ARCIC issues text on Mary

Independent Catholic News ^ | 4 February 2004

[Land of the Irish]

The Anglican - Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) met from 28 January - 3 February at the Palisades Retreat Centre, Seattle, under the co-chairmanship of the Most Rev Alexander J Brunett, Archbishop of Seattle, and the Most Rev Peter Carnley, Archbishop of Perth and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.

The Commission completed work on the text of the Seattle Statement, "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ", which it is now submitting to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and to the Archbishop of Canterbury together with the Anglican Consultative Council.

The publication of "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ" will bring to completion the second phase of work of ARCIC, which was mandated in 1982 by Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Robert Runcie. In the last twenty years, the Commission has published four agreed statements - Salvation and the Church (1987), The Church as Communion (1991), Life in Christ (1994) and The Gift of Authority (1999). In 1999, the Commission began work on a consideration of the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life and doctrine of the Church.

The Church's understanding of Mary has been a subject of deep controversy between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Discussion at Seattle has placed the Roman Catholic dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary, and how they may relate to any future restoration of Communion, within the broader context of Scriptural and theological reflection on Mary. Following its established methodology, the Commission has sought to go behind entrenched positions, and to articulate a common approach to the subject under discussion.

The meeting concluded with an ecumenical Celebration of Vespers for the Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary (the Presentation of Christ in the Temple) in St James' Cathedral, Seattle.

Bishop Brian Farrell and Canon Gregory Cameron, speaking on behalf of Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Canon John L Peterson, Secretary General of the Anglican Consultative Council, expressed heartfelt gratitude to current and former members of the Commission for their hard work over a period of twenty years on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. They also expressed the commitment of the Pontifical Council and the Anglican Communion to the ongoing theological dialogue, and looked forward to the establishment of a new Commission in the near future.

The members of ARCIC are:

Anglicans

The Most Rev Peter Carnley (Archbishop of Perth and Primate of Australia, Co-Chair) The Rt Rev John Baycroft Professor Rozanne Elder The Rev Canon Jonathan Gough The Rev Professor Jaci Maraschin The Rev Dr John Muddiman The Rt Rev Michael Nazir-Ali The Rev Professor Nicholas Sagovsky The Rev Dr Charles Sherlock The Rev Canon Gregory Cameron (Anglican Communion Office, Co-Secretary)

Roman Catholics

The Most Rev Alexander J Brunett (Archbishop of Seattle, Co-Chair) Sister Sara Butler, MSBT The Rev Dr Peter Cross The Rev Dr Adelbert Denaux The Most Rev Brian Farrell LC The Rt Rev Malcolm McMahon OP The Rev Professor Charles Morerod OP The Rev Professor Liam Walsh OP The Rev Canon Donald Bolen (Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Co-Secretary)

Source: ACN

© Independent Catholic News 2004

[Land of the Irish]

This article speaks for itself about the rotten fruits of false ecumenism: compromising the Catholic Church's position on the Blessed Mother.

[Land of the Irish]

Ping

[franky]

Can someone tell me what I just read?

[sinkspur]

This article speaks for itself about the rotten fruits of false ecumenism: compromising the Catholic Church's position on the Blessed Mother.

Where was this done?

[Land of the Irish]

Where was this done?

Seattle, Rome, Fatima,...

You name it.

[AAABEST]

My how things have changed for the worst.

Let the storm rage and the sky darken - not for that shall we be dismayed. If we trust as we should in Mary, we shall recognize in her, the Virgin Most Powerful "who with virginal foot did crush the head of the serpent."

God could have given us the Redeemer of the human race, and the Founder of the Faiths in another way than through the Virgin, but since Divine Providence has been pleased that we should have the Man-God through Mary, who conceived Him by the Holy Spirit and bore Him in her womb, it only remains for us to receive Christ from the hands of Mary- Pope Saint Pius X

[AAABEST]

In short we're selling out Mary in order to placate a religion that brutalized Catholics for political purposes.

[Fifthmark]

The Church's understanding of Mary has been a subject of deep controversy between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. Discussion at Seattle has placed the Roman Catholic dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary, and how they may relate to any future restoration of Communion, within the broader context of Scriptural and theological reflection on Mary. Following its established methodology, the Commission has sought to go behind entrenched positions, and to articulate a common approach to the subject under discussion.

I think I speak for most discerning people when I say, "Huh?"

[TheRevEN]

"Can anybody tell me what I just read?"

About 25 years ago the relationship between Anglicans and Roman Catholics was at an all-time high. There was a sense of hope that these 2 branches of Christ's one catholic Church (or trunk and branch, if you will), were in position to explore re-unification. In order to accomplish that goal, there had to be a theological foundation laid first. That is, theologians on both sides had to begin to try to find common language that would be able to express a common understanding of the Faith. Rome has done this with others also, notably the Lutherans.

So, a commission of theologians was formed called the "Anglican and Roman Catholic International Commission," "ARCIC," in order to discuss the most important issues concerning dialog between the two groups in order to try to come to a common understanding. They have been at it for more than 20 years.

When Vicky Gene was confirmed as a bishop of the Episcopal Church -- the American member church of the world wide Anglican Communion -- the Roman Catholics broke off the dialog. However, because the final theological paper was very nearly finished, they went ahead and completed it for publication. That is the document mentioned in this article.

