Archbishop Hepworth Redux

A blogger asks, "What's Going On?" I've heard some skepticism via e-mail as well. The question Mr Chadwick specifically addresses is, "If a 'Patrimony of the Primate' is being resurrected, which Church does it belong to? Obviously, the present leadership of the TAC would deny any recognition of such an entity. Is there a 'true' TAC and a 'bogus' TAC?" The best answer we have is from several TAC bishops themselves:

We find that Bishops Stephen Duane Strawn and Brian R Marsh at no time had any authority to dissolve the still-continuing Patrimony of the Primate, the Primate's own provision, world-wide[.]

The TAC bishops involved were John Hepworth, David Moyer, and Wellborn Hudson. Bps Marsh and Strawn may wish to dispute this, and they may wish to summon other allies within the current much-diminished TAC, but I suspect Strawn and Marsh will have preoccupations much closer to home. This sort of disagreement is by no means unusual in the "continuing Anglican" movement. Just sayin'. If I were Marsh or Strawn, though, I wouldn't want to stir up new problems for myself.

I don't know Abp Hepworth, and I've never corresponded with him. A visitor who does know him feels that he's been the victim of character assassination, and that in person, he has a sharp wit and broad theological knowledge. I'm probably safe in saying he's a flawed human being like all the rest of us.

On the other hand, his leadership was responsible for the TAC's 2007 Portsmouth Letter. This was probably useful to the Vatican in that it served as a beard to deflect attention from Jeffrey Steenson's resignation as Episcopal Bishop of the Rio Grande -- there was resentment enough of that move in New Mexico, but if the reason for Steenson's meeting with Cardinal Ratzinger in 1993 had been more generally known, the outrage would have been much greater, possibly making Anglicanorum coetibus a harder thing to bring about.

There can be no question that Hepworth's leadership brought TAC parishes into the Ordinariates. It's also plain that his leadership within the TAC from 2007 to 2012 allowed this to happen, in the face of strong opposition. Beyond that, it's plain that, at least in the case of St Mary of the Angels, a very significant parish in this process, the job isn't complete.

If Abp Hepworth's health and morale appear to have been restored enough for him to consider resuming the work he'd begun, under whatever auspices, I can't see this as anything other than a very positive development. Please continue to pray for the St Mary of the Angels parish. its vestry, Fr Kelley, Abp Hepworth, and Bp Lopes.