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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Hi</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I agree entirely with those sentiments.
Anglican ordination was invalid in the past, and for a large part, still
is. There are a few debatable issues today, where Old Catholic and various
Orthodox bishops are included in the consecration. In such cases, the
correct intent and form are possibly there (I haven't checked the details)
and many Anglicans are almost Catholic in their beliefs in the 7 sacraments, the
Eucharist, and many other things, and the problems with ordination originally
identified centuries ago may not be present in some cases.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>It's an interesting debate ... one that is extemely
hard to solve. For the purposes of love [I forget the better word], a
conditional ordination is suitable, although an absolute one I won't object
to. Either way, it effects a true one.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>The Anglican communion has made a mess of
things. It's good to see such returns home. It would be good to see
an entire branch re-unite.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>I find it hard to understand the reasoning behind
waiting to get permission etc before leaving. Once a decision is made, it
seems logical to make a complete move ASAP. But there are many factors
involved.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>God bless,</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Stephen</FONT></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE
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<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV
style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black"><B>From:</B>
<A title=arthurkelly@yahoo.com href="mailto:arthurkelly@yahoo.com">Art
Kelly</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=apologetics@gathman.org
href="mailto:apologetics@gathman.org">Apologetics Group</A> </DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Thursday, September 27, 2007 6:49
AM</DIV>
<DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> [Apologetics] Re: Another
Episcopal bishop decides to convert</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Please read my comments on Bishop Stenson in the CWN<BR>blog
at<BR><A
href="http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=53708">http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=53708</A><BR>and
my prior comments on Bishop Pope at<BR><A
href="http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=52827">http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=52827</A><BR>as
well as my comments on Anglican ordinations at<BR><A
href="http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=52537">http://www.cwnews.com/news/viewstory.cfm?recnum=52537</A><BR><BR>Art<BR><BR>---
Dianne Dawson <<A
href="mailto:rcdianne@yahoo.com">rcdianne@yahoo.com</A>> wrote:<BR><BR>>
Another Episcopal bishop decides to convert <BR>> Posted: 23 Sep 2007 02:33
PM CDT<BR>> For the third time this year, an Episcopal bishop<BR>>
is leaving his flock to join the Catholic Church. <BR>> <BR>> The
following comes from The Living Church<BR>> Foundation, which serves the
Episcopalian church: <BR>> The Rt. Rev. Jeffrey N. Steenson, Bishop of the
Rio<BR>> Grande, will resign from his position and become a<BR>> Roman
Catholic, The Living Church has learned.<BR>> <BR>> In a letter to the
clergy of his diocese, Bishop<BR>> Steenson said a pastoral letter to all
the people of<BR>> the diocese would follow in a few days. He said
he<BR>> had invited Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts<BR>> Schori to
attend the Rio Grande clergy conference<BR>> Sept. 26.<BR>> <BR>> "I
. have sensed how important it is for those of us<BR>> in this position to
model a gracious way to leave<BR>> The Episcopal Church in a manner
respectful of its<BR>> laws," he wrote.<BR>> <BR>> Bishop Steenson
was attending the House of Bishops'<BR>> meeting in New Orleans and plans
to make an<BR>> announcement concerning his decision on Monday.<BR>>
<BR>> In an interview with The Living Church to be<BR>> published in a
forthcoming issue, Bishop Steenson<BR>> said the meeting of the House of
Bishops at Camp<BR>> Allen in the spring had a major effect on his<BR>>
decision.<BR>> <BR>> "The spring meeting of the House of Bishops,
when<BR>> the majority said that The Episcopal Church was<BR>>
fundamentally autonomous and local," he said. "This<BR>> is not the
Catholic doctrine of the Church, and it<BR>> will lead to many unfortunate
consequences."<BR>> <BR>> The bishop has been the diocesan in
the<BR>> Albuquerque-based diocese since 2005. He was canon<BR>> to the
ordinary under Bishop Terence Kelshaw for<BR>> five years before being
elected to the episcopate.<BR>> Prior to that, he was rector of All Saints'
Church,<BR>> Wynnewood, Pa., Good Shepherd, Rosemont, Pa., and<BR>> St.
Andrew's, Fort Worth. He is a member of the<BR>> Board of Trustees of
Nashotah House and the Board of<BR>> Directors of the Living Church
Found<BR>> <BR>> "My conscience is deeply troubled," he said in
a<BR>> statement prepared for the House of Bishops,<BR>> "because I
sense that the obligations of my ministry<BR>> in The Episcopal Church may
lead me to a place apart<BR>> from scripture and tradition. I am concerned
that if<BR>> I do not listen to and act in accordance with<BR>>
conscience now, it will become harder and harder to<BR>> hear God's
voice."<BR>> <BR>> Bishop Steenson said he had spoken with the<BR>>
Presiding Bishop "for her counsel and prayers," and<BR>> said he would ask
the House of Bishops for<BR>> permission to resign as the ordinary of his
diocese.<BR>> He said he would do this by the end of the year, and<BR>>
added that he hoped then to be released from his<BR>> ordination vows in
The Episcopal Church.<BR>> <BR>> He called the bishops' meeting last
March "a<BR>> profoundly disturbing experience for me. I was more<BR>>
than a little surprised when such a substantial<BR>> majority declared the
polity of the Episcopal Church<BR>> to be primarily that of an autonomous
and<BR>> independent local church relating to the wider<BR>> Anglican
Communion by voluntary association. This is<BR>> not the Anglicanism in
which I was formed, inspired<BR>> by the Oxford Movement and the Catholic
Revival in<BR>> the Church of England . honestly, I did not<BR>>
recognize the church that this House described on<BR>> that
occasion."<BR>> <BR>> Regarding his move to the Roman Catholic
Church,<BR>> Bishop Steenson said, "I believe that the Lord now<BR>>
calls me in this direction. It amazes me, after all<BR>> of these years,
what a radical journey of faith this<BR>> must necessarily be. To some it
seems foolish; to<BR>> others disloyal; to others an abandonment."<BR>>
<BR>> Bishop Steenson will be the third bishop of The<BR>> Episcopal
Church to become a Roman Catholic this<BR>> year. Bishop Dan Herzog of
Albany moved shortly<BR>> after his retirement in January. Bishop Clarence
C.<BR>> Pope, retired Bishop of Fort Worth, returned to<BR>> Roman
Catholicism in August.<BR>> <BR>> Like a deer that longs for
running waters so my soul<BR>> longs for you, O God.<BR>> Ps
42:1<BR>> <BR>> <BR>>
<BR>><BR>____________________________________________________________________________________<BR>>
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<BR>> <BR><BR><BR>ART KELLY, ATM-S<BR>13524 Brightfield Lane<BR>Herndon,
Virginia 20171-3360<BR>(703) 904-3763 home<BR>(703) 396-6956 work<BR><A
href="mailto:arthurkelly@yahoo.com">arthurkelly@yahoo.com</A><BR><A
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href="mailto:ArtK135@Netscape.net">ArtK135@Netscape.net</A><BR><BR><BR>
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