Former TAC Bishop to be the Head of the New Australian Ordinariate

By Deacon Randy Sly
6/17/2012
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

New Ordinariate in Australia Dedicated to Our Lady of the Southern Cross

The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross is the third Ordinariate established by the Holy Father. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham for England and Wales was announced in January of 2011 and the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter for the United States was announced January 1st of this year.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - On Friday, June 15, 2012 the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith officially announced the establishment of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross for Australia. That was expected.

However, just one hour before his ordination as a Catholic Priest on that same day, former Traditional Anglican Communion (TAC) bishop Harry Entwistle was informed that he had been named as the first Ordinary by Pope Benedict XVI.

Father Entwistle, 72, was as an Anglican priest who immigrated to Australia in 1988. He joined the TAC in 2006 and was later consecrated as the bishop for Western Australia. The new Ordinary, who was ordained at St. Mary's Cathedral, Perth is married and has two grown children.

The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross is the third Ordinariate established by the Holy Father. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham for England and Wales was announced in January of 2011 and the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter for the United States was announced January 1st of this year.

Monsignor Jeffrey N. Steenson, Ordinary of the U.S.-based Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, welcomed the appointment of Fr. Entwistle saying, "I welcome the news of the new Ordinariate in Australia and the appointment of Rev. Harry Entwistle as Ordinary.

"I offer my support to him as he begins the important work of raising a home for Anglicans in Australia who have been called by God to full communion with the Catholic Church and the rock from which we were hewn. The prayers of the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter are with him. May God bless Fr. Entwistle as he launches this new endeavor in the vast lands of 'down under.'"

Monsignor Keith Newton, the Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, joined Msgr. Steenson in offering his congratulations. "I'm very pleased to hear of this encouraging appointment. Fr Entwistle has a wealth of experience from his Anglican ministry in England and in Australia, and I look forward to working with him closely as we seek to articulate the vision of Anglicanorum coetibus."

Anglicanorum coetibus, issued on November 4, 2009, is the Apostolic Constitution of Pope Benedict XVI that authorizes the establishment of "Personal Ordinariates" for those of the Anglican heritage entering full communion with the Catholic Church while maintaining distinctive elements of their theological, spiritual, and liturgical patrimony.

Just as the U.S. Ordinariate is currently covering Canada for the time being, reports are indicating that the Australian Ordinariate will also cover Japan.

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Deacon Randy Sly is the Associate Editor of Catholic Online and the CEO/Associate Publisher for the Northern Virginia Local Edition of Catholic Online (http://virginia.catholic.org). He is a transitional deacon with the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter established by the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, through the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum Coetibus."

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Pope Benedict XVI's Prayer Intentions for January 2013
General Intention: The Faith of Christians. That in this Year of Faith Christians may deepen their knowledge of the mystery of Christ and witness joyfully to the gift of faith in him.
Missionary Intention: Middle Eastern Christians. That the Christian communities of the Middle East, often discriminated against, may receive from the Holy Spirit the strength of fidelity and perseverance.

Keywords: Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross, Entwistle, Pope Benedict, Anglicanorum coetibus, Anglicans

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1 - 2 of 2 Comments

Andrew
11 months ago
To answer bishop Gladfelter, there is at least on counter example among the already ordained, and I expect there are plenty more. Among the many bodies fr. Seraiah has belonged to, TEC is not one of them.

About Fr. Chori Seraiah

I was a priest in the Traditional Anglican Communion, but have recently been ordained a Deacon and incardinated into the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter. I have served as pastor in various Protestant congregations, and have pretty much "seen it all". I was born into a family of "non-practicing" Catholics. They had me baptized, but before long they stopped going to Church and began looking at other religions. When I got to my teen years I stumbled around in various evangelical circles for a while, but when I finally went to seminary (my early twenties), I was a "hard as nails" Baptist. After one pastor got me to start reading the Church Fathers (the best "mistake" a Baptist can ever make), I began to realize that I couldn't find my own personal theology in the Early Church. That really bothered me, because I believed that we should agree with the Church Fathers. I got married to my wonderful wife back in 1990 when we were both Baptists, and she has followed me through this long journey with beautiful patience and love. We currently have five children and homeschool all of them. I've been through a wide section of Protestantism. From Baptist, to reformed Baptist, to Presbyterian, to reformed Presbyterian, to high Church puritan, to Presbyterianglican, to evangelical Anglican, Anglo-Catholic and now Catholic. I've pastored Baptist churches, Presbyterian churches, a parish in the Reformed Episcopal Church, one in the Anglican Church in America and have fifteen years experience in all the best (and worst) of Protestant church life. After all this, I now find it quite ironic that the Lord is calling me back to the faith from which I was "kidnapped" as a child. Back then I did not know what it meant to be Catholic, because I was never taught; but now that I do know, I am committed to returning. I am deeply thankful for the beauties of Anglican spirituality, for it was through it that I found my way back home.
Irl Gladfelter
11 months ago
To your knowledge are any former TAC (Anglican Church in America) bishops, priests, or deacons, on the way into the U.S. Ordinariate, especially those who were not trained by and/or did not at some time serve in The Episcopal Church (U.S.) or the Church of England?

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