The Metropolitan of the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church, Irl A. Gladfelter, writes that his group is seeking union with the Church under the terms of Anglicanorum coetibus. Note the passage I’ve emboldened. It’s not typical of Catholics nowadays to speak of “undo[ing] the Reformation,” or to refer to “the mistakes of Father Martin Luther.” Having some anti-Lutheran Lutherans entering the fold — even as Traditional Anglicans — is a welcome, albeit strange, development.
On May 13, 2009, The Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC) mailed a letter to Walter Cardinal Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, stating the ALCC “desires to undo the mistakes of Father Martin Luther, and return to the One, Holy, and True Catholic Church established by our Lord Jesus Christ through the Blessed Saint Peter.” That letter was in turn forwarded to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) for consideration, and the CDF in June 2009 sent the ALCC a reply acknowledging receipt of the petition, with the assurance the request for full membership was being given serious attention.
However when the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI graciously released Anglicanorum coetibus in November that same year, the ALCC did not immediately respond as others did. Instead the ALCC, being of Lutheran heritage, praised God for the apostolic constitution and for the gift offered to our Anglican brothers and sisters; but continued to wait with the blessed hope that our petition too, would soon be granted.
Surprisingly, in October 2010 the ALCC received a letter from Archbishop Luis Ladaria, Secretary of the CDF, informing the ALCC that an Episcopal Delegate, Donald Cardinal Wuerl, had been appointed in the United States to assist the CDF with the implementation of Anglicanorum coetibus (Cardinal Wuerl was still an Archbishop at the time however). The letter further stated, “As we proceed toward the erection of Ordinariates we would invite you, therefore, to make contact directly with Archbishop Wuerl at the following address…” Humbly, the ALCC responded with a resounding “YES”, mailing a letter to Cardinal Wuerl in compliance with the correspondence received from the CDF, requesting to be a part of this wonderful reunification within the Body of Christ.
It is with great joy and deep gratitude, therefore, that the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church makes known her intention to enter the American Ordinariate under the provisions of Anglicanorum coetibus, and looks forward to serving with all our brothers and sisters in Christ to undo the Reformation and restore the visible, corporate unity of Christ’s One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church.
Source: The Anglo-Catholic
