Last week brought sad news for evangelical and catholic minded Anglicans as the announcement was given that the bishop of London was appointed the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury.
Although the Church of England has had women bishops for 10 years, both Anglican and Old Catholic tradition has opposed the ordination of women as priests or bishops on theological grounds. In addition Sarah Mulally forwards progressive views on issues like same-sex blessings and the right to life. Together with our Anglican friends we are compelled on theological and historical grounds to reject the legitimacy of her ministry.
This historic appointment challenges the whole Anglican Communion and ecumenical partners in the years to come on the legitimacy of ordination and sacraments of all who are ordained by this new Archbishop.
For over 100 years Anglican and Old Catholic churches has recognized each other and eventually achieved full communion. This fellowship is broken. Both the historical Old Catholic churches and the Anglican communion have deviated from the historical faith on human sexuality and holy orders. But the historical fellowship is too valuable to give up.
The Nordic Catholic Church still carries the vision of the unchanged version of this fellowship as an important step to fulfill our Lord’s high priestly prayer “that they all may be one” (John 17,21).
We therefore invite Anglicans who are betrayed by the latest development and who are looking for a new home, to join in ‘The Society of the faith of the undivided church’. We offer valid apostolic succession and fellowship in the spirit of the Society of St Willibrord on the foundation of the koinonia-document ‘Road to Unity’.
We believe in ecumenical fellowships for the church to withstand the pressure from atheism and secularism without compromises to modern liberalism. This is meant to be a refuge for those who have no place to go and have become isolated from their historical ecclesial context.
Our Vicar General of the Nordic Catholic Church in England is Very Rev Geoffrey Neal.
Our person of contact will be Veronica Heald (healdveronica@gmail.com) who will be happy to guide you further.
Fraternally,
+ Ottar Mikael Myrseth
Bishop of the Nordic Catholic Church
ottar.myrseth@gmail.com
+47 98876761