinariates a certain degree of serious consideration
those who previously came to the Catholic Church and should do what they can to support the living
from Anglicanism already belong in some sense to the tradition whence and by which they came to the
Ordinariates?
Catholic Church.
All Catholics, regardless of rite, should pray for great
fruit to be borne by Pope Benedict XVI’s Anglican
ordinariates; that they may bring about the salvation of
souls and great blessings