The latest link in the chain of Anglican news is the offering by Pope Benedict XVI to accept Anglican parishes into the Roman Catholic Church as Anglican Rite Churches, including priests who are already married. It sounds like a grand offer, and some Anglican parishes may well accept it rather than trying to forge ahead on their own, trying to bring together an American Anglican Church or utilizing the authority of African or South American dioceses. However, most Anglican parishes will refuse the kindly-meant offer from the Roman Catholic Church for many of the reasons Rev. Peters lists in his blog post (see below).
In fact, Keith Acker, the Rector of Alpine Anglican Church of the Blessed Trinity (the church I have been attending for the past five years for Friday services) wrote an editorial on the San Diego Anglicans website regarding the Catholic offer to Anglicans: Statement from Rome on Reception of Anglican Groups and Reordination. He sees this offer as an ecumenical opportunity that, though preliminary, represents a welcome step in ecumenical dialogue. By the way, the San Diego Anglicans group represents the nine churches that once were part of the San Diego Episcopal Diocese who have formally left the Diocese to form a more conservative, Biblical group that adheres to traditional Anglicanism.
Rev. Peters posted a thoughtful article about what part "catholic" ("small c" catholic) spirituality takes in the Anglican Church. I highly recommend reading it -- I found it helpful and enlightening: Catholic Spirituality. I love the end of the post in which he states, "Just for the record: I’m an orthodox charismatic evangelical catholic."
I think that "label" just about covers it. :)
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