Church of England and Roman Catholic bishops are confused about the Big Society, claimed Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols during a visit to Southwark on Monday.
The Roman Catholic primate was speaking in Southwark’s St George’s Cathedral after the Anglican and Roman Catholic diocesan bishops of England had spent Monday meeting together at the Amigo Hall.
[blockquote]On the question of the Ordinariate, the new special provision for Anglican groups joining the Roman Catholic Church, Archbishop Williams said that there was very warm collaboration. “The routine work of contact and exchange between our two churches has gone on without in any sense being derailed. All of us are looking to see what the future holds.”
Speaking for both primates, Archbishop Nichols stressed that the Ordinariate arrangements were not an alternative to ecumenism.
“What we want to see now is bishops working together locally,” said the Archbishop of Canterbury.[/blockquote]
I see – clearly the Big Society is not the only thing the bishops are perplexed about. Oh well – hope they spent a nice day together expressing lost of mutual whatsit.
Bishop s’Finger went on: “the opportunistic poaching of Anglicans by our brother bishops in response to our mean spiritedness to Anglo-Catholics has not stood in the way of our continuing ecumenical engagement, as this meeting where we meet to discuss things we really don’t understand in a warm and friendly spirit of mutual engagement and respectful listening bears vivid witness. Although there are things which still divide us, we still able to agree on how much we appreciate a day away from the office, and can enjoy having a pint or three together.
#3 Thanks – of course, apart from my levity, this is a contact which I am pleased to see going on. It is as it should be – Churches Perplexed Together.