The Untold Secret: Many former Episcopalians join the Orthodox Church

from VirtueOnline

By Fr. Anthony
Special to Virtueonline
www.virtueonline.org
December 14, 2012

As the Ordinariate of the Church of Rome makes big headlines about taking in former Anglican clergy the Western Rite Vicariate of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia is quietly growing.

The Vicariate was given a large boost two years ago with the entrance of Archbishop Anthony of the Former Exarchate of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Alexandria and his Western Rite parishes.

Archbishop Anthony resigned his position and now serves the Russian Church as a Benedictine monk who is the Pastoral Vicar to the Metropolitan for Western Rite. To date there are 50 clergy who have come into the Vicariate in the past two years inclusive of the original group. There are many former Romans who became Anglicans and who now have found themselves wanting to leave the Anglican Communion or even the Continuing Churches.

Some former Roman Catholics turned Anglicans have applied to the Ordinariate only to find out after many months of waiting that they are considered "unsuitable" and would not be allowed to be Roman priests. So they find themselves wanting to leave the continuing churches but thinking that they would have to give up the priesthood if they do.

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