Dr Rowan Williams said there was a “very strong feeling” within the 80 million-strong Communion that guidance is needed on questions of Biblical teaching, which have led it to the brink of schism over sexuality.
He said he was “enthusiastic” about the idea of a Faith and Order Commission that has been proposed by a group set up to resolve the crisis triggered by liberal Americans, who in 2003 elected an openly gay bishop, the Rt Rev Gene Robinson.
But liberals claim the Commission – which would be based on a code of Canon Law and which is being proposed in addition to a new set of rules to bind the provinces of Anglicanism – has echoes of the medieval Inquisition, which was used to enforce Roman Catholic doctrine and punish those condemned as heretics.
It came as the most senior Catholic in England and Wales, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, warned of the “shadows” spreading over the relationship between Rome and Canterbury caused by the liberal attitude of some Anglican churches towards homosexuality and the introduction of women to the clergy.
No one every expects the Spanish Inquisition
First, he will appoint a complete revisionist to be its head. Second, that paragon of virtue, Canon Kearon, will be its liaison with Canterbury and it will get as much done, in a positive way, as the Panel of Reference did — NOTHING! Third, Delay at all costs! Obfuscate! Tell them anything to keep them quiet for a time and little by little, those nasty Bible believing fundamentalists will die off or change. If anyone thinks this is “an” answer much less “the” answer, you are drinking Anglican Kool-aid.
“which has been likened to an “Anglican Inquisition””
By whom? Eight newspapers all quote each other to say someone compares it to an Inquisition, but is anyone willing to go on record with that quote? If Archbishop Rowan said the Anglican Communion was like a butterscotch parfait, the stories would variously claim “Williams said his church was dessert-like, but unfilling,” “Cantuar asserted the fundamental custard like nature of the Church of England,” and “Rowan looked to pluck a cafeteria favorite with whipped cream as his image of choice for the curdling communion.”
Meanwhile, everyone has said “like an Inquisition,” modifying only with “Catholic,” “Roman,” or “medieval.” Nice lock-step newsgathering and commentary, guys. Actually, it sounds more like a Supreme Court to me, with about the same powers of enforcement (see Jackson, Andrew for pertinent quote).
Perhaps this is a capsule of whats been wrong with the AC for too long.
“Dr Rowan Williams said there was a “very strong feeling” within the 80 million-strong Communion that guidance is needed on questions of Biblical teaching.” Uh, yes; the apostle Paul mentioned something about that 2,000 years ago, and said that such was a primary responsibility of the bishops and elders-to be done forcefully, and without dithering. The fact that far too few in such positions in the communion have not taken that admonition to heart has led to the current crisis. So, then; the proposed solution?
Yep. You got it. Form another commission to tell us what we already know. As DaveG suggested, its just another way that revisionists can buy time, hoping to string along gullible Christians long enough to distract their attention while the taking over of the AC by the forces of the evil one goes forward to completion.
Fortunately, this game has been played often enough that most conservatives will see it for what it really is-just another stalling tactic.
If one wants a Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and a Magisterium, with which to give the “Inquisition” teeth, why not just go to Rome and get the real thing?
The committee proposed is just going to be another layer of fudge in the Anglican torte. Like the previous implements of Unity, it will be swiftly ignored when a conflict arises.
An Anglican Inquisition? Right. Employing the Pythonesque soft pillow and comfy chair interrogation techniques, I’m sure.
Not the comfy chair!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think some sort of basic set of “universal canons” is one of the clearest and best ideas for any possible future of the AC. It has interesting roots in both the practice of the Primitive Church and in Anglican history; and, it possibly has very useful implications for a dynamic and flexible (where such flexibility truly serves the mission of the Church) unity in the future. I doubt very much that TEC would allow this or any other idea that undermines its unilateralism and autonomy obessession to go through, but it seems like an idea with true value, none the less.
Being somewhat familiar with Canon Law in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, when I became Anglican and had a look at what passed for “Canon Law” I was rather disappointed. What I saw was a lot of procedural double talk and precious little doctrine. I’m not very sure that the contemporary Anglican Communion is worthy of the legacy of the English Reformation. I really feel that we have the crappy leadership that have because we have strayed so far from what our forebears intended. Just who does Dr. Williams think will run such an English Inquisition? The orthodox? Not bloody likely. Like some of the other brainstorms these people have come up with in the last few decades, they can put this one where Paddy put the Schilling.