(Revised 10th October)

NOT CONTINUING ANGLICANISM - BUT CONTINUING CATHOLICISM

Dear Brethren in Christ our Saviour,

First, in the Name of our Saviour, I want to offer my most sincere thanks to you all for your faithfulness and perseverance in the Faith during the past years - which have not been easy for any of you. Thank you to our clergy who, often in situations of acute isolation, have carried on day after day, against all the odds, with small, sometimes very small congregations. And then, to our faithful laity, I would like to express my gratitude for your tenacity and devotion to the cause which you have so valiantly supported, not only with your lips but by your monetary offerings as tokens of your commitment.

I heard an elderly man say the other day “I’m now going down hill…” Well, thanks be to God, I can truly say that I have not yet reached the top of the hill, and, by God’s grace, I pray that I may serve you as your chief pastor in the years to come, but I can only do so just as long as I have your support and prayers.

One thing is for sure, that we can expect to be attacked, not only by unbelievers but more so by those within our Church who have not fully comprehended the Catholic Faith. When such folk leave us as they invariably do, they make all manner of excuses to justify their action. As I write former members are causing temporary hurt by widespread publicity of their actions, but such has always been the experience of the Church of the Ages.

St John wrote of those who deserted in his day: “They went out from us, but they were not of us: for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest that they were not of us” (1 John 2: 19). We ought to bear no animosity to those who leave us, for as St John writes, they were not really of us; we should continue to bear them in our prayers and respect their decisions.

Our existence separate from the Church of England in 1983 arose as consequence of the latter’s doctrinal comprehensives (pick and mix - Catholic and Protestant). We then described ourselves as Anglican Catholics, but never as Anglicans. Our goal, as Catholic believers, was to further Catholic unity. In 1992 we became a part of the American Anglican Catholic continuing church movement, and I was then consecrated bishop, but as time went on I made the painful discovery that it was doctrinally disunited and almost as ’broad church’ as the C of E. After our coming apart from the American Anglican Catholic Church in 1997 we linked with the American Holy Catholic Church Anglican Rite and I was elected Metropolitan in that same year, but, in spite of all our efforts, Anglican doctrinal comprehensiveness held sway. Sadly, in 1999 separation became necessary.

My American experience teaches me that it is impossible to unite in the fullness of the Catholic Faith any Anglican Church as a whole, the deadly comprehensive virus is too deeply built in its structures. To attempt to unite Anglicans is a bit like trying to eat jelly with a fork! But all was not lost in America, for individual members, clergy and laity, from both the Anglican Catholic and Anglican Use Churches were Catholic believers and they determined to remain with us, and it is they who are now members of our diocese in America. Thanks be to God.

Catholic unity is a Divine Imperative, not an optional extra. Our aim remains Catholic unity grounded in the Holy Spirit guided Sacred Tradition of the undivided Catholic Church of the first millennium. Anything less is a sham and a dangerous deceit. Full acceptance of the Sacred Tradition is the only way to unite all Christians in the One Church. This has always been and remains our constant stance.

We must continue to preach the definite truths of the Faith, always mindful that it is Almighty God who converts and that we sow the seeds. Folk will not listen to those who preach a watered-down, may or may not be, presentation of Christianity. They respect and will listen to a demanding proclamation of definite truth. Look at the various sects around us for confirmation, of the demands they make and the response they receive. Observe the membership loss in the Roman Church since it loosened its hold on definite teaching, and compare it with the stability and appeal of changeless Eastern Orthodoxy. And do not forget that we have a unity of Faith with our Orthodox brethren.

What is the way forward? Compared with our membership now spread over five continents our numbers here are small. The majority of our overseas brethren do not come from an Anglican background. Indeed, the word ‘Anglican’ to some of them means ‘Protestant’ and is a stumbling block to evangelism. So it was that our Synod of Bishops in October 2005 determined that our forms of worship should reflect those of the undivided Catholic Church and that all Anglican reformation liturgies should henceforth be excluded. Liturgical unity throughout the entire Church is vital in order to ensure the maintenance of our visible Catholic unity, always remembering ‘as we worship, so we believe’.

That Anglican liturgy is now excluded should surprise none for from the outset we have constantly stated that we have gone beyond the 16th century Anglican reformation and returned to our true home in the undivided Catholic Church. Unfortunately, our Anglican liturgical use didn’t fully reflect that statement. We used to consider that Anglican prayers could help converts from the C of E feel at home, so we rejoiced to use their familiar prayers. Without compromise we always do our utmost to assist newcomers. Now, sadly, the stark truth is that Anglicans no longer seek membership and have not done so for many years.

Our Synod of Bishops determined that we needed to make a fresh presentation of the Church, and our now full adherence to the major traditional Eucharistic rite of the Western Church largely meets that need. WE MUST BE ABSOLUTELY CLEAR: WE ARE NOT CONTINUING ANGLICANS - WE ARE CONTINUING CATHOLICS.   The Catholic heritage which we received from the Church of England, and for which we shall ever be grateful, has now been restored to where it rightly belongs.

Every member ought to so radiate the love of God that unbelievers with whom they meet could be drawn to Christ and His Catholic Church. In short, we must become holy people, those whom God has brought out of darkness into His marvellous light.

The dark winter days will soon be upon us, but I want to assure you that the present autumn gloom is far away from this Church. In fact, we may rightly say that we are approaching our springtime! New beginnings and new growth.

I pray for you all, and I earnestly seek your prayers, as we walk together in the work of the Lord. Yes, I repeat today that which I have said many times in the past: Those who become Catholics in this Church have been truly called, by name, by the Lord of the Church. What a privilege this surely is! So let us go and tell and proclaim the Faith with confidence.

With every blessing, your Father in God

+ Archbishop Leslie

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