The Anglican Centre in Rome has some online resources to help informed relations between Anglicans and Roman Catholics.
Here’s the press release:
Preparing for the Pope’s Visit to the UK – Continuity, Change and Collaboration
Pope Benedict XVI’s State Visit to Britain in September raises questions about the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Churches today. This in turn poses other questions about how Anglicanism developed, where it fits in alongside the other Churches of Christendom, and how it is working alongside other Christians at home and overseas.Two presentations on the website of the Anglican Centre in Rome look at these questions, as part of the Centre’s role in fostering friendly and informed relations between Anglicans and Roman Catholics.
“Anglicanism and the Western Christian Tradition: Continuity and Change” is an updated version of an exhibition held in the Vatican Museums at the invitation of the Roman Catholic Church in 2002. It provides an overview of Christianity in England from the earliest times and explores some of the stages in the search for unity between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church. The story is taken up in “Moving Together in Unity and Mission” which gives contemporary examples of where and how the two Churches are collaborating both locally and nationally.
The presentations can be seen on www.anglicancentreinrome.org/resources
The highly-acclaimed exhibition at the Vatican was instigated by the British Ambassador to the Holy See and planned in conjunction with Norwich Cathedral. It uses Norwich as a specific case study to help unfold a rich and intriguing history. “Despite more than four hundred years of separation since the Reformation”, says the text, “Anglicans remain part of the Western Christian tradition. Living apart has meant, however, that there has been change as well as continuity.”
The presentation of current developments towards closer inter-church relations is inspired by a statement from an international commission of Anglican and Roman Catholic Bishops, “Growing Together in Unity and Mission”, first published in 2007. The presentation looks at what has happened to heal the memories of the past, to work together in the present, and to build a less prejudiced society in the future.
The Bishop of Wakefield, The Rt Revd Stephen Platten, Chairman of the Anglican Centre in Rome, says:
“The Pope’s visit is a significant step on the road to Christian unity. The two presentations help us understand the English context: how long that road to unity is, and how positive Anglican-Roman Catholic collaboration is on the ground today. I welcome these new resources which form part of the Anglican Centre in Rome’s role of building friendly and informed relations between Anglicans and Catholics.”
The Anglican Centre in Rome was founded in 1966 to promote Christian unity, following a visit of Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey to Pope Paul VI. Its current Director is the Very Revd Canon David Richardson, Dean Emeritus of Melbourne.
‘The Pope’s visit is a significant step on the road to Christian unity.’
It is nothing of the sort. Why spin it with such hype ? It was not designed or intended to do that.
It begs the question of what is Christian unity ? Something inner and spiritual rather than take-over bids ?
The RC and Church of England denominations have great need of understanding and unity within themselves at present. Joseph Ratzinger, Rowan Williams and other church leaders need to start listening.
As the song says ‘Perhaps they never will.’
We have to be prepared for that eventuality.
I was living in Rome in 2002 and enjoyed the exhibit, though I did ask Stephen Platten, who had been largely responsible for setting up the exhibit I believe and was at that time Dean of Norwich why there weren’t any pictures of women priests. He replied that there was one of a woman bishop (one!) and indeed after a careful search I found it (I think) though all the figures in the photo were so small it was hard to tell if it was really a woman.
Perhaps the very next step in inter-Church discussions ought to be that of instigating a joint study on Gender & Sexuality in the Churches.
While Pope Benedict 16 might be the current Pontiff, he may not truly represent the heart and mind of the Roman Catholic Church in the present century.
For this visit to have any lasting benefit for both Communions, it must in some way address the basic differences in anthropolgical understanding of the complementarity of women and men in the Body of Christ and in its ministry in the world.
The Bishop of Rome should not be received in Great Britain as a Head of State. He is simply another bishop who happens to head the Church of Rome. I’m disappointed that the Queen will be receiving him and that British taxpayers must foot the bill for this visit.
I wish he’d stay away, on both religious and ethical grounds. Obviously he could come and see his ‘flock’, why not, but don’t pretend to involve anyone else.
As a little protest, I imagine a radio interview before he comes.
http://pluralistspeaks.blogspot.com/2010/09/pope-interviewed.html
“The Archbishop of Canterbury is not only Primate of the Church of England, he is also President of the world-wide Anglican Communion.”
Ahem. ???
