The Confraternity of the Blessed Sacrament has issued a Statement by the Superior-General, Fr Christopher Pearson, at Council-General meeting, 28 June 2012.
The statement can be found on the CBS website, and can be downloaded as a PDF file.
The Charity Commission final decision is available in full here.
…Conclusions
Our review concluded that:
- The decision to make a grant to the Ordinariate was taken at an inquorate meeting, the majority of the trustees having a (financial) personal interest in the decision. It was also in breach of the charity’s governing document.
- The meeting being inquorate, the decision was invalid. There was no valid exercise of the power to make a gift to the Ordinariate and the payment was unauthorised.
- The gift is held upon constructive trust by the Ordinariate for the Confraternity.
- The objects of the Ordinariate are wider than those of the Confraternity. A gift given to the Ordinariate without restriction could be used for purposes which have no connection with the Anglican tradition at all.
- The precise meaning of Anglican Tradition is unclear but there is substantial doubt whether the Confraternity could make a grant to the Ordinariate (even with restrictions) which could be applied by the Ordinariate consistently with the objects of the Confraternity.
- The Commission therefore considered the trustees of both charities were under a duty to take action to ensure the repayment of the money.
An example of the complaints sent to the Charity Commission can be found here.
The only people who are surprised by this decision are the trustees and their advisors.
Everyone else seemed convinced that the donation was VERY dubious.
Now the question remains what will happen to all these RC priests on the trustees?
“The precise meaning of Anglican Tradition is unclear but there is substantial doubt whether the Confraternity could make a grant to the Ordinariate (even with restrictions) which could be applied by the Ordinariate consistently with the objects of the Confraternity.”
Charitable understatement (fittingly) by the Charity Commission, but they seem to have seen through the fiction that there is anything “Anglican” about the Ordinariate subsection of the Church of Rome.
No Catholic priest can legitimately belong to an organization promoting the worship of the eucharistic elements in the C of E.
The Pope is supposed to be the bishop of the Ordinariate…but he ‘s a as much in charge as the Queen is Queen of Canada.
He has created an autonomous quasi-presbyterian sect within the Catholic Church.
I hope he doesn’t make a similar botch with the Lefevrists.
A sane decision. It’s a shame, though, that it takes a secular body to tell a religious body to tell the truth (no surprise, sadly, but a cause for shame). The real problem is not the initial decision, but the fact that the Ordinariate/RC Church did not reach this conclusion first — given the outcry when the decison was made public. That was always the primary issue. It’d be nice for the Church (all of us) to be seen to be taking the lead when it comes to ethics. Mea culpas will presumably come, but way too late….
The “grant” was never anything but an act of embezzlement. Frankly, the trustees should be thanking their lucky stars they haven’t been prosecuted.
The Charity Commissioners were only kicked into action, by the efforts of clergy who were horrified at what happened. Many ridicule the Reverend Williamson of St George’s Hanwell, but his work on this case was brilliant. As for prosecution..that may well come. I think Monsignor Newton should step down as Ordinary. Can’t you see now, why many former Anglicans LIKE MYSELF are not attracted to the Ordinariate. Mark my words, the Holy See will soon be regretting the rapid reception and ordination of some Anglo-Catholics. In the Australian Ordinariate there are currently less than 50 souls.The Australian census recorded nearly… Read more »
They have been found out. The meeting was inquorate, some of those voting for the gift were potential benficiaries, it was in breach of the CBS governing document. Shouldn’t the Trustees resign with immediate effect? But then no one ever seems to do so these days. It’s just the same with crooked bankers and politicians.
And they are as mystified by how the ‘Anglican Tradition’ is pepetuated in the Ordinariate as anyone else.
