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December 3, 2021“Anglicanism was never really about God.” That headline ran in The Times, the U.K.-based newspaper, for a column arguing the Church of England should abandon doctrine to stave off terminal decline, and offer what people really want: beautiful old churches, familiar rituals and glorious music of the Anglican patrimony – but not Jesus Christ. In fact, Matthew Parris argues that millions are like him: they love hymns, contribute financially, say prayers – and do not believe Jesus Christ is God, and maybe not in God at all. Parris is doubtless right millions are like him. The Anglican Communion faces a serious credibility challenge with these millions: without doctrinal unity about Jesus Christ, what exactly is being proposed for belief?
However in the Catholic Church, we can say for certain “the Anglican tradition is really about God” thanks to the Personal Ordinariates established under Benedict XVI with Anglicanorum coetibus and nourished under Pope Francis. The Anglicanorum Coetibus Society hopes that the St. Peter’s Rambler will help illustrate how the Anglican tradition in the Catholic Church is accomplishing through the Ordinariates what the best of the Anglican divines sought: to make disciples of Jesus Christ and empower them to spread the Gospel. That is what these pages intend to share: how to live discipleship, evangelization, ecumenism, prayer, liturgy, Christian service, fellowship and the like through the Anglican tradition in the Catholic Church. All this takes place under the See of St. Peter, and we hope a ramble through these pages helps share good news, good ideas and good inspirations taking place in the Ordinariates.So, consider the St. Peter’s Rambler a humble monthly companion from the ACS, and a complement to the official news sources from the three Ordinariates you rely upon. If you’re part of a parish, community, or lay group that would like to print out copies to distribute, please feel free to do so and let us know how we’re being helpful to you. We hope the St. Peter’s Rambler helps empower you, as Catholic missionary disciples, to share the joy of the Gospel through the Anglican tradition.
Finally, a word of "humble and hearty thanks" to ACS member Jackson Perry, who is the founder of the St. Peter’s Rambler and is now the associate editor after passing on the responsibility of chief editor to me. Jackson approached the ACS with this initiative at the beginning of “Covidtide” in 2020. Originally Jackson launched the St. Peter’s Rambler as a weekly newsletter focused on the Ordinariate and sharing the Anglican patrimony. Jackson’s energy, experience, and insights from this first iteration of the publication convinced the ACS board in August 2021 to allocate funding to relaunch the St. Peter's Rambler as a monthly publication with a new, professional layout, following the enhanced vision.
Ultimately, this project depends on both the initiative of our ACS members, but also their financial support. If you are not a member already, we encourage you to become a member of the Society today. If you’re a member of the Society, we invite you to donate to the ACS Mission Advancement Fund to help support the St. Peter’s Rambler, the journal Shared Treasure, the 2023 ACS Conference, and other ACS initiatives that may come down the pike.
God bless you, and may this holy season of Advent prepare you for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.Peter Jesserer Smith is the vice-president of the Anglicanorum Coetibus Society and the present editor of the St. Peter's Rambler.
