Cardinal Kasper Speaks Bluntly

July 31, 2008

Cardinal Kasper has given a thoughtful and stirring speech to the annual gathering of Anglican leaders called the Lambeth Conference. It is important reading for anyone interested in ecumenism, especially with the Anglican Communion. In his speech he talks about past successes and current problems. He’s unafraid to tell the gathered Anglican bishops the truth of the Catholic Faith and the ecumenical strains they have created with the Catholic (and Orthodox) Churches. I want to highlight a few important passages with my commentary:

It also seems to us that the Anglican commitment to being ‘episcopally led and synodically governed’ has not always functioned in such a way as to maintain the apostolicity of the faith, and that synodical government misunderstood as a kind of parliamentary process has at times blocked the sort of episcopal leadership envisaged by Cyprian and articulated in ARCIC.

This is a polite way of saying the Church isn’t a modern democracy and bringing activists and others into the process has resulted in questioning or even abandoning apostolic teaching and praxis.

I know that many of you are troubled, some deeply so, by the threat of fragmentation within the Anglican Communion. We feel profound solidarity with you, for we too are troubled and saddened when we ask: In such a scenario, what shape might the Anglican Communion of tomorrow take, and who will our dialogue partner be? Should we, and how can we, appropriately and honestly engage in conversations also with those who share Catholic perspectives on the points currently in dispute, and who disagree with some developments within the Anglican Communion or particular Anglican provinces? What do you expect in this situation from the Church of Rome, which in the words of Ignatius of Antioch is to preside over the Church in love? How might ARCIC’s work on the episcopate, the unity of the Church, and the need for an exercise of primacy at the universal level be able to serve the Anglican Communion at the present time?

Of course, this is a problem right now. You can get an Anglican committee to sign an agreement with an ecumenical partner and there could be just as many, if not more Anglicans who disagree with and even condemn what has been signed. If anything, a broken up Anglicanism would have more clearly drawn lines and possibly more effective ecumenical dialogue.

As I stated when addressing the Church of England’s House of Bishops in 2006, for us this decision to ordain women implies a turning away from the common position of all churches of the first millennium, that is, not only the Catholic Church but also the Oriental Orthodox and the Orthodox churches. We would see the Anglican Communion as moving a considerable distance closer to the side of the Protestant churches of the 16th century, and to a position they adopted only during the second half of the 20th century…Since it is currently the situation that 28 Anglican provinces ordain women to the priesthood, and while only 4 provinces have ordained women to the episcopate, an additional 13 provinces have passed legislation authorising women bishops, the Catholic Church must now take account of the reality that the ordination of women to the priesthood and the episcopate is not only a matter of isolated provinces, but that this is increasingly the stance of the Communion…While our dialogue has led to significant agreement on the understanding of ministry, the ordination of women to the episcopate effectively and definitively blocks a possible recognition of Anglican Orders by the Catholic Church.

Basically, Anglicanism is firmly asserting its modern, liberal Protestant side against the apostolic and Catholic Faith of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. Anglo-Catholicism, except as a congregationalist or aesthetic movement, is dead.

It is our hope that a theological dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church will continue, but this development effects directly the goal and alters the level of what we pursue in dialogue (emphasis mine). The 1966 Common Declaration signed by Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey called for a dialogue that would “lead to that unity in truth, for which Christ prayed”, and spoke of “a restoration of complete communion of faith and sacramental life”. It now seems that full visible communion as the aim of our dialogue has receded further, and that our dialogue will have less ultimate goals and therefore will be altered in its character (emphasis mine)…

Simply put, if you want to act like a liberal Protestant Church, the Catholic (and Orthodox) Church will view you as such. Dialogue will continue, but any form of corporate reunion or formal recognition is impossible. The words are polite, but forceful and revolutionary: Catholic (and presumably Orthodox) ecumenical efforts with Anglicans as currently practiced will end if Anglican leaders continue down the same path.

It’s a shame that as short a time ago as the pontificate of Paul VI, the reunion of Anglicans and Catholics was a real possibility. It’s sad how the progressive modernists have changed the character of Anglicanism forever.

1 Comment | Anglican and Episcopal, Catholic, General | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B

Be Holy

July 29, 2008

Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct, for it is written, “Be holy because I (am) holy.” Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning (1 Peter 1:14-17).

