Updated again Friday noon
ACNS has issued this press release: Communion leaders welcome new Pope.
Lambeth Palace issued: ‘May the love of Christ unite us’: Archbishop’s statement on the election of Pope Francis.
ACNS has also issued this: “The Church universal needs Anglicans” – Pope Francis
The new Pope has reportedly said the Church universal needs Anglicans and that the Ordinariate is “quite unnecessary”.
In a note released after the election of the first ever pontiff from Latin America, the Anglican Bishop of Argentina and former Primate of the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone, the Rt Revd Greg Venables said Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio was “an inspired choice”.
“Many are asking me what is really like. He is much more of a Christian, Christ centered and Spirit filled, than a mere churchman. He believes the Bible as it is written.
“I have been with him on many occasions and he always makes me sit next to him and invariably makes me take part and often do what he as Cardinal should have done. He is consistently humble and wise, outstandingly gifted yet a common man. He is no fool and speaks out very quietly yet clearly when necessary.”
Bp Venables added that in a conversation with Cardinal Bergoglio, now Pope Francis, the latter made it clear that he values the place of Anglicans in the Church universal.
“He called me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that the Ordinariate was quite unnecessary and that the Church needs us as Anglicans.
The former Primate of the Anglican Communion’s Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America added, “I consider this to be an inspired appointment not because he is a close and personal friend, but because of who he is In Christ. Pray for him.”
Statements from:
Ireland
Wales
Scotland
The Bishop of Guildford has issued this statement as Chairman of the Council for Christian Unity and a member of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission: POPE FRANCIS 1st.
Greg Venables, Anglican bishop of Argentina and former Southern Cone primate, is quoted at Stand Firm as having posted on facebook that “He [Cardinal Bergoglio] called me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that the Ordinariate was quite unnecessary and that the church needs us as Anglicans”.
ED NOTE
The source of the quote is here
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctliveblog/archives/2013/03/the-first-pope-from-latin-america-bergoglio.html
My great hope for the new Pontiff lies in his choice of the venerable name of ‘Francis’ – of Assisi. This would appear to be a sign of the office-holder’s willingness to care for the marginalised, the lepers – the poor and the marginalised of our world. Pope Francis’ obvious tendency towards simplicity of life must surely help the Vatican Curia to become a simpler, more Christlike, model of leadership. That, in itself, will be good for the Body of Christ. Let’s hope that ++Justin and +++Francis get on well together in their future relationship – in ways transcending those… Read more »
Of course – ‘Francis’ might refer to Francis Xavier, co-founder of the Jesuits with Ignatius Loyola. Cardinal Bergoglio is not exactly universally loved in Argentina, and is not liberal at all in his attitude to gay issues.
A lovely testimony to Christian goodness from a young Muslim. Touching piece – be warned !
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/shawn-ahmed/imagine-catholics-lgbt-ri_b_2869723.html
The link for the ACNS press release appears to be broken, although the ACNS main page has a link under news stories to the press release. Stephen Morgan, my wife also thought of Francis Xavier, but commentators on American news service CNN said they felt if he was referencing Francis Xavier, he would have used both names. He does indeed have his critics in Argentina, many over his relationship to the military junta that ruled Argentina from the mid-1970s to the early-to-mid 1980s. Although he later issued a formal apology to the Argentinian people over how he and the RCC… Read more »
Important on these occasions both to be gracious and not to be sycophantic. Of the ‘official’ Anglican comments, Morgan’s best strikes that critical balance.
I am hoping for a profound renewal.
I welcome him to attend to Rome and leave the rest of us alone.
I think the official title is Pope Francis –not Francis I. One should not expect much change on substantive issues. The Roman Catholic church is in a deep crisis world wide because of the criminal the activity of child molestation, and the subsequent cover up by the hierarchy. The Vatican is on he same page at the U.N. with Islamist States in curtailing the rights of women. It has made a negative impact on the HIV-AID epidemic because of the position of the church on the use of condoms. At the same time is has issued a crack-down on female… Read more »
Well, turning round any ship in as dire trouble as the Catholic Church is going to take a lot of time as well as a lot of effort. One man in one place is not going to be able to do it. Realistically, all the Cardinals currently have very conservative views on sexuality and gender roles. But if any change is to be made, then anything with gets the church closer to any of the core gospel values will be movement in the right direction. I imagine God welcomes anything done right, even in a context where much is done… Read more »
My only consolation is the comments on TA about the appointment of the AB of C were nearly ( though not quite ) as ungenerous as many of these about the new Pope
First ACNS link now repaired, and the ACNS article has been expanded to include numerous more quotes from around the Communion.
