Traditional Anglican Communion
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The Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) is an international communion of churches in the continuing Anglican movement independent of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The TAC upholds the theological doctrines of the Affirmation of St. Louis and an Anglo-Catholic interpretation of the Thirty-Nine Articles.[citation needed] Each of the respective jurisdictions utilizes a designated Book of Common Prayer deemed free of innovation. Most parishioners of these churches would be described as being traditional Anglo-Catholics in their theology and liturgical practice. Some parishes use the Anglican Missal in their liturgies. The TAC is guided by a college of bishops from across the communion and headed by an elected primate [1].
The TAC was formed in 1991. Archbishop Louis Falk was its first primate. He was succeeded in 2002 by Archbishop John Hepworth of the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia.
The TAC churches have been formed outside of the Anglican Communion churches over a number of different issues. The principal issue has been the ordination of women. Other issues include liturgical revisions, the acceptance of homosexuality and the importance of tradition.
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[edit] Relations with the Roman Catholic Church
In October 2007 the bishops of TAC formally expressed the desire to enter into full unity with the See of Rome without losing core Anglican distinctives[2] and declared their adherence to the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church as expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church.[3] In a statement authorised by Archbishop Hepworth on 16 October 2007:
The College of Bishops of the Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) met in Plenary Session in Portsmouth, England, in the first week of October 2007. The Bishops and Vicars-General unanimously agreed to the text of a letter to the See of Rome seeking full, corporate, sacramental union. The letter was signed solemnly by all the College and entrusted to the Primate and two bishops chosen by the College to be presented to the Holy See. The letter was cordially received at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The Primate of the TAC has agreed that no member of the College will give interviews until the Holy See has considered the letter and responded. [4]
The Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith responded on 5 July 2008, indicating that it was giving serious consideration to the prospect of corporate union and observing that "the situation within the Anglican Communion in general has become markedly more complex". [5]
On 29 October 2009 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith announced Pope Benedict XVI's intention to create a new type of ecclesiastical structure [6], called a personal ordinariate, for groups of Anglicans entering into full communion with the see of Rome.[7]
The press release envisaged that some married Anglican clergy who join the Roman Catholic Church may be ordained again as priests but not as bishops: "Historical and ecumenical reasons preclude the ordination of married men as bishops in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Constitution therefore stipulates that the Ordinary can be either a priest or an unmarried bishop." During the conference, Cardinal Levada compared the new ordinariates to the ordinariate that in many countries exist for the pastoral care of the military forces. The move is expected to result in an Anglican liturgical rite within the Latin Rite. The personal ordinariates will be established after consultation with the episcopal conferences. It has not beern indicated whether there is to be only one such personal ordinariate in a country, as for military ordinariates, or whether there could be a distinct ordinariate for each of several Anglican groups within a country who join the Roman Catholic Church.
[edit] Member churches
At present the Traditional Anglican Communion consists of 15 member churches:[8]
Africa:
- Anglican Church in Southern Africa - Traditional Rite
- Church of Umzi Wase Tiyopia
- Continuing Anglican Communion in Zambia
Americas:
- Anglican Church in America
- Anglican Catholic Church of Canada
- Missionary Diocese of Central America
- Missionary Diocese of Puerto Rico
Asia:
- Anglican Church in India
- Orthodox Church of Pakistan
- Nippon Kirisuto Sei Ko Kai
- Church Missionary Society
Oceania:
Europe:
- Traditional Anglican Church (England)
- Church of Ireland - Traditional Rite
[edit] References
- ^ The Traditional Anglican Communion Concordat http://www.acahome.org/submenu/docs/concordt.htm
- ^ http://www.challengeonline.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=106
- ^ David Virtue (interview with Archbishop John Hepworth). "Traditional Anglican Communion Primate Seeks Union with Rome". Virtue Online. http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8855.
- ^ Hepworth, John. The Messenger Journal http://www.themessenger.com.au/news.htm
- ^ The Messenger Journal
- ^ Vatican press release
- ^ "Pope Benedict approves structure for admitting large groups of Anglicans into Catholic Church". Catholic News Agency. http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17437. Retrieved 22 October 2009.
- ^ Member Churches, Last updated 9 March 2009