We are called to be holy, that is, we are called to be conformed to the will of God, not to our desires or the desires of others. Jesus tells us to be “perfect,” as the Father is perfect. Suggesting that we are to be holy is certainly controversial in a society which encourages a person to do what feels good. In the selection above, Peter advises us not to “act in compliance with the desires of [our] former ignorance,” which is just about the exact opposite of “do what you feel.” However, the problem when speaking of holiness, is that we are all sinners, and when non-Christians (and even some Christians of the more liberal persuasion) hear our exhortations to holiness, it seems hypocritical. “How can he tell me to be holy, when he clearly has an anger problem!” While a person’s personal anger struggles are really inconsequential in determining anger’s rightness or wrongness, a lot of us don’t always think completely logically, and instead look at the behavior of the messenger. Thus, I think speaking of holiness, while essential, is often lost on a lot of people, because holiness is difficult (just look at the parable of the sower).

It is said that for discipline to be effective you need to have 5-10 “attaboys” for every “you screwed up.” I think this is something we need to remember when speaking of holiness. When we speak of holiness, the message of God’s grace must always be close behind. I remind my students that while Jesus calls us to be perfect, he also said that we are to forgive others “70 times 7″ times, and are not to “judge lest we be judged.” When speaking of holiness, or our striving to be holy, our sinfulness and total reliance upon grace should not be separated from our efforts to be holy, after all, Catholics don’t believe in works righteousness, but turning holiness entirely into social work or self-help seminars is works-righteousness.

I tell my students that being holy is like being in a boxing match. You will be knocked down a lot. Sin is pervasive. However, God will give you the grace to get up, to get to the sacrament of reconciliation if necessary, but you have to cooperate with that. It may seem pointless to continue to get knocked down, yet get up each time vowing to, with God’s help, do better, but that is the Christian option. The two problematic options are to a) pretend that you weren’t knocked down to begin with (i.e. denying that you have sinned or becoming oblivious to sin), and b) giving up and not getting up (i.e. not trying anymore). God is holy and merciful, and in our quests for holiness, it is only God’s grace that will even begin to get us there.

1 Comment | Catholic, General, Confession | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Anglican Measures: Tough or Talk?

July 28, 2008

The “Windsor Continuation Group,” associated with the Anglican Communion, is putting forth a plan designed to deal with the current mess. It looks very interesting, at least on paper. It calls for a cessation of same sex blessings and the ordination of practicing homosexuals, in addition to the boundary crossing popular among conservatives. It also calls for the creation of a “pastoral forum” that will deal with those national bodies that refuse to abide by the terms. The proposal even envisions a mechanism for “demoting” errant communions (e.g. the Americans and Canadians) to second class Anglican status. Assuming this is agreed upon by the bishops at Lambeth, will it be enough? If the Anglican Church were a Catholic body believing in an infallible Church the plan probably would help solve the current mess. However, without a Magisterium and a high ecclesiology I have a feeling it will simply be talk rather than serious action.

My prediction: the Episcopal Church will continue to do its own thing, ignore the rest of the communion regardless of a new covenant, forum, or process, and not a darn thing will happen other than a lot of hand wringing and promises to address it in 2018.

1 Comment | Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B

Happy 40th Birthday to Humanae Vitae

July 26, 2008

Forty years ago yesterday, Paul VI released the encyclical letter Humanae Vitae, which reaffirmed the Church’s prohibition against artificial contraception. Click on the link above to read the document, and you will see that Paul VI’s points are very relevant today. At the time (and even today) it caused a furor and led to many in the Church being in open dissent to Church Teaching.

I often wonder why using artificial contraception is considered to be a sign of a person’s “liberation.” You would think that with all this “green” trendiness these days, people would discover Natural Family Planning, since artificial contraception is a pharmaceutical that not only harms the environment, but also artificially alters a woman’s body. But critically examining one’s basic approach to desire requires a lot more effort and sacrifice than subscribing to the green channel or some other surface action, so I am not sure if NFP will necessarily catch on with the “trendy” green crowd, although it does seem that all sorts of Christians are re-evaluating their views on contraception.

While Paul VI was often indecisive – so much so that it is rumored that Pope John XXIII called him ” Our Hamlet” – he stood firm in a real way with this encyclical.

