A friend has forwarded to me an article from The Australian about Archbishop John Hepworth, the leader of the Traditional Anglican Communion. In it he talks about his training as a Catholic priest and in particular the effect upon him of more than a decade of systematic sexual abuse during that process. This led to him moving from Australia to England and becoming an Anglican.
As a man committed to a traditional interpretation of Christianity he became part of the TAC and now seeks reunion for himself and his communion through the Ordinariate structure.
Archbishop Hepworth's account is shocking and disturbing, but he still seeks to return to the unity of the Catholic Church and is ready to forgive.
The article can be read here.
I pray for the success of the negotiations with the TAC, and that the initiatives coming from the Pope and the Vatican can root out the type of problems and miseries inflicted upon men such as John Hepworth.
What's astonishing to me is that a man of his stature is not being believed.
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