Posted on 04/22/2005 12:42:35 PM PDT by sionnsar
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, will meet Pope Benedict XVI for the first time on Monday.
Anglican insiders said it was "highly significant" that the Pope should choose to meet the honorary head of the Anglican communion in the very first hours of his official pontificate.
The papal audience in the Vatican follows his attendance at tomorrow’s inaugural mass at St Peter’s, when Dr Williams will become the first serving Archbishop of Canterbury to attend a papal inauguration since the Reformation. On Sunday evening Dr Williams will preach at the Anglican church of All Saints in Rome.
After a chilly period for Anglicanism under the last Pope because of the ordination of women priests, Benedict XVI appears eager to usher in a new era of closeness between the two communions.
Even in his last job, he took a close personal interest in Anglican affairs. As Cardinal Ratzinger, he went so far as to write a letter of support to traditionalist Anglicans in the US meeting in opposition to the consecration of an openly gay bishop.
In his first homily, he signalled his interest in building ecumenical bridges. However, five years ago he declared that Protestant churches were not churches "in the proper sense".
Dr Williams met the late Pope John Paul II once, in October 2003 in Rome. But Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, was not present at that meeting.
Monday’s audience will include Dr Drexel Gomez, Archbishop of the West Indies. Dr Gomez, one of the leaders of the Anglican Communion’s traditionalist wing, will also be in Rome for the inauguration, as chairman of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations.
Archbishop Gomez said: "I deem it a singular honour and privilege to have been invited to attend the inauguration of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI. As a member of the Anglican delegation, I will be able to represent the Province of the West Indies and the Anglicans of the South on this historic occasion."
By comparison the liberal primate of the Anglican church in the US, Bishop Frank Griswold, has been invited to neither the inauguration nor the audience.
The US church will instead be represented by Bishop Pierre Whalon of Europe, and Bishop Christopher Epting, the Bishop Griswold’s deputy for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. "After a chilly period for Anglicanism under the last Pope because of the ordination of women priests, Benedict XVI appears eager to usher in a new era of closeness between the two communions."
Although I believe our Holy Father is a gentleman, and will of course work with Anglicans graciously and warmly, nonetheless, ordination of women will be no less an impediment to relations between the Catholic Church and Anglicanism than it was under Pope John Paul II.
This is absolutely true. But communications isn't communion, and being able to communicate is always a good thing.
I do think it is telling and good who isn't being invited!
The attendance of the Archbishop of Canterbury may be viewed, as has been the common conclusion within the continental press, as a giving of respects and a showing of some infernal subjugation.
The Church of England has not and shall never tolerate the such. Despite extemporaneous perceptions among some this visitation by the A. of C. is in actuality a simple mission of imperial diplomacy.
The Vatican is a sovereign nation, like the U.K. and His Grace will form part of an official delegation together with Prince Phillip.
There is not a threat of ecclesial convergence portented by this singular event.
Will this be the first time a Druid has visited the Vatican?
When General Wojciech Jaruzelski met with the last Pope his knees were shaking. In this meeting, I bet that the Archbishop will be glad his cassock is covering his.
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