8 Comments | Morality and Moral Issues, Papal Encyclicals | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Scripture and Tradition: On the Same Team!

July 24, 2008

“Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then, are bound closely together, and communicate one with the other. For both of them, flowing out from the same divine well-spring, come together in some fashion to form one thing, and move towards the same goal” (Catechism of the Catholic Church 80).

When I read the Church Fathers, I was surprised to see the value they placed on Tradition. They, of course, valued Scripture, but they did not pit it against Tradition, whether by Tradition we mean a correct interpretation of Scripture, or important information passed down orally that wasn’t included in the Bible. Over time, I began to realize how much this really makes sense. Let me pose a few questions to you that explain why you pretty much have to have an authoritative (or some type of) Tradition if you have the Scriptures.

- In the ancient world, how could a written text have been the only authority if very few churches, let alone, persons, could afford a copy of the complete Scriptures?

- In the ancient world, how could a written text have been the only authority when the vast majority of Christians, lay and ordained, couldn’t read?

- In the ancient world, how could a written text have been the only authority if what constitutes the written authority was not clearly defined (since it took awhile for all churches to agree on what books constituted Scripture)?

- Related to the above question, how could a written text be authoritative outside of a connection to Tradition, if Tradition itself determined which books made up the authoritative text?

- In the Apostolic age, how could a written text have been the only authority if the text was not even written yet?

- In the early Church, how could the written text be authoritatively interpreted properly outside of Tradition if many groups were misreading the texts even as early as the time of Saint Paul?

My basic point in these questions is that tradition is unavoidable, but it was especially unavoidable in the ancient world. Based on the questions I asked above, it is clear that the Church would not have survived if it were not for Tradition, and I believe that Tradition is one way in which Christ kept his promise that the gates of Hades would not overcome the Church. I seriously think a dissertation-worthy topic would be to compare the rise of sola scriptura movements to the development of the printing press.

Any group, religious or otherwise, cannot function without some sort of tradition, or a living, guiding authority. In fact, the gospel never would have been spread without oral tradition, without the message of Christ, because the first book of the New Testament wasn’t even written until 20 years or so after the resurrection of Jesus. Even as early as the New Testament Paul and others are writing to correct churches against various errors. Many of these heretics are misreading the Scriptures of the time (the Old Testament), and misinterpreting the message of Jesus. Paul and others correct these errors, but are we to assume that these errors, and the right of Christian leaders to correct these errors, stopped after 100 AD? To me, this doesn’t make much sense, that somehow at 100 AD the authority of Christian leaders ended. I believe this is where the Church, the body of Christ, comes in. Of course, the next question then becomes, what tradition is one going to align with, and which Church has the authority in our age of denominationalism to correct errors, and frankly, I don’t have time to get into this today, but since I became Catholic in 2004, you probably know what I believe!

6 Comments | Catholic, General, Scripture | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Clinton, Kennedy, and NARAL Took the High Road…

July 22, 2008

But Obama did not. What issue am I talking about? The Born Alive Infant Protection Act, which would have prevented the killing of an infant born alive, namely those who survived a botched late-term abortion. Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, and even NARAL, did not oppose the act, but Obama opposed it. Anybody care to explain why he couldn’t support this act, which seems to me even a pro-choice individual could easily support? Has he explained his reasons? I am not likely to vote for Obama in the fall, but I think faithful Catholics who are even considering voting for him deserve an explanation for this.

I know, I know, people say we Catholics focus on abortion too much. But let me tell you, having 2 nieces, and contemplating children of my own, that we would tolerate, and even justify, killing an infant born alive says a whole lot about our level of civilization. We might be able to send someone to the moon, but if we practice things like this, its as if we are still Cro-Magnons with a little innovation thrown in (of course, even Cro-Magnons may not have even contemplated such a thing).

Thanks for Irenaeus for pointing this out.

11 Comments | Abortion, Politics | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Yes, We Have Youth!

July 22, 2008

Yes, Virginia, we have youth in the Catholic Church…plenty of young, vibrant, folks, and they were at World Youth Day in Australia. Now, I am certainly not implying older people are bad. I am thankful the Catholic Church has a great mix of ages, races, classes, educational levels, and so forth. This is true diversity, not the buzzwordy type “diversity” I occasionally encounter. But, youth are important. What signals that an organization has a future? Youth. Sure, we can point out the drawbacks of large Catholic youth gatherings, but at least we are seeing thousands of faithful, young Catholic gathered together, worshiping together.