The difficult issues concern the fact that the Roman Catholic Church has proclaimed that the doctrines that Our Lady was immaculately conceived and was bodily taken into heaven are "Dogmas" which must be believed for salvation. Anglicans believe that only those things specifically declared in Holy Scripture are necessary for salvation. Hence the dialog on how the Scriptures might be properly understood concerning the person of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The document produced is not going to change any of the official or personal beliefs of Anglicans or Roman Catholics. All it was supposed to do was to help Anglicans and Roman Catholics understand each other in ecumenical dialogs for the sake of moving closer together in Faith.

This is all now moot because that dialog effectively came to an end with Vicky Gene Robinson's so-called "consecration" as an openly practicing homosexual masquerading as a bishop of the Anglican Church. Most of the Anglican archbishops do not accept him nor do any of us who are orthodox Anglicans. There will be no more official dialog between Anglicans and Roman Catholics until and unless the Anglican Communion cleans house and makes clear our refusal to deny the moral teachings of Holy Scripture.

So maybe we all need to ask for the intercession of Our Lady so that the truths of the Faith will be rediscovered, loved and adhered to by us all.

Blessings.

[AAABEST]

I'll explain it.

The other "seperated brethren" don't view Mary as the redeemer as we do. As you know to us she's the antidote to Eve.

Through our meditation and prayers, Mary gives our the the Chruch and the individuals within it immense Grace through her presence. Millions and millions pray to the Virin Mother millions of times a day. Bringing her glory and bringing Grace and communion to our people. Through her we are also united.

Outsiders and those who would see us destroyed would love nothing more than to lessen this. Looks like they're getting somewhere.

You don't even hear the Rosary in the NO-masses anymore already.

[sitetest]

Dear TheRevEN,

Thank you for that cogent explanation.


sitetest

[AAABEST]

God bless you. What a good and honest post.

[sitetest]

Dear TheRevEN,

By the way, in spite of what you might read or hear, here and there, orthodox Catholics do not believe that Mary is our redeemer.


sitetest

[TheRevEN]

Hold it. Hold it. Hold it.

You have NOT read the ARCIC report -- so how can you react to it this way??

Anglicans love and revere Our Lady very much. You will find more rosaries in most Anglican trouser and skirt pockets than you will among RCs.

The ARCIC report does NOT sell out Our Lady but rather tries to find language to talk about her that will bring people together rather than separating them.

I do not believe that she is an obstacle to ecumnenism but rather the key to it.

Let's hang in there. How about everybody says a rosary for the intention of Christian unity -- which Our Lord prayed for -- instead of taking pot shots?

Blessings always.

[NYer]

This article speaks for itself about the rotten fruits of false ecumenism: compromising the Catholic Church's position on the Blessed Mother.

What exactly has been compromised?

What do you mean by 'false ecumenism'?

Our Lady of the Atonement Catholic Church

In 1980, His Holiness Pope John Paul II granted a Pastoral Provision for the establishment of parishes composed of former Episcopalians which could use a modified liturgy from _The Book of Common Prayer_. There are, at present, six parishes in the USA now using the Anglican Use liturgy. (There are other groups now forming. Canonically, any groups seeking permission to use the Anglican Use liturgy must be composed of former Episcopalians. But once permission is given any Catholic may participate.) These parishes are in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church, but permitted to have their own distinctive liturgy and also permitted to follow their own customs at Mass.

[sitetest]

Dear TheRevEN,

"Let's hang in there. How about everybody says a rosary for the intention of Christian unity -- which Our Lord prayed for -- instead of taking pot shots?"

I will specifically remember your intention, really Jesus' intention, in tomorrow's Rosary.

Thanks,


sitetest

[TheRevEN]

I would have to question whether fifthmark understands the Catholic Faith at all.

It certainly is a caricature to say that Roman Catholics think that Our Lady is the Redeemer.

More than any other person in human history she co-operated with Our Lord Jesus Christ in God's plan of salvation for the world by her "Fiat" to the Archangel Gabriel at the annunciation.

"The angel's, 'Ave' reversed the sin of 'Eva'" in the old pun on the 2 names. We can never thank her or honor her enough. We Anglicans do love and revere her more than most non-Anglicans realize.

The ARCIC paper was intended to point this out: that she could be a source of connection for us all.

Our Lady of Walsingham; Our Lady of Loretto -- pray for us.

Blessings to all

[AAABEST]

Apologies for the poorly put together sentence. Through her the Mother of God came our Redeemer.

I didn't mean to give her the title of "Redeemer" although we wound up with redemption through her.

Honest mistake.

[sitetest]

Dear AAABEST,

I thought you didn't want to converse with me.


sitetest

[TheRevEN]

Thank you, sitetest.

May I also mention --

The sisters of the Community of Saint Mary, an Anglican order of nuns, make rosaries which they send to the Anglican missions in Africa. In this task they are aided by parishioners of local Episcopal parishes, including their priests (male and female, BTW) who pray the rosary togther and celebrate Holy Eucharist at their frequent gatherings.

The Society of Mary is an old Anglican "sodality" which prays and promotes the use of the rosary. And as I said in another posting above, lots and lots of us would never leave the house without our rosaries in our pockets.

Instead of backing away from each other, let's try to find in our Blessed Mother a rich source of common ground.

This is not the "Rotten Fruit" of a "False Ecumenism." It is certainly the real fruit of true charity.

Hail Mary, Full of Grace....... pray for us sinners -- ALL of us sinners.