For me, as an Orthodox, coming to the Lambeth Conference is an opportunity to do precisely that ”“ to share in your joys and your sorrows.
But, even more, I will go a further step and say that the questions that you are considering are also questions that are of concern to us. And if they are not particularly on our immediate agenda now, yet they are questions that we will need to consider increasingly in the future. So, yes, you have much here to discuss as Anglicans – specifically Anglican problems. But I see them also as questions that are posed to us Orthodox. For example, the question of women priests and bishops. Most Orthodox would say, we should not ordain women. But if you ask them why not, they will say that it has never been done; they will appeal to tradition. But you press them a little farther, and say that there must be a reason why women have never been ordained as priests. The argument from tradition merely tells you that they have never been ordained as priests, but it does not tell you why. Surely there must be some theological reason. On the one hand, the Orthodox are certain and clear in their answer. Most of us would say, no, we could not ever ordain women. Yet others would say, it is for us essentially an open question. We are not proposing to do so in the near future, but we need to reflect more deeply on it. If all we say is, “impossible, never,” we perhaps should ask ourselves, what are the implications for our understanding of human nature , of the difference between male and female, for our understanding of the priesthood and the relationship of the priest to Christ. That is an example of how your questions are perhaps to some extent also our questions.
Then again the issue that is coming up very much here at Lambeth: the possibility of blessing homosexual relationships. The Orthodox Church would answer, no, this cannot be done ”“ that sexuality is a gift from God, to be used within marriage, and by marriage we mean the union of one man and one woman. But it’s quite clear in the modern world ”“ and the Orthodox also belong to the modern world ”“ that the whole issue of the meaning of human sexuality is going to be more and more explored. And if we are to interpret this traditional teaching to our people, we need to reflect deeply on the basic principles.
I must say that I have not been greatly impressed with the nuanced statements from the Orthodox hierarchs over this matter thus far. Met. Kallistos is certainly a remarkable figure. But I would have preferred that he a bit more direct. Or better yet, that he had simply not dignified the whole thing with his presence.
ICXC NIKA
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]
It is the “ecclesiopolitical” equivalent of the closing scene of “Life of Brian.”
It’s always hard for an Orthodox hierarch, no matter how well respected and erudite, not to revert to Byzantine norms. When dealing with the State Church you just can’t say anything impolite. He is Her Majesty’s obedient servant. He has spoken more plainly about things when I’ve heard him, but not a whole lot more palinly.
As an Orthodox priest, I must say that I am very disappointed in these remarks. First of all, an Orthodox bishop should not be participating in worship services in a non-Orthodox church, since this is strictly forbidden by the Church’s canons.
Secondly, Metropolitan Kallistos sounds more like an Anglican than an Orthodox bishop when he discusses ordination of women and homosexual matters. I was especially shocked at his suggestion that what the Anglican Church is doing might somehow be “prophetic” and leading the way for the rest of Christendom.
Over the years, the Metropolitan has drifted further from Orthodoxy and more in the direction of liberal Christianity and/or Anglicanism. It is very sad to see these views put forth as those of an Orthodox hierarch, when they would be more appropriate from an Anglican bishop. In no case should he be taken as representative of Orthodoxy. The response of the Moscow Patriarchate to recent developments in the Anglican Communion was much more appropriate and representative of real Orthodoxy.
Fr. S J
Amen! I don’t like being too sharply critical of an Orthodox hierarch but I agree with everything you wrote. I also have to say that I find this sort of language becoming more and more common among those connected with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
ICXC NIKA
[url=http://ad-orientem.blogspot.com/]John[/url]
[blockquote]We have everything to gain through learning more about one another’s understanding, everything to gain through listening.[/blockquote]Wow. This fellow sounds just like a Bishop in the Episcopal Church of the USA. Listening. Listening Process. Sound familiar? You want to know what you stand to gain by “listening” to lies and liars? Just look at the Episcopal Church.
Reading his account of conversion to Orthodoxy from Anglicanism it doesn’t seem like dissatisfaction with Anglicanism’s loose grip on doctrine was a big factor for Timothy Ware.