Pope Benedict has joined his predecessors of many decades, since the Roman Catholic Church joined with Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches in this Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. His namesake, Benedict XV, encouraged the practice throughout the RC Church in 1916.
Thanks to last Sunday’s bulletin insert, we in TEC learned that this annual event of prayer for unity, which now runs between the feasts of the Confession of St. Peter and the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 18-25) was begun 100 years ago by the Anglican Franciscan Society of the Atonement which in 1908, acting on a suggestion of an English and an American priest, began an octave of prayer for unity. It quickly spread. Since 1968, representatives of the World Council of Churchs and the RC Church have collaborated in choosing themes, scriptural readings, etc.
On December 9th, 2007, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Episcopal Diocese held a joint service to celebrate the ARCIC Agreement on the role of the BVM in the life of the Church. Dignitaries included Suffragan Bishops Edward Clark of the RC Archdiocese and Suffragan Carranza of the Episcopal Diocese. The service was held in St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral. Many other Religious and laypeople were there. Bishop Clarke is a veteran in the RC/Episcopal dialogue.
Can someone who knows more about Rome explain this better to me? I am myself a strong Protestant but I have great love and respect for the church of Rome and always wish to understand her better.
The article states:
Benedict XVI invited the Church to pray without ceasing for Christian unity, so that all believers may profess Christ as their savior…. The invitation is one the Holy Father said he gladly makes “my own and address to the whole Church.”
If I understand him correctly, he is implying that the church of Rome is just one part of the Church Universal (“the whole Church”), which apparently contains Lutherans and Anglicans and the Russian Orthodox and Presbyterians and so on. If so, I think that is wonderful. It means that Rome has dropped the belief that the catholic church is to be identified with the Roman Church, and that the magesterium now interprets that phrase of the Nicene Creed in line with the way creedal Protestants have understood it ever since the Reformation. That is so touching to me and very encouraging.
An alternative explanation would be that when he is making this address to “the whole Church” he is actually only addressing RCs.
No. 3 – I think current RC thinking is that the fulness of Christ’s Body exists in the RC Church, but that other Christian Communions share to a greater or lesser degree in that fulness, and that the God’s Grace operates within those bodies also. That thinking still envisions unity of the whole Church around the See of Peter, and admits that with the action of the Holy Spirit the parameters of that unity could “develop” Hope this helps. Would appreciate extrapolation or correction from knowledgeable RC sources. I’m Anglican, and believe that the unity that we all pray for must eventually be around the See of Peter. Thx.
Pope Benedict has joined his predecessors of many decades, since the Roman Catholic Church joined with Orthodox, Anglican, and Protestant churches in this Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity. His namesake, Benedict XV, encouraged the practice throughout the RC Church in 1916.
Thanks to last Sunday’s bulletin insert, we in TEC learned that this annual event of prayer for unity, which now runs between the feasts of the Confession of St. Peter and the Conversion of St. Paul (Jan. 18-25) was begun 100 years ago by the Anglican Franciscan Society of the Atonement which in 1908, acting on a suggestion of an English and an American priest, began an octave of prayer for unity. It quickly spread. Since 1968, representatives of the World Council of Churchs and the RC Church have collaborated in choosing themes, scriptural readings, etc.
For resources go to http://www.weekofprayer2008.org. The insert may be accessed at http://www.episcopalchurch.org/documents/eLife_insert_011308_LetterSize.pdf.
On December 9th, 2007, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Episcopal Diocese held a joint service to celebrate the ARCIC Agreement on the role of the BVM in the life of the Church. Dignitaries included Suffragan Bishops Edward Clark of the RC Archdiocese and Suffragan Carranza of the Episcopal Diocese. The service was held in St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral. Many other Religious and laypeople were there. Bishop Clarke is a veteran in the RC/Episcopal dialogue.
Can someone who knows more about Rome explain this better to me? I am myself a strong Protestant but I have great love and respect for the church of Rome and always wish to understand her better.
The article states:
If I understand him correctly, he is implying that the church of Rome is just one part of the Church Universal (“the whole Church”), which apparently contains Lutherans and Anglicans and the Russian Orthodox and Presbyterians and so on. If so, I think that is wonderful. It means that Rome has dropped the belief that the catholic church is to be identified with the Roman Church, and that the magesterium now interprets that phrase of the Nicene Creed in line with the way creedal Protestants have understood it ever since the Reformation. That is so touching to me and very encouraging.
An alternative explanation would be that when he is making this address to “the whole Church” he is actually only addressing RCs.
Can someone advise me on this?
No. 3 – I think current RC thinking is that the fulness of Christ’s Body exists in the RC Church, but that other Christian Communions share to a greater or lesser degree in that fulness, and that the God’s Grace operates within those bodies also. That thinking still envisions unity of the whole Church around the See of Peter, and admits that with the action of the Holy Spirit the parameters of that unity could “develop” Hope this helps. Would appreciate extrapolation or correction from knowledgeable RC sources. I’m Anglican, and believe that the unity that we all pray for must eventually be around the See of Peter. Thx.