Anglicans must choose between Protestantism and tradition, says Vatican

Catholic Herald ^ | 5/6/2008 | Anna Arco

[markomalley]

The Vatican has said that the time has come for the Anglican Church to choose between Protestantism and the ancient churches of Rome and Orthodoxy.

Speaking on the day that the Archbishop of Canterbury met Benedict XVI in Rome, Cardinal Walter Kasper, the president of the Pontifical Council of Christian Unity, said it was time for Anglicanism to "clarify its identity".

He told the Catholic Herald: "Ultimately, it is a question of the identity of the Anglican Church. Where does it belong?

"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -Catholic and Orthodox - or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century? At the moment it is somewhere in between, but it must clarify its identity now and that will not be possible without certain difficult decisions."

He said he hoped that the Lambeth conference, an event which brings the worldwide Anglican Communion together every 10 years, would be the deciding moment for Anglicanism.

Cardinal Kasper, who has been asked to speak at the Lambeth Conference by the Archbishop of Canterbury, said: "We hope that certain fundamental questions will be clarified at the conference so that dialogue will be possible.

"We shall work and pray that it is possible, but I think that it is not sustainable to keep pushing decision-making back because it only extends the crisis."

His comments will be interpreted as an attempt by Rome to put pressure on the Church of England not to proceed with the ordination women bishops or to sanction gay partnerships, both serious obstacles to unity.

They have come at an extremely sensitive time for the Anglican Communion, as cracks between different factions in the church are beginning to show ahead of the conference in July.

Dr Rowan Williams faces rebellion from conservative and liberal Anglicans over homosexuality and women bishops.

The Rt Rev Gene Robinson, the Anglican bishop of New Hampshire, whose attempts to enter into a civil union with his gay partner have angered conservative Anglicans, plans to attend the public events of the conference despite the fact that he has not been invited by Dr Williams.

On the other side of the spectrum, rebel conservative bishops, headed by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, dismayed by the Archbishop of Canterbury's refusal to condemn homosexuality outright, plan a rival conference in the Holy Land in June.

Ecumenical dialogue between Rome and the Anglican Communion ground to a halt in 2006. Cardinal Kasper said at the time that a decision by the Church of England to consecrate women bishops would lead to "a serious and long lasting chill".

But last month the Church of England's Legislative Drafting Group published a report preparing the ground for women bishops, who are already ordained in several Anglican provinces.

[markomalley]

FOR THE RECORD, neither the article nor the Vatican said that the Anglicans had to choose between Protestantism and Catholicism...

Rather, it said...

"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -Catholic and Orthodox - or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century?"

[markomalley]

Ping to your lists!

[mnehring]

I'm glad the article actually didn't say that because I love the balance the Anglican church has with tradition and Protestant theology.

[Kolokotronis]

You may find this interesting. For what its worth, I think the Cardinal is absolutely right. Its fish or cut bait time and I think we all know what the answer will be.

[markomalley]

I'm glad the article actually didn't say that because I love the balance the Anglican church has with tradition and Protestant theology.

So you like the ritual offered by the Anglicans while endorsing abominations like allowing the ordination of open homosexuals?

I am not sure what you mean if not that type of comment. Could you possibly clarify?

Tnx

[mnehring]

I said Protestant theology, not liberal politics.

[VanDeKoik]

So the Anglicans want back in?

[GAB-1955]

“So you like the ritual offered by the Anglicans while endorsing abominations like allowing the ordination of open homosexuals?”

If the Anglican church practiced its theology, it wouldn’t have this problem. There are Anglican churches that reject this path, especially in Africa.

[ModelBreaker]

"Does it belong more to the churches of the first millennium -Catholic and Orthodox - or does it belong more to the Protestant churches of the 16th century?

That's just ridiculous. The churches of the first century did not have multi-multi-multi billions in assets and income, a government all to itself, a church every couple of miles in most cities all over the world, and a bureaucracy that rivals the US Government. Nor is the most powerful government in the world hunting down Catholics and killing them. Nor were the Churches negotiating with Rome to be good little Churches in exchange for official recognition.