Contrary to Rod Gillis, what I read here (at the start of this thread) is that Pope Francis is reported as having said that he considers the Ordinariate to be ‘quite unnecessary’. If that does indeed reflect his views (and he wasn’t just telling Greg Venables what he wanted to hear) then I find it encouraging. I’m sure it won’t be high on his agenda (or shouldn’t be, given the seriousness of some of the matters in his in-tray) but, when he does find time to speak to the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, and they tell him that… Read more »
Oh dear, Malcolm! just when we thought there was going to be a little bit of peace around the C.of E
@ Malcolm Dixon, that’s all well and fine Malcolm, it would have been much less of an ecumenical slight, after years of ARCIC Dialogue, if the views that Francis allegedly has, had prevailed over the actual views of Benedict. But at the end of the day, Rome, with or without the Prayer Humble Access, is a good place for ultra conservative Anglicans. I wish Greg Venables and his pals in the southern Cone had gone there. Instead they have become a refugee camp for Canadian conservatives, meddled in the Anglican Church of Canada, and blocked the election of the former… Read more »
Malcolm- With respect to your comments about the Ordinariate and Pope Francis’ possible opinion about it, could I remind you that “the Ordinariate” is about far more than the Church of England and some of its erstwhile members. It is widely believed that the primary purpose was not even related to the CofE or the Anglican COmmunion but to the TAC, which numbers well over a million (so I’m told) in Australia and India. What is happening (or not happening) in England (one of several ordinariates, not “the ordinariate” or even the primary ordinariate) is akin to a side-show, from… Read more »
I seem to have touched a few nerves with my comments about the Ordinariate. I am aware that ‘other ordinariates are available’, but this website deals mainly with Anglican matters, and I was referring to the Ordinariate specifically erected ‘for groups of Anglicans’ (anglicanorum coetibus), as indeed was Cardinal Bergoglio, if his comments to +Venables have been correctly reported. I have seen the damage that this has done to several parishes in my diocese, and to the CofE generally through the well-publicised resignation of some of its bishops, and I resent it greatly. I have no problem with individuals following… Read more »
Malcolm, thanks for the elucidation of your original point.
I find it completely impossible to understand that the Archbishop of Canterbury will not attend the seating of Pope Francis. This seems like an enormous blunder that strikes against the hope of Christian unity. Is there no way to petition Archbishop Welby to attend?
John , the Vatican were completely duped by the numerical claims of the so called Traditional Anglican Communion ( in reality less than 30,000 worldwide..most of whom are in India)..plus the spin of some Anglo Catholics in England. I estimate the ordinariates at 1,330..UK 1,500..USA /canada 100..Australia ( note these are people lay and clerical and not parishes!) Please also note over half the US figure are not former members of the Anglican communion but the TAC.The 150-200 component of this from canada, 75 per cent TAC.The Australian numbers derive 90 percent TAC. In the UK about 20 TAC joined…the… Read more »
Fr. Troy, I am not quite sure where you are in the world, but you may have missed the fact that Justin Welby’s own enthronement takes place this Thursday. I would imagine that is why he will not be at the Pope’s enthronement. He has his own preparations, spiritual and practical, to attend to, before taking up the reins of his new role, just as the Pope is no doubt doing. It would be quite unreasonable to expect him to rush off to Rome two days beforehand instead, and I am sure the Catholic Church would understand and support this.… Read more »
I haven’t heard that the Pope is going to attend the seating of the ABC either, Fr Troy, so they are currently quits on that score! More seriously, I don’t find it too shocking if both consider that dealing with pressing problems in their own jurisdiction takes precedence over ecumenical overtures at this early stage, and each will doubtless be properly represented at the other’s installation. I just hope that +++Francis doesn’t choose the moment of the ABC’s installation to pay homage to his own predecessor at Castel Gondolfo. I think that Benedict should have taken himself back to Germany… Read more »
Perfectly understandable that neither will attend the others inauguration/installation since they are so close to each other. Very signifcant though is the news that the Ecumenical Patriach Bartholemew I will be attending +