4 June 2009

APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATIONS

A nice report in the post about the Apostolic Administration of Campos in Brazil; about its vibrancy, its apostolic charity, its devotion to traditional liturgy. I was reminded of life in the Ebbsfleet Apostolic District, where we too have the same sense of closeness to our bishop and of fellowship with each other.

This Apostolic Administration goes back to ther post-Conciliar 'reforms', which the then Bishop of Campos refused to implement. Eventually he incurred automatic excommunication by joining Mgr Lefebvre in the uncanonical Consecration of the four SSPX bishops, and so there were, in effect, two parallel dioceses of Campos. But a couple of years ago, the 'traditionalist' 'diocese' regularised its position with Rome. Technically, its bishop is the superior of a 'Priestly Society' to which his clergy belong, and is thus a local ordinary in full communion with the Holy See.was given the status

How good that the Lord is showing to both Anglicans and Roman Catholics Fresh Ways of Being Church. Perhaps this is a presage of an ecumenical future.

1 comment:

The Moderate Jacobite said...

Would it be excessively arrogant for my first comment on your excellent blog, Father, to note briefly that I drew a parallel between the good Fathers of Campos and a potential free jurisdiction of the Church of England some time ago in the pages of New Directions?