I can tell you from experience the importance of having people your age in a church, and as Jennifer and I contemplate starting a family, encountering other people at our stage of life is very encouraging. Wrong or right, after looking at a parish’s stated beliefs, I judge the vibrancy of a parish I visit based on two criteria: the number of families with young children, and the extent of the youth program. Often solid belief and these two go hand-and-hand, but not always.

Once again, I am glad we have youth. I say this as someone who turned 30 this year and doesn’t always understand the “younger generation,” but we need them in the Church!

3 Comments | News | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

More Women “Ordained”

July 21, 2008

Why this stuff makes the news is beyond me. It’s kind of like saying “man appointed ambassador to England by local carpenter.” At least in the Boston Globe article, they put the word “ordain” in parentheses. The media at least understands what these women do not: they may be something, but they aren’t Catholic priests, no matter what they claim. Also, judging by the photos on their website, most if not all, will be retiring shortly, if they’re not already receiving pensions. Yes, they are an aging, largely irrelevant movement which gets disproportionate media coverage. They speak of being “prophetic” but Rome, like Constantinople is not going to change based on activism and most likely won’t change at all. There’s a perfectly nice, but declining liberal communion in England that will not only let these women be pastors, but also “bishops.” If they hurry they can even participate in two hour diversity workshops on the CofE dime.

14 Comments | Catholic, General | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B

News from Around the Net

July 20, 2008

- Your photos on myspace or facebook can get you in trouble, that is, if you are doing stupid things, like partying down like all is well, after injuring or killing someone in a drunk-driving accident. So basically, the Internet, despite all its weaknesses, once again is good at exposing the truth.

- The Vatican thinks that the innovations of Anglicanism, at least some parts of the Anglican Communion, will hinder ecumenical relations. The Vatican even sent a letter to the Lambeth Conference saying as such. While open to welcoming Anglican defectors, the pope doesn’t want to damage ecumenical relations with the Anglican Communion too badly, although I can’t help but think the Anglican Communion makes a poor ecumenical partner, since Anglicans themselves often claim there are no core beliefs that make up Anglicanism. Of course, I want to remind everyone that the defecting goes both ways: a good many Episcopalians (including priests) are former Catholics.

-McCain supports vouchers, but Obama does not. I think both sides may over-react a little regarding vouchers. They will not destroy public education as some liberals claim, nor will they solve all of our educational problems, as some conservatives claim, but you would think that Obama would support giving people, especially poor people a choice in education, since some of the worst schools are in black neighborhoods. Blacks support educational choice, because they often suffer the worst from a lack of choice. Throwing money at education and backing the NEA on every point, hasn’t resulted in better education for our youth. Plus, Catholic schools tend to do just as well (if not better) spending less money per student (thanks to Irenaeus for bringing this to our attention). By the way, Catholic Social Teaching strongly favors vouchers.

3 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal, News | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Lambeth Conference 1998 to 2008…What Changed?

July 18, 2008

The Anglican Communion is currently in the middle of its worldwide gathering of bishops, the Lambeth Conference. Last gathering, in 1998, bishops from all over the world attended, but for this gathering, some conservative Anglicans have decided to stay home, and many attended a competing conference in Jerusalem recently, called GAFCON.

If you ask me, the current Lambeth Conference is pointless. Of course, nobody asked me! Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wants to avoid mention of any of the recent controversies, and instead focus on getting along. The problem is that serious, major, issues are currently dividing Anglicanism, and a few 2-hour discussions here and there, coupled with pretending the problem doesn’t exist, aren’t likely to accomplish much. What diocese in its right mind would send its bishop all the way to England simply to exchange pleasantries, while ignoring the elephant in the room? Maybe it is just my style, but I think the Lambeth Conference is a perfect time to address some of these issues, rather than skirt them (it shows that the leadership of the Anglican Communion really doesn’t want to address them). Somebody will address the issues, whether it is Peter Akinola, or the Pope or Ecumenical Patriarch, because traditional Anglicans are looking for answers and a refuge from the current mess. Ignoring it is only going to keep the blissfully ignorant happy, not activists on either side.

