After a bitter vote, the Church of England decided Monday that women can be consecrated as bishops. But the secretary of the Vatican’s unity council says ecumenical dialogue will continue as before.
The synodal decision must be put to a referendum within a year by another similar synod; nevertheless it is a vote that marks an important point within the history of the Church of England.
The vote was noteworthy in another regard: a conciliatory amendment proposed by the archbishops of Canterbury and York, Rowan Williams and John Sentamu, was rejected.
Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, told ZENIT that the Anglican decision does represent an “enormous obstacle.” Nevertheless, he said, the effects of this vote must be kept in a proper perspective.
Perhaps B16 is waiting for a real consecration and the Anglo-Catholic exodus to occur before walking away. Afterall the ball appears to be in COE’s court at the moment.
Intercessor
Let’s be honest. Unity is not possible with the RCs unless everyone else accepts the primacy and infallibility of the pope, all of their Marian doctrines, sacramentals and disciplines. So, why do they always pretend that if it weren’t for WO, we would be close to “unity?” We wouldn’t be. ARCIC was highly optimistic.
Furthermore, if people really believed all of the Roman decrees and dicta, then they would already be Roman. If Rome is gleeful (I’m not saying they are) about the possibility of Anglicans running away from the AC primarily over WO and sexuality instead of embracing Rome because they fervently believe as the Romans do in everything, then I don’t think Rome has much to celebrate. Many of such converts may not be content or reliable over time, once the lustre wears off.
It’s truthful, IMO to say:
1. Visible unity between the RCs and the COE (which is at the heart of the dialogue), for all that has been achieved, has shown itself to be much more difficult to achieve than many hoped.
2. The ordination of women in the 70s posed a “grave obstacle”. The ordination of women in the COE in 1993 was a body blow – described, in my hearing, by the Anglican chair of ARCIC as delaying visible unity “by centuries”.
Teatime2 and driver8: I can only agree with both posts. And so, ask, “What of our Lord’s prayer in John 17?”