Buy One, Get One Free?
Two Vicars for the price of one (completely free if one is an NSM not bothered about expenses or fees) may be the result if some wishes of the ordinariate-bound congregations are met.
Some of the present diocesans in the Church of England are indicating that they would be prepared to countenance church sharing arrangements with an ordinariate congregation.
That is fine, generous and lovely ...
but ... didn't I hear that it was the Anglican tradition for incumbents to keep away after they leave at least for a decent time? A colleague of mine described the scenario after his PCC meetings as being that the hard core of them "left the Vicarage and went into Canon xxxx's house straightaway for the real PCC meeting." Not what any of us want, I'm sure.
In Shropshire my predecessor lived next door to the church in one of the parishes under my care. Although some parishioners tried to use him to stir up trouble or get their own agenda done, he proved a valuable source of information and background to parish and deanery life and a valued mentor. We had been brought up in the same county, more or less, and the common language and thought forms helped bridge the age gap.
Goodwill might prevail in churches where the church sharing ordinariate priest was their previous incumbent. However this cannot possibly be ensured and some divisions from the process of the departure to Rome could well be still hurtful. I feel fairly sure this is why most bishops seem diffident in the matter, rightly so.
One hopes that this particular conundrum is being considered and a solution being found as the arrangements start to roll out. In any case it does rather look a half-price advertisement, "You buy one; you get one free." Sharing the costs would be a good idea, if evaluated carefully from the start!
Some of the present diocesans in the Church of England are indicating that they would be prepared to countenance church sharing arrangements with an ordinariate congregation.
That is fine, generous and lovely ...
but ... didn't I hear that it was the Anglican tradition for incumbents to keep away after they leave at least for a decent time? A colleague of mine described the scenario after his PCC meetings as being that the hard core of them "left the Vicarage and went into Canon xxxx's house straightaway for the real PCC meeting." Not what any of us want, I'm sure.
In Shropshire my predecessor lived next door to the church in one of the parishes under my care. Although some parishioners tried to use him to stir up trouble or get their own agenda done, he proved a valuable source of information and background to parish and deanery life and a valued mentor. We had been brought up in the same county, more or less, and the common language and thought forms helped bridge the age gap.
Goodwill might prevail in churches where the church sharing ordinariate priest was their previous incumbent. However this cannot possibly be ensured and some divisions from the process of the departure to Rome could well be still hurtful. I feel fairly sure this is why most bishops seem diffident in the matter, rightly so.
One hopes that this particular conundrum is being considered and a solution being found as the arrangements start to roll out. In any case it does rather look a half-price advertisement, "You buy one; you get one free." Sharing the costs would be a good idea, if evaluated carefully from the start!
Labels: Churcn of England, Incumbents, ordinariate, previous incumbents, Rome
posted by Fr Ted at 2:36 pm
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