Nom de Plume
My goodness, it does indeed say that on page
http://anglicancentre.churchinsight.com/Publisher/Article.aspx?ID=204383
I don’t remember that the original 2002 exhibition – which I did see once – said that. But I guess it must have, as this is simply a copy of it.
My understanding has been that this dubious formulation – which certainly was used during the Carey years – was consciously abandoned by Lambeth Palace staff when Williams became archbishop.
ummm ‘President of the Anglican Communion’ – I don’t much like that either. President is an elected office, isn’t it? And as far as I know there isn’t that office in the Anglican Communion and no one was elected….
“The Bishop of Rome should not be received in Great Britain as a Head of State. He is simply another bishop who happens to head the Church of Rome. I’m disappointed that the Queen will be receiving him and that British taxpayers must foot the bill for this visit.” – pete. Why should he not be received as a Head of State? He is one. He is the HoS of Vatican City State, an independent state with which the UK has diplomatic relations. I *am* disappointed at the level of costs that are likely to fall on the UK taxpayer… Read more »
I agree entirely with Laurence’s observation. This oh-so-common ‘Anglican cringe’ to popes reinforces their arrogant and mean-spirited world-view. I also greatly hope that a serious attempt will be made to arrest this particular Pope, an accessory before and after the fact to countless heinous crimes.
As for ‘Christian unity’ (not excluding many Quakers!), intercommunion is so obviously the way to go and is of course practised by many RC priests, generally on the Continent and the US and not negligibly in Britain.
Will the Pope be allowed to wear a mitre?
No mention of women priests, divorce, contraception and other key issues. How can one have honest dialogue when these important issues are left out in presentations about Anglicanism.
You know, when the Pope visits the US, it is not incumbent on TEC to have any response. Not being an established church has its good side.
Given that the Vatican is indeed a sovereign nation, and most governments appoint ambassadors to the Holy See, I think it quite proper that the Pope be received as the Head of State he is.
I also think that RCC clergy and religious ought to be required to register as agents of a foreign government.
Worse, Sara. “President” implies some kind of centralised structure of governance with some form of authority over the whole. It seems to me that the Vatican isn’t entirely certain how to relate to a communion of autonomous churches, so for the sake of shorthand they just ignore the reality, eg, that there are 4 Anglican churches in the UK (ok, 3 and a half). They would prefer to deal with a centralised authority, so they treat the ABC as if he were one, and the CofE as thought it were the Anglican Communion, or the only bit that counts. It’s… Read more »
Because Anglicanism is summed up in the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, RIW. (Bible, Creeds, Sacraments, Episcopate Locally-Adapted)
It’s ROME who has ADDED these “issues” (“Opposition To”) you’ve mentioned.
They’re not our problem.
They’re yours.
I find this presentation, to RCs, of the Anglican Church simply smarmy. None of the really interesting departures has been underlined, or even really, mentioned: ordination of women, involvement of the laity in church government, independence of provinces of the communion, election of bishops (in some provinces) etc. It seems a presentation calculated to suggest that we are not fundamentally different from RCs, though we’ve kept up our cathedral choral tradition better. Pretty, but not useful.
I think that if the Pope is to have an official welcome from the Church of England, he should have to shake hands with some of her senior female clerics – with or without mitres.
“Why should he not be received as a Head of State? He is one. He is the HoS of Vatican City State, an independent state with which the UK has diplomatic relations.”
I don’t dispute that reality. I only suggest it shouldn’t be so. In fact, he should be arrested as soon as he sets foot on UK soil for knowingly allowing and covering up child abuse.
There is an excellent article here:
http://www.newstatesman.com/law-and-reform/2010/09/vatican-rights-state-italy
about the legal sham that allows the Vatican to be treated as a state.
The ultimate resource
http://www.amazon.co.uk/FAN-PACK-BENEDICT-LIFESIZE-CARDBOARD/dp/B003CRKSN2
Yes Junius, though that view is disputed, see also http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2010/sep/08/religion-vatican-statehood-immunity
The Vatican acts like a Church when it suits itself, and a State when that’s convenient. It’s high time they picked one.
I think Bill has hit on the truth of the matter. The Pope has to make up his own mind as to whether he is a representative of the Church or the World. If Statehood in his reason and excuse for visiting England, then his claim to spiritual headship is only as valid as that of the Queen of England, in her headship of the C.of E.
JCF.. I am saying that the Anglican Communion has moved on with these developments..but the presentations don’t seem to want to acknowledge them. So my statement that true dialogue cannot occur, is quite relevant.