I have been following what’s going on in the Anglican Communion the last couple of weeks only sporadically, figuring that it would, in the long run, be easier to read and understand summaries of what’s already happened when it’s all done than try to follow the ups, downs and varied interpretations as events unfolded in Jerusalem and, soon, Lambeth as they occur.
Because you know what happened last time.
There is just so much going on. A month ago, two male Anglican priests set the stage for Lambeth by getting married in a very “traditional” ceremony in a very historic London church. Then there was GAFCON, which issued a very stirring statement, the practicalities and concrete consequences of which totally mystify me. Now Lambeth is coming, but woven into all of that is another pressing issue – that of the question of female bishops in the Church of England. A large group of English Anglicans have declared that if female bishops are approved without an opt-out clause (for parishes that don’t want to be under the care of a female bishop), they will bolt.
Which always confuses me. I have never understood how, in a church body which accepts female priests, female bishops are a deal-breaker.
But anyway – if you are Anglican or have a keen interest in things Anglican, post for our edification and clarification.  (Although I’m going to be out most of the morning…comments will come through in the early afternoon)
And about the “just cross the Tiber” thing.  One really can’t toss that out so easily. Anyone who has actually made the journey, even from Anglo-Catholicism – can tell you that it is not simple, for many reasons, ranging from deep-seated anti-Catholicism to attachment to Anglicanism to serious questions about little things like papal primacy.
In addition, you have the complication that in England, let us say that the hierarchy and institutional gestalt of English Catholicism is not exactly welcoming, according to most accounts I have heard, to the more traditional, enthusiastically  evangelical (in the broadest sense) folks that might come over from Canterbury.
There are lots of places to go for good commentary – many of them from the “reasserters” side are linked here.  In addition, from the perspective of one who crossed a long time ago and has good perspective on the English Catholic scene as well, there’s Father Dwight Longenecker.