There were some who thought and hoped that after Pope Benedict’s offer to Anglo-Catholics- the “Ordinariate” -things would happen very quickly. “Gilbert of Sempringham” was even asked the day after the announcement where should Forward-in-Faith members go along to in order  to take up the offer! However we first had to wait for the Papal offer to be published in full and when that was published we found out that the R.C. Bishops of England and Wales had to set up a group to go into the formal workings of the Ordinariate.

We also in October had the apparent offer on the table from the Revision Committee on Women Bishops legislation of something approaching half decent provision for us- only to have it snatched away on Friday 13th November. We still had to wait until February to find out what the final offer would be- but no prizes for guessing that it would be a totally useless for us Code of Practice. And we all know “A Code of Practice will not do”.

So here we are approaching Christmass and the Ordinariate is moving into being at a snail’s pace if that. Have the R.C. Bishop’s Triumvirate met at all? And it seems possible also that the Revision Committee won’t be able to finish its work by February and so it could be July 2010  before anything clear comes from the Church of England.

Waiting is always so hard.