The Boston Globe ran a story today, "UK Catholics say 5 Anglican bishops converting," emphasing these 5 as disaffected, distressed, defectors for political reasons: homosexually inclined and female clergy. It could be, however, that these 5 desire to follow Christ in the true Church he founded, and the bishops acknowledge this fact. Of course, one never knows what the exact back story really is because the information is filtered through many layers before the print media goes to print. The statement of the five bishops can be read here and if you are interested in the Forward in Faith groups, see their website.
The bishops, and for any baptized Christian "moving" to become Catholic are said to be coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. They are not converting. This point is made briefly in the article but it seems to obscured by the author because of the particular situation. The Anglicans are Christian; they have converted to Christ; they pray the Lord's Prayer; Anglicans have a spiritual life. What they are doing by becoming Catholic is following the promptings of the Holy Spirit to live in the truth of unity with the Bishop of Rome.
The 5 Anglican bishops are: Bishops Andrew Burnham, Keith Newton, John Broadhurst, Edwin Barnes and David Silk.
My hope is that the 5 bishops "pope" but that they do so for the right reason and not because of they truly are disgruntled with Anglicanism. Rome doesn't need more disgruntled Catholics. Are they following Christ and the guided companionship of the Church or their own moral compass?
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