The British ambassador to the Vatican warned that Pope Benedict XVI’s invitation to Anglican opponents of female priests to convert en masse to Catholicism was so inflammatory that it might lead to discrimination and even violence against Catholics in Britain, according to a secret US diplomatic cable.
Talking to an American diplomat after the archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, met the pope in November 2009, Francis Campbell said the surprise Vatican move had placed Williams “in an impossible situation” and “Anglican-Vatican relations were facing their worst crisis in 150 years as a result of the pope’s decision”.
What in the world are the Guardian writers smoking? Are there still people out there who believe that ecclesiastical unity between Catholics and Anglicans is possible, let alone just around the corner? The Church of England has been moving away from traditional Christianity for 500 years. The last 50 have been breath taking. The last 10, incomprehensible to Catholics and Orthodox, and very many Protestants.
The State Department web site has this:
“Julieta Valls Noyes, Deputy Chief of Mission, U.S. Embassy to the Holy See
Julieta Valls Noyes has served as the Deputy Chief of Mission to the United States Embassy to the Holy See since August 2008. She is a career diplomat with over twenty years of foreign and domestic assignments with the U.S. Department of State.
Prior to this assignment, Ms. Noyes was the Deputy Director of the Operations Center, the 24-hour crisis management and communications center of the State Department. In that position, she managed over 40 people and a multi-million dollar budget. During her tenure, the Operations Center handled several global crises, including evacuations from and attacks on U.S. embassies. From 2005-2007, she was the Director for Multilateral and Global Affairs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In that position, she directed a staff of 18 in formulating and implementing human rights resolutions and policies in organizations such as the United Nations and Organization of American States, and held regular consultations with key allies. The office also handled human rights vetting for U.S.-funded military assistance programs and sensitive refugee matters. Ms. Noyes participated on high-level delegations to present the U.S. record on implementation of human rights treaties to the UN.
As Deputy Director of the Office of Policy Planning and Coordination in the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs from 2002-2004, Ms. Noyes helped direct the distribution and use of over $200 million in foreign assistance programs in the Americas, and regional policies, including counter-terrorism, counter-drug, and military assistance programs. While she was Political Chief at the U.S. Embassy in Panama, Ms. Noyes organized the ceremonies to transfer the Canal to Panamanian control. She also negotiated a Status of Forces Agreement, an achievement for which she earned the Secretary of State’s Distinguished Service Award.
In prior assignments, Ms. Noyes served as political officer at the U.S. Embassy to Madrid; as country desk officer for Greece and Turkey; and as assistant information officer at Embassy Mexico City. She also held assignments as country desk officer for Panama during Operation Just Cause, as political officer in Guatemala, and as a consular officer on the U.S.-Mexico border.
Ms. Noyes speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and French. A graduate of Wellesley College, she also has a Master’s Degree from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces. She has received several Superior and Meritorious Honor Awards. Ms. Noyes is married to Nicholas Noyes, Jr., also a Foreign Service Officer, and they have three children, Alexandra, Nicholas, and Matthew.”
No indication of any special religious competence.
Campbell said, “There is still latent anti-Catholicism in some parts of England.” [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BX-vq3bQqZE]Latent?[/url]
What a fascinating insight, as much into what as has been going on, as into the excellent Francis Campbell’s outlook as an English Catholic. Shame he is retiring as our man at the Holy See.
Though I do have to take issue into one thing Campbell said: as far as putting Williams “in an impossible situation” that is true, but not the whole story; I would have to say that this is a position our House of Bishops put themselves into with Williams at their head and the consequent rancour, embarrasment and scandal is largely self-inflicted. ‘Hoist with their own petard’ comes to mind.
But there we are.
I also have to say reading some of the paranoid comments here about the position of Catholics in England, there is a strange dysfunction in those who on the one hand say that there is hostility to Catholics in England while on the other being happy to regularly tell us that the CofE isn’t a real church, that it sprang from the loins of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, and why don’t we give our churches and cathedrals back which we stole.
Might there be a connection, do you think?
As far as I can see by and large, Anglicans and Catholics get on very well in the UK, although, like Northern Ireland, there are areas which until recently were subject to sectarianism, and this still remains in a few places, such as in Glasgow, with the Celtic/Rangers divisions which you might see. We have a thing called ‘Churches Together’ where we regularly meet and work together, rather more closely perhaps than our leaders, notwithstanding their ponderous and rambling, and largely arcane ARCIC ramblings, exploring issues of which most of us, Anglican and Catholic are completely unaware, and if we are, don’t think are desperately important much less divisive issues.
“Strange dysfunction”, eh? The ambassador acted in the glorious tradition of Henry, the eighth of that name, his “archbishop” Mr. Cranmer, and his daughter Elizabeth, the first of that name, who, so terribly provoked by priests and opponents of the glorious reformation rightly had them hung, drawn and quartered, and hungs their heads on the walls of the city. A perfect response to the oligarchs and superstitious papists who rather ignorantly thought that their cathedrals and churches belonged to God and not to Kings and Queens and their lackeys who fancied themselves the “Head of the Church”.
Ever since reading this earlier today I have asked myself all morning, “Violence? By whom – Protestant mobs?” Now I’m reassured to see that Damian Thompson who has quite usefully summarized the whole silly situation asked that question too:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100067870/britains-catholic-ambassador-to-the-vatican-talked-alarmist-nonsense-about-the-popes-offer-to-anglicans-wikileaks-reveals/
Alright, be honest. Which of you Anglicans would beat me up if we met in person?
Seriously, in response to 5. It does seem to me that those who are most unfriendly toward Catholics are also the first to claim boldly that there is no such thing as anti-Catholicism. It does work both ways.
#6 That doesn’t sound like you.
#7 Since Damian Thompson takes that view I suspect there may be some merit in what Francis Campbell says.
#8 Unfortunately, antagonism begets antagonism, courtesy and friendliness begets friendliness. It is worth remembering that part of the warmth of welcome to the Pope on his recent visit was due to the Anglicans, including myself, who were pleased to see him visiting as our guest. That probably gave a truer picture of Anglican-Catholic relations in the UK.
Actually, it is even more interesting to read the full text of the cables about this here and here which point out the dissonance between different parts of the Vatican on the Ordinariate, and the assessment of Rowan Williams [h/t Thinking Anglicans for pointing out these links] – a perceptive analysis from the US ambassador to the Holy See.
“…The decision had shifted the goal of the Catholic-Anglican ecumenical dialogue ‘from true unity to mere co-operation….'”
Truly lovely to take tea together, as it is to cooperate on various activities. Orders? Who has the orders?
I find it amusing that the Catholic church is accused of moving goalposts in regard to church unity simply for offering love to those whom the Anglican church had mistreated. What about the wapping shift of the goalposts of unity caused by the Anglican ordinations of women and active homosexuals!!!
What 1. and 12. said.
12 says what I have been saying to people around here when talking about ecumenical relations between –not only Espiscopalians, but also most mainstream Protestant churches: “Who is changing the goalposts to grovel to the secular world?? Not Rome.”