There are naturally a range of quite mixed reactions to Pope Benedict XVI’s initiative in offering an ‘Apostolic Constitution’ within the Roman Catholic Church for Anglicans wishing to flee their own troubled shores.
Some have greeted it as an aggressive attempt to poach members, others have conceived of it as a generous recognition of the regard in which the Vatican holds the Anglican ‘patrimony’.
In truth, it is both a cause for sadness and celebration. On the one hand, it is clearly a recognition by the Vatican that divisions within Anglicanism are now so bad that it is no longer possible to address Anglicanism entirely through the traditional ‘diplomatic’ channels. Indeed, I am aware that some Anglican bishops have had private meetings with Cardinal Kasper of the Secretariat for Unity over the years about the setting up of some form of Uniate scheme, similar to some church relationships in the Middle East.
“If Anglo-Catholics are wooed by Rome we could see the Church of England becoming a mainly liberal church, espousing little more than tolerance and liberality in all things; a kind of green party at prayer.”
He need look no further than TEC to see that this has already taken place.
Few people bear more responsibility for ruining the Church of England’s relationship with Rome than George Carey, who pushed through the ordination of women despite desperate pleas from Rome (while assuring his lukewarm Evangelical constituency that the move would not advance the normalization of homosexual conduct). Ever since he has been giving the impression that the ensuing train wreck was an unfortunate catastrophe entirely beyond his control. But he was the architect and refused to consider the consequences.
RE: “If Anglo-Catholics are wooed by Rome we could see the Church of England becoming a mainly liberal church, espousing little more than tolerance and liberality in all things; a kind of green party at prayer. Yes, the troika we have inherited has been, at times, a wild group of horses but, for myself, I would rather have that, than what we are likely to have if distinctive groups go their separate ways.”
Well, it certainly would have been nice for the Fulcrum folks to support their AngloCatholic brothers and sisters’ cries for relief at the Synod, rather than chortle on the Fulcrum blog about how great it was that women bishops are arriving!
#2 austin – I agree.
I thought Lord Carey had retired? But he cannot, it seems, resist going to the press with his thoughts on the most delicate and divisive issues he has left to his successors.