So why are so many bishops excusing themselves now, and not in 1998? Certainly liberalism in the Episcopal church isn’t new, is it? What changed from 1998 to 2008? Besides many progressives in the Anglican church further pushing the envelope, I think the internet is to “blame.” It has developed into a powerful means of communication. I don’t recall knowing about blogs in 1998; Now I read many, and write for two. The internet allows for very open communication. A favorite tactic of church progressives is to use traditional language, traditional symbols, and even give lip service to traditional theology, yet mean something entirely different. I think it is not only dishonest, but requires a lot of intelletual acrobatics. In the past, progressives could count on essentially keeping your average Episcopalian in the dark about happenings in the national church, and about the beliefs of the Episcopal church. The internet has changed all of this. Damage control is impossible. A bishop can refer to Jesus’ resurrection in a homily, and church members can go online and find out what the bishop means by this, whether he intends a bodily resurrection or an abiding memory in the minds of his followers. The internet has allowed opponents a voice. They may be silenced in seminaries, and in diocesan conventions, but blogs (which may at times go too far) cannot be silenced easily. Lambeth 2008 may be the last Lambeth conference ever, who knows, or it could be the last one that had bishops from all over the world.

Note: I am moving into a new house, so I haven’t had time to provide links to info in this post. Stand Firm and Titus One Nine seem to be following Lambeth rather closely.

2 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Conservatives, Catholics, and Food

July 17, 2008
Thanksgiving Table

Thanksgiving Table by David Bennett

Lately, I’ve been reading and hearing a lot about the “crunchy con” movement. Lutherpunk’s blogging started it and then American Conservative Magazine published a great series of articles grouped under their cover story of “Eating Right: the Case for Culinary Conservatism.” Blogger and author Rod Dreher is an important part of the piece and I thought I’d post his “crunchy con” manifesto here:

1. We are conservatives who stand outside the conservative mainstream; therefore, we can see things that matter more clearly.

2. Modern conservatism has become too focused on money, power, and the accumulation of stuff, and insufficiently concerned with the content of our individual and social character.

3. Big business deserves as much skepticism as big government.

4. Culture is more important than politics and economics.

5. A conservatism that does not practice restraint, humility, and good stewardship—especially of the natural world—is not fundamentally conservative.

6. Small, Local, Old, and Particular are almost always better than Big, Global, New, and Abstract.

7. Beauty is more important than efficiency.

8. The relentlessness of media-driven pop culture deadens our senses to authentic truth, beauty, and wisdom.

9. We share Russell Kirk’s conviction that “the institution most essential to conserve is the family.”

10. Politics and economics won’t save us; if our culture is to be saved at all, it will be by faithfully living by the Permanent Things, conserving these ancient moral truths in the choices we make in our everyday lives.

I think his manifesto–as well as promoting local food production, healthy and organic options, and humane treatment of animals– is a very conservative and even Catholic option, especially the emphasis on subsidiarity (even though the manifesto doesn’t use that word), the family, local community, and especially the “Permanent Things” as opposed to materialism. Here are some good articles that make a conservative case for what have traditionally been viewed as the realm of hippie liberals:

Food for Thought by John Shwenkler
Table Talk by Rod Dreher and Michael Pollan
Burning Dinner by Timothy Carney (important piece about ethanol)
A Righter Shade of Green by Roger Scruton
Fear Factories (The Case for Compassionate Conservatism for Animals) by Matthew Scully

12 Comments | Catholic, General | Tagged: , , , | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B

The Spam Filter Strikes Again!

July 14, 2008

I noticed a few past comments were caught in the spam filter, and I forget to check it regularly. We don’t usually censor comments (we don’t censor comments because of ideas, although very vulgar ones may be edited), so please know that if your comment doesn’t get posted, or doesn’t say it is awaiting moderation, it may mean you got stuck in the spam filter.

Leave a Comment » | Administrative | Tagged: | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

First the Liturgy, Now the Highway

July 13, 2008

It seems that forcing gender neutral language on the Church isn’t enough these days. Now the feminists in Atlanta are demanding that those sexist “men at work” highway signs be changed. I’d like to make two basic points. 1) Having lived in Atlanta, I’m not surprised to see the politically correct crowd get its way. I’m so grateful to be out of that town for a multitude of reasons. 2) Who really cares? Only the professional activists and/or academics, I’d assume. I see no evidence that a woman working on the crew complained, only the editor of a women’s magazine. Men, man, mankind, etc. can be used to be inclusive of women. If only people would study up on their English.