With all due respect, the Churches of the first century far more closely resembled today's house churches in China than they do the Catholic Church.

[aposiopetic]

Nor is the most powerful government in the world hunting down Catholics and killing them.

Whatever the power of the respective governments, Catholics have recently been martyred, in Iraq and Indonesia and Turkey and doubtless also in China. I am not replying in order to start an argument but rather to point out that Catholics in some parts of the world still die for their faith.

[Petronski]

I really wish he’d said “ought” rather than “must.”

[proxy_user]

The Church of England does not make any sense without England, with Queen Anne as the head of the churh, and the bishops sitting in the House of Lords voting for the government.

[sionnsar]

On the other side of the spectrum, rebel conservative bishops, headed by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria,

No bias here... as a member of the "rebellion" that preceded these late-comer slackers by more than a quarter-century, I cry "foul." Though not seriously; may God bless their ministries -- there are a lot of good Christian folk among and in the care of these "rebel conservative bishops."

Thanks to markomalley for the ping.

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Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[markomalley]

The churches of the first century did not have multi-multi-multi billions in assets and income, a government all to itself, a church every couple of miles in most cities all over the world, and a bureaucracy that rivals the US Government.

True. However they did have the essential hierarchal structure that exists to this day. Ref: the writings of St. Paul to the Church in Thessaloniki, amplified by the writings of St. Ignatius of Antioch and others from that era.

Nor is the most powerful government in the world hunting down Catholics and killing them.

Not any more...but you should read up on your British history a little bit before making that statement. Ref: St. Thomas More, Cuthbert Mayne, and others. (BTW, you do realize that it was Catholicism was essentially illegal from Elizabethan times until 1829, don't you?)

Nor were the Churches negotiating with Rome to be good little Churches in exchange for official recognition.

With the exception of heretics, such as Marcion and other Gnostics, pretty well all the bishops were in communion with Rome at that time, so the point is a non-sequitur.

With all due respect, the Churches of the first century far more closely resembled today's house churches in China than they do the Catholic Church.

One of my best friends is a Chinese priest. He came of age during the Cultural Revolution. His family had a house church. In fact, when he goes to visit his family, he says a Mass each day at that altar that was erected for their house church.

So that is a very adroit comparison. Just as the house churches were persecuted because they would not forswear their loyalty to the See of Peter, the underground Catholics in England were persecuted. And just as Pope Benedict is attempting a reconciliation with the Patriotic Association (the official "church" in China), the Vatican is attempting some variety of reconciliation with the official "church" in England. Yes, a very adroit comparison. Thanks for that observation!

[Tailback]

As soon as the Roman Catholic church starts excommunicating pro-abortion “Catholics” like Kennedy, Kerry, and Giuliani, I’ll start listening to Roman Catholic criticism of the Anglicans.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The churches of the first century

You do understand that a millenium is 1,000 years or 10 centuries, don't you?

[RFEngineer]

“I really wish he’d said “ought” rather than “must.””

Catholics and Protestants have been telling each other what do for quite some time, and probably will for quite some time in the future.

Really though, the Pope does have a dog in this fight as too many of his flock (at least in the US) actually are closer to Protestants in how they actually live. So if they are going to act like Protestants, he should have some say.

[RFEngineer]

“So the Anglicans want back in?”

We’re practically pre-approved to become Catholic, so there really is no hurry for those who are interested in actually doing so.

He’s just playing with the fine print, but the offer still stands.

[redgolum]

The trouble is that most Catholic dioceses resemble some of the luke warm ECUSA ones. I don't know the case in England, but the US has a heap of problems.

Still, the Cardinal has a point. Eventually you have to fish or cut bait. The Anglican Communion has split apart, and the pieces have to decide which way to go.

[PAR35]

So you like the ritual offered by the Anglicans while endorsing abominations like allowing the ordination of open homosexuals?

Ever heard of Bishop Pilla and his rainbow friends in Cleveland? Are you sure that you don't want to withdraw your statement? Or do I need to name one or two more Catholic Bishops? Or should we just start discussing the large numbers of ordained homosexual priests in some of the Catholic Dioceses?