Scandalous
Once the grant was made it could not be returned by the Ordinariate without a direction from the Charity Commission (paying money to the CBS would not be within the Charitable objects of the Ordinariate Charity). When such a determination came the grant was returned immediately. The CBS has also voted to exclude members of the Ordinariate from membership (I am a life member of CBS and have joined the Ordinariate. I suspect that this is a case of illegal discrimination on religious grounds). Earlier this week Forward in Faith also excluded Ordinariate members despite taking our membershup fees and… Read more »
But, Steve, if the Ordinariate could not return the money because the objects were incompatible, then the money should not have been given in the first place. It works in both directions: the objects would have had to be compatible for the initial transfer unless sanctioned by the Charity Commission. I am quite sure the CC would have been sympathetic to a request to return the money if the objects did not overlap, as is implied, I think, by your comment. I find the CC most helpful most of the time: they can deal with an ‘oops’. Re anti-Catholic? Obviously… Read more »
I am not altogether surprised by the Charity Commissioners’decision, given the make-up of the CBS’s trustees. It was an ill-considered and precipitate action. The only qualification I have is that past generations of members of the CBS were definite Anglo-Catholics who prayed for reunion with Rome for years as part of their daily devotion. They would have been appalled by the present character of the Church of England and many would have become Catholics if they had been faced by Anglican policies of the last twenty years or so. Their motive in joining was to help the Catholicising of the… Read more »
I know one of the trustees who was in place when the decision was taken to make the gift to the Ordinariate, he is a man of generous spirit, innocent in his nature, and honest to the core. I have absolutely no doubt that his view at the time that it was the most “wonderful gift to fellow Christians who will continue in the Anglican tradition” was genuine. He remains an Anglican priest though has now completed his three years as a trustee. As Steve Marsden says Roman Catholics were stripped of their membership at yesterday’s meeting of the Confraternity… Read more »
How can the CBS Trustees make a grant now to the CofE? they all have a personal (financial) interest! Can’t have it both ways!
“The only qualification I have is that past generations of … would have been appalled by the present character of … would have … if they had been faced by … last twenty years or so.” Ah, Time-Machine Analysis! That never gets old. Oh wait, it does. If only *I* had a time-machine to jump back to when the FIRST of God’s holier-than-thou’s was saying who, in the past (imaginary) halcyon Days of Yore, “would have been appalled” at what “In Our Godless Present” (my bet is that there was whining The Day After Pentecost. After those fiery tongues went… Read more »
Bit baffled as to why a hypothetical ‘takeover bid’ by AffCath would be ‘opportunistic’. Before That Vote there was presumably a mix of shades of opinion within CBS (in much the same way as SSC used to be), but all united in Eucharistic devotion. There is nothing at all in the CBS material which is not part of my devotional life – but you only need to look at the links to know how ‘catholic’ has been defined – and the application form’s requirement that one takes on board FiF’s ‘agreed statement on communion’ says everything. Thus the decision of… Read more »
Like Steve Marsden, I too find it strange that Anglicans “ape” Roman ritual and liturgy while at the same time being extremely anti-Roman.
I am pleased that former Anglican clergy joining the Ordinariate are fully ordained so there can be no doubt about the validity of their Orders. Sadly high church Anglicans probably use all the trappings of Rome to disguise their own invalid Orders.
Roll on women bishops!
“Sadly high church Anglicans probably use all the trappings of Rome to disguise their own invalid Orders.”
Could someone explain what this means? One possible interpretation is so unpleasant that I can’t imagine that’s the one intended by James – that Catholic Anglican clergy deliberately deceive the faithful.
‘according to those who joined the Ordinariate, only ever contains…’
No ! Not so !
Those who have joined the Ordinariate (must) believe in the authenticity and value of the Church that nurtured and sustained them up until – when was it ? last summer ? They must believe in the eucharist they offered, until t’other week.
Surely. The alternative is too appalling, involving as it would, deception and various unsavoury sins.
I have no doubt that they have full confidence, in their ‘full ordination’ and full ministry in the provinces of Canterbury and York.
Strange that Steve Marsden wants to remain part of an organization where laymen in eucharistic vestments are doing edifying things with bread and wine..surely there is an RC equivalent for him to pursue.
I don’t question the sincerity of those who’ve joined the Ordinariate, but their acceptance of ordination (not conditional ordination) signals an acceptance that their previous orders (and therefore the absolutions which they pronounced and the eucharists at which they presided) were invalid. Not incapable of transmitting grace (by an overwhelming act of charity on the part of the Most High), which is why their previous ministry can be acknowledged as not entirely pointless, but invalid. Unless they’ve all become Jesuits and made mental reservations while outwardly accepting the discipline and doctrine of the RC Church….?
“I have no doubt that they have full confidence, in their ‘full ordination’ and full ministry in the provinces of Canterbury and York.”
– Lawrence Roberts –
Aye, and therein lies the rub, Lawrence. One can only hope that the transferring clergy can still sleep a’night without wondering what ordination in all about – for them, personally. Is membership of the quasi-Anglican Ordinariate Real Catholicism? they might be asking themselves.
The Ordinariate is now in possession of the Wedding and Funeral Liturgies – it all looks very 1928 Prayer Book to me.
As they say nowadays – “So Yesterday”
How tragic that the Church of England has come to this – that we need to be so scrutinisingly vigilant in ALL our financial affairs.
CBS Letter from Bishop Roger Jubb received this week -a very encouraging new start for the CBS of which I have been an isolated member for many years. Let’s hope that the gathering in of all members will be successful and that all may have a share in the governance of CBS in the future.