The “request” was made by the Vatican Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, which is the central governing body of the Catholic Church handling most affairs relating to official public worship.
In a joint statement, the Right Reverend Brian Farran, Anglican Bishop of Newcastle, and the Most Reverend Michael Malone, Catholic Bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, said the congregation had “expressed concern about a simultaneous celebration and the possibility of confusing messages being given to the people”.
In the statement, Bishop Malone said he believed that since a similar celebration had been held in England in 1989, a precedent had been established, and he apologised to those who would have been involved.
Rome made a good call in this case. An unfortunate necessity, however. But given the current state of things in the C of E, quite understandable.
The comments on the article’s site are very interesting. A few ‘triumphalist’ Catholics, a few ‘let’s get together and feeeel allll riiight’ types and a couple of Catholics who look like they know their stuff.
There is something, perhaps, we could all ponder in the Catholic understanding of the “Discipline of the Sacraments.”
My favorite line in the article: “It is unclear how the headquarters of the Catholic Church learned of the service, as no formal notification was given.”
Sneaky, sneaky. It seems as though the bishops here were trying to get away with something they knew wouldn’t fly – and they got caught.
My suspicion is that some appalled Catholic wrote Rome, or perhaps Cardinal Pell in Sydney.
The comments were interesting, especially the guy (“jimmy”) who referred to those who opposed the joint services as “supposed Christians”. In other words, if you aren’t tolerant like me, you aren’t even a Christian. I’m wondering why some of those protestant commenters would even want to gather with us Mary-worshiping Catholics, anyway.
Gooooolllllllyyyyy! Communion discipline. This surely is a Roman innovation, since the AC has no agreed policy or core doctrine in this regard? Adiaphora, right?
This is a good move. If an LCMS pastor attempted this kind of ecumenical worship, he would be defrocked.