4 Comments | Catholic, General | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by Jonathan B

East-West Unity: Getting Serious

July 10, 2008
John Chrysostom Icon

John Chrysostom Icon

Jonathan and I presented at a meeting of the Society of Saint John Chrysostom, Youngstown-Warren Chapter, a a few days ago. The Society is devoted to greater unity between Catholics and Orthodox. We presented on the topic of internet ecumenism, and the possibilities and drawbacks involved.

The Society of Saint John Chrysostom does a lot of great things, and at the meeting were representatives from both the Catholic (Eastern and Latin Rite) and Orthodox side. Fr. Hopko, an Orthodox priest active online, regularly attends these meetings, but unfortunately was not present at this meeting. I recommend visiting the Society’s site, and seeing if there are ways to get involved in your area.

I have always been committed to East-West unity, which began when I studied the Church Fathers as an evangelical. I think part of my interest in East-West unity is a result of studying Eastern and Western Fathers at the same time. However, it is easy to get complacent, and not regularly consider the importance of unity among the Apostolic Churches. I think that we are witnessing a real opportunity for greater unity all around us. One main reason is that many of our traditional ecumenical partners are moving farther and farther away from historical Christianity. Orthodox and Catholics are going to find that as society and mainline Protestantism moves farther and farther away from the faith and morality of classical Christianity, working together just makes sense. In the near future, in even western countries like Canada, we may find ourselves standing together against governments trying to stop us from even expressing Catholic and Orthodox views on controversial moral issues. We just have to get past some of our old hostilities really. Of course it is more complicated that this, but I think there is hope, and this is something we should always work for and pray for.

25 Comments | Eastern Catholics, Ecumenism, Orthodoxy | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

Thompson: Church of England Bishop Will Lead Anglicans to Rome

July 8, 2008

According to Damian Thompson, Anglican Bishop Andrew Burnham will lead Anglo-Catholics to the Catholic Church. Burnham, like many other Anglo-Catholic Anglicans, is upset that the Church of England recently approved of women bishops. Whether Burnham and others will actually leave has yet to be seen, but it looks like some Anglo-Catholics are serious this time (as opposed to just threatening). From the article:

Bishop Burnham hopes that Rome will offer special arrangements whereby former Anglicans can stay worshipping in parishes under the guidance of a Catholic bishop. Most of these parishes already use the Roman liturgy, but there may be provision for Anglican prayers if churches request it.

Anglican priests who are already married will not be barred from ordination as priests, though Bishop Burnham would not be able to continue in episcopal orders, as he is married and there is an absolute bar on married bishops in the Roman and Orthodox Churches.

In his statement, Bishop Burnham explains why he is rejecting the code of practice offered to traditionalists by the General Synod last night. “How could we trust a code of practice to deliver a workable ecclesiology if every suggestion we have made for our inclusion has been turned down flat?” he asks.

“How could we trust a code of practice when those who are offering it include those who have done most to undermine and seek to revoke the code of practice in force for these last 14 years? …

“What we must humbly ask for now is for magnanimous gestures from our Catholic friends, especially from the Holy Father, who well understands our longing for unity, and from the hierarchy of England and Wales. Most of all we ask for ways that allow us to bring our folk with us.”

Note that Bishop Burnham feels excluded by the Church of England over this issue. I have said it before, and I believe it to be true: often “inclusion” only goes as far as including those with whom you happen to agree. “Inclusion” and “diversity” are two buzzwords I rarely utter because I heard them hypocritically bandied about in grad school so often, usually by those who wanted the Church to be anything but inclusive or diverse. The Church of England leadership doesn’t really want to accommodate the backward sorts that disapprove of women priests, therefore they will provide no shelter for them, but issue a heartfelt, “we’re deeply grieved you’re deeply grieved” type statement later.

I wonder what the Catholic Church has in mind here. If this goes well, and the Church is generous, maybe we’ll see a greater expansion of the Anglican Use here in the U.S.!

On a related note, Jonathan and I will be presenting tonight at a gathering of the Society of Saint John Chrysostom, Youngstown-Warren Chapter, on internet ecumenism.

5 Comments | Anglican and Episcopal | Tagged: , , | Permalink
Posted by David Bennett

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