Anglican or English?

Ruth Gledhill in the (London) Times has a good piece on the Rt. Rev'd Jeffrey Steenson , Bishop of the Rio Grande (Episcopal), who recently announced his intentions to resign his orders and be received into the Holy Catholic Church. He hopes to become a priest in Holy Mother Church and though married, it seems a good bet this will happen, owing to the Pastoral Provision created under the aegis of Paul VI that allows married Anglican priests to be received into the Catholic Church and, eventually, into the priesthood. The Pastoral Provision also allows for "Anglican Use," parishes established by former Episcopalians (but of course open to all Catholics) using the modified Book of Common Prayer.

Gledhill writes of Bishop Steenson's dream "creating more space for the growing number of Anglican-rite churches in the Catholic Church in the US." She quotes Steenson: "I hope and pray that the Catholic Church might encourage us to bring a meaningful expression of Anglicanism into the life of the Catholic Church. I think the hope would be that Rome actually countenance the creation of some kind of meaningful Anglican ecclesial community under the umbrella of the Catholic Church."

As an Anglo-Catholic departing for Rome, those should be welcome words, indeed I should be ecstatic. In truth, however, I have mixed feelings. The Holy Catholic Church is at work on a new translation of the Novus Ordo Mass and judging by the enticing snippets I have seen, it is vastly superior to the present translation (proof of its superiority is that there is already whining from the liberals who complain of too many big words, all spelled out and everything; too challenging for the average Catholic Joe). I wonder, however, the efficacy of introducing a new English translation at the same time expanding Anglican Use parishes. Does the Church really need two English translations (three, actually: Anglican Use parishes may also use, if I have it right, the woeful Rite II from the 1979 Prayer Book)?

One of the great virtues of the Episcopal/Anglican Church, before the rot set in, was one could walk into any Anglican service, anywhere in the world, and know exactly what was going on; the glorious English was the same (even if the liturgy was disparate). Similarly with the Catholic Church (that part of it using the Roman Rite, of course) before the Vatican II reforms and the use of the vernacular. Understand, I am not against Anglican Use, indeed I am all for it. The proliferation of A.U. parishes would be a shot in the arm for the dismal music and liturgy found in so many Catholic churches--nothing like competition! It seems, however, to this layman the Holy Catholic Church needs but one (albeit a good one) English translation of the Mass. More might encourage Balkanization.

(Thanks to William Tighe)