The former Anglo-Catholic priest of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, Fr. David L. Moyer has been denied his final step into the Roman Catholic Church following 10 years of ecclesiastical wandering that started with The Episcopal Church, migrated through the Diocese of Pittsburgh, Forward in Faith, the Church of the Province of Central Africa, and the Anglican Church in America, a branch of the Traditional Anglican Church.
Moyer said he received a letter from Fr. Jeffrey Steenson, Ordinary for the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter, informing him that Archbishop Charles Chaput (Philadelphia) has declined to give him his votum (a promise) to proceed toward ordination in the Roman Catholic Church.
Moyer’s history is almost as chequered as that of John Hepworth, the TAC archbishop whose entry into full communion with Rome must come as a layman. In losing his battle with TEC over his parish, he ended up suing his own attorney and leaving a trail of bitter people in the process.
As is the case with the Africans and Chuck Murphy, the Roman Catholic Church likes team players. Authority is the leitmotif of Roman Catholicism; the Jesuits, arguably Catholicism’s premier order, was founded with the concept of perfect obedience. Unfortunately, for a long list of reasons, Anglo-Catholicism has bred more than one “Lone Ranger” whose principal focus of authority is their own. With Steenson as a native guide, the Roman Catholic church is attempting to keep this personality type out of its leadership, and justifiably so.
One thing that the Ordinariate will do is to bring the reality of Roman Catholicism to Anglo-Catholicism, which will come as a rude awakening to some. But, if you’re serious about Christian unity as the Roman Catholic Church understands it, you must be prepared to put your convictions ahead of your sensibilities. The Roman Catholic Church has gone further than many (including me) figured it would in accommodating the sensibilities of Anglicans; for those who feel compelled to make the swim, what’s on the opposite shore now is about as good as it’s going to get.
Positive Infinity 
In a way I am sad to hear this, though I don’t know Bp Moyer at all. But yes, I think you are right, that they want team players. It’s one thing to get into a lawsuit because your parishioners vote to leave TEC, but it seems like the case with +Moyer was much more complex.
I did notice at the US Ordinariate website that they still don’t have any ‘communities’ listed, even the Anglican Use parishes which have been up and running for years. Odd, no?
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It is amazing how so few commentaries reflect the true machinations/manipulations taking place using Anglo-Catholics as pawns in a giant shell game. David Moyer was an excellent priest at the Good Shepherd,albeit his horrific experience with the Episcopal hounds that sorely wished his demise vis a vis the clueless PA courts. Bennison should have been banned from his vindictive witch-hunt against Father Moyer in the first place, and Anglicans have had no help from the fuzzy druid in England either. We suspected the entire bait and switch scenario set-up for unsuspecting Anglicans who wished to swim the shark filled Tiber was to convince the clueless that they could maintain their Prayer book et al as a separate entity under the Catholic umbrella.No way! Never intended to allow this…and it is playing out currently with the rejection of Moyer for a slot in the Catholic priesthood.To cut to the chase;Occam’s Razor-As many bodies as the Catholic Church could convert in the shortest time, without establishing any church homes for Anglicans and no promises,thank you. Typical,historical Roman Catholicism.The Anglican Church of North America or a similar entity across the pond should boldly assert itself, welcome all back to Classical Anglicanism and establish new physical church/worship areas that Father Moyer and similar flocks can be re-established within the Anglican fold, without having to swallow the Secular Episcopal ideology and endless lawsuits that show the hypocritical,hatred and satanism that has grown like a cancerous tumor that needs to be excised by an exorcist.
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