Prominent CoE [Church of England] Convert Warns of Synodal Dangers

Irish Catholic ^ | 6/2/22 | Jason Osborne

[marshmallow]

A former Anglican bishop of Rochester who converted to Catholicism late last year has warned against the danger of viewing the synod as a “democratic process”.

Speaking to The Irish Catholic newspaper, Dr Michael Nazir-Ali said that the Anglican communion has sometimes been “misled” by this kind of thinking and that while consulting laity and clergy is fine, bishops must make sure to “effectively exercise their teaching authority”.

Once considered a possible future archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Nazir-Ali was received into the Catholic Church last September and granted the title of ‘monsignor’. Msgr Nazir-Ali said that the Church of England suffered for lack of a universal primate who could exercise teaching authority.

Example

“Just to give a recent example, the Church of England about a year ago I think published a 500-page document called ‘Living in Love and Faith’ on sexual identity and so on and sexual relationships and so on…it didn’t in the end say what the Church taught, it just gave you a variety of opinion. But secondly, the variety of opinion that was given clearly could be seen as having a drift in a particular direction.

“A few weeks later, the Vatican, I mean, Pope Francis with the CDF’s assistance, issued a two-page statement saying that the Church could not bless same-sex unions because it’s contrary to Scripture and the unanimous teaching of the Church down the ages.

[FlyingEagle]

Same reason John Cardinal Newman converted oh so long ago.

Plus ca change, plus ca reste le meme.

[Salman]

Excellent points, but the Roman Catholic Church at least appears to be headed the same way.

[ebb tide]

Sin-Nod Ping