Just though it would be interesting to see the demographics of the posters on this forum. I'm a member of The Episcopal Church USA.
When the woman who is pretending to be our bishop retires or vacates the cathedral, I will be entering the Anglican Church of Canada. Legally I am Roman Catholic, but will not remain in its communion, so I do not wish to vote for the option here. I was hoping to fill in a formal declaration of defection from the Church soon enough, but the Canon Law was changed in August 2010 to prevent people from doing that now.
The Episcopal Church, certainly as long as we have Bishop Lawrence BYW, Consular, what is a formal defection from the Church? I've never heard anyone do that in the US. If it takes a formal defection, then our parish is still Roman Catholic (over 50% in any case).
Firstly, brother in Christ, it's good to know you're staying in TECUSA for such solid men as Lawrence! Secondly, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_act_of_defection_from_the_Catholic_Church There was a clause in the 1983 Roman Code of Canon Law which allowed an actus formalis defectionis ab ecclesia catholica - formal act of defection from the Church Catholic. It was mostly for people in mixed marriages, but was ambiguous as to meaning, and was "abused" by those who had become apostates & wished to burn their bridges with the local diocese saying "I'm leaving now; get stuffed - bye". In 2009-2010, Benedict XVI released a motu proprio (a document "on his own impulse", a personal request/declaration to the church) called Omnium in Mentem which rescinded this ability of Catholics to send in an act of defection. The Code was changed to erase the phrase "formal act of defection", though ironically the 2006 document on the Vatican site about this phrase is still there, as my link shows. Pretty sloppy. The Pope did this after thousands of Irish were trying to file the act to their local bishop, following the child abuse scandals. He wanted to make it clear, I suppose, that the everlasting character of Baptism makes it impossible the leave the Church.
I must admit, I do not know the extent of papal authority, other than a diocesan bishop's, neither am I more than slightly interested in Trentist rules or regulations, AS i've been taught they are sectarians. . However on being baptised one becomes a catholic and it is indelible. Good, bad or indifferent we as Anglicans remain catholic all our lives no matter what we leave or join and as such we will be judged!
I was and guess an still officially Catholic, though I was never baptized in the Catholic Church (I was baptized when I was a Baptist along time ago). There was a Charismatic Episcopal Church in my town that I always wanted to visit and four Sundays ago I was finally able to and I feel at home there.
Welcome to the forum and good on you for finding somewhere you are comfortable. To me that is the main reason for attending a particular Church or group. Blessings, Gordon
historyb, Welcome to Anglican Forums. It's great to have the CEC represented here. I look forward to interesting discussions. I was baptized in the Baptist Church also. So, we have something in common. Peace and blessings, Anna
Been meaning to reply to your opening statement for a long while. If you were baptised by water and by word, in the name of the Holy Trinity you are already a catholic, a Member of Christ and a Child of God. What you have to remember, as do we all, in our own cases, this marvellous state of being has to be lived up to! Remember we will all be judged on our membership of Christ's Body! But otherwise Welcome!