Catholics and Anglicans sat down in Cincinnati on May 25-26 to hold establish a dialogue on two issues that feature prominently in modern society: debt relief and contraception.
The event marked the second meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue in the United States (ARC-USA). The theme of this meeting was “Ecclesiology and Moral Discernment: Common Ground and Divergences.”
The dialogue was hosted by the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio and was co-chaired by Episcopal Bishop Thomas Breidenthal of Southern, Ohio and Catholic Bishop Ronald P. Herzog of Alexandria, Louisiana.
Never let an exercise in futility get in the way of a good junket.
This is not intended to be a sarcastic comment. But when I read the title I assumed this was from the Onion or some other source of satire. I mean seriously; the differences between Rome and TEC are wider than the Gulf of Mexico. Theologically they are not even on the same planet.
And what do they decide to talk about? Debt relief and contraception?? Again this sounds like a joke. I am not going to even address the motives on the part of TEC. But what exactly was the objective of this meeting from the Roman perspective?
Call me old school and I will readily admit that I don’t get real warm and fuzzy when someone mentions the word “ecumenism.” But surely the Romans must have something better to do with their time. I have always held the view that a precondition for a true dialogue is that there must be some minimal commonality between the two parties. I don’t see that here.
At the risk of possibly offending some people on this forum; I think the Russian Orthodox Church and the OCA have taken the right approach. They have severed all contacts and made it clear there is nothing to talk about that does not include the word “repentance” on the part of TEC.
Under the mercy,
John
It does seem likely it could be an exercise in futility, as you say, #2. Does this just demonstrate that talking, even pointlessly, is really the main occupation of some in TEC?
Peripheral to this, I came across the following quote just after leaving T1:9 website to look at the Washington Times, in their article on the shooting at the DC memorial/museum: ” “It’s a powerful reminder that culture and human beings fall prey to violence, hatred and silence,” said Steve Huber, the vicar of the [b]Washington National Cathedral, one of the largest non-denominational[/b] houses of worship in the United States.”
What a revelation – and here all this time I imagined that the National Cathedral was, ah, Episcopal! (or is there some other place of worship in DC by this name that I never heard of?) So apparently, TEC is just a big nondescript umbrella now – and fit to talk with anyone about anything, I suppose!
Anglican: “Debt relief is a good thing.”
Catholic: “Yes. Debt relief is a good thing.”
Anglican: “Contraception is a good thing.”
Catholic: “No, it isn’t.”
This is no doubt one in a long series of these meetings. The topics will have been chosen well ahead of time. But the pointlessness of the process is only underscored by the discourtesy and contempt shown by Frade in Miami to his Roman counterpart.