The far more damaging action is the apparent, or perhaps I should say "alleged" approval by Rome of Open Communion. Of course, its Rome's Church and Rome can and will do what it wants, but if there was ever any hope or desire for a union with Orthodoxy in the near future, this will kill it.
This story is bogus! Not true. Link doesn't work. Nothing in it 'Googles'
I don't know if this is true or not, but didn't Tony Blair take Communion, however long ago that was? And wasn't the Holy Eucharist distributed to him in the Vatican? Don't know that for sure, but that's what's been reported here on FR, and I've seen people defend, but not refute it. And, in light of that, and if this story is true, it should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone.
The RCC closest to me, and which by all rights I should attend, based on the rules, has allowed a female pastoral associate to deliver the homily. I do not make that title up, it is the title listed for her in that Church bulletin.
I've only been there once when it occured, so maybe it was just for that time, as the pastoral associate was leaving the parish for another suburban parish, due to a promotion to a position in the pastoral leadership group there; whatever that means. I think it means defacto, back door, women priests, but I might be viewing this with a cyncial and maybe less than charitable eye, so maybe I'm wrong.
The general secretary of the Swiss bishops' conference, Agnell Rickenmann, said that the two declarations were partly a response to the shortage of priests in Switzerland, but also reflected the Swiss Church's "independence". He said: "In Switzerland we have a 30-year tradition of theologically trained lay people active in the Church."
Kolo, thanks for the ping and question for you here, is this independence, as it is defined here, consistent with the independence more common to Orthodoxy, and it's relationship with her Bishops? Also, but not related, does Lent take place the exact same time for the Orthodox as it does for us?
The head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, had told the Swiss bishops that in emergency cases lay theologians could hold a "brief sermon-like discourse" or a meditation based on the Mass for the day but that this should not be allowed to become the "general norm".
If there ever was a truer case of BWAAHAAAA!, I'm not aware of it. Talk about NOT!
For what it's worth, I'm against reconciliation of the Orthodox with us for the simple reason of preservation of Tradition, and keeping what is Holy, Holy.
We would pollute Orthodoxy, and then have to commence almost immediately on the endless and thankless task of unpolluting it.
I guess we can consider this our Lenten gift from the Curia. Pardon the language, Kolo, but my BS buffers are nearing capacity.