April 11, 2005
NOT QUITE, BUT CLOSER:
New Pope can help to unite churches, Archbishop says (Richard Owen, 4/11/05, Times of London)
AS CARDINALS prepare to elect a new pope in a week’s time, the Archbishop of Canterbury said that although the breach with Rome was “not yet at an end”, there had been an irreversible reconciliation between Anglicans and Catholics during the reign of John Paul II for his successor to build on.Rowan Williams, the first Archbishop of Canterbury to attend a pope’s funeral, said “the roots we have put down in recent years are far too deep to uproot”. Dr Williams, who sat in the front row opposite the papal coffin at last Friday’s funeral, said: “It seemed to me absolutely natural that the Archbishop of Canterbury should come to share the prayers, hopes, grief and thanksgiving of our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters.”
Bishop John Flack, the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative in Rome, said that “when John Paul II became Pope 27 years ago, many Anglicans would not have accepted that he was the leader of all Christians”. Many theological issues remained to be ironed out, and differences over gay bishops or the role of women in the Church remained. “This is not quite the end of the Reformation,” Bishop Flack said. But few doubted that the late Pope had been “a figurehead for all Christians, a parish priest to the whole world”.
It was fun while it lasted, but most of us outgrow adolescent rebellion. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 11, 2005 8:27 AM
Yeah but who gets the unpleasant task of telling Jack Chick and Bob Jones that Catholics aren't necessarily going straight to Hell?
God.
Posted by: oj at April 11, 2005 9:14 AMRe: "adoloscent rebellion"
Most of us are not into rock music beyond age 45. But some of us are.
(Are you aware, oj, that a southern NH "Americana Roots" band has appropriated your name?
Posted by: ghostcat at April 11, 2005 7:38 PMThey call themselves Orrin?
Posted by: oj at April 11, 2005 8:19 PMRight.
Posted by: ghostcat at April 11, 2005 8:22 PMre: adolecent rebellion...
I wouldn't call it a rebellion. It was a revolution. Rebellions can be put down or pacified or slowly die out of their own accord. A revolution makes a change at a fundamental level. There are still some teachings of the Catholic Church that are inherently counter to Scripture, such as the entire concept of purgatory and penance. These sorts of disagreements will maintain the division of the Church, even though the parts will continue to grow closer in cooperation and love.
Posted by: ford (no kidding) at April 11, 2005 11:10 PMPenance -- John, xx, 21-23 inparticular; also Mark, ii, 5-11; Matt., ix, 2-7; Matt., xvi, 19; Matt., xviii, 18.
Purgatory -- Matthew 12:32; I Cor., iii, 11-1,5
The latter is less clear, but see the Catholic Encyclopedia for the rich tradition of commentary from the church fathers on these passages.
(sorry but couldn't resist responding to Potestant claims about scripture -- especially as relates a sacrament.)
Jim:
Excellent scripture citations. However, Penance is not a sacrament, at least as Prtoestants understand what makes a rite a sacrament or not.
Well, I know Prots don't think its a sacrament, but they're wrong.
Hopefully when they return to the bosom of Holy Mother the Church they'll seek the consolation of the sacraments (of which there are seven.).
Posted by: Jim in Chicago at April 13, 2005 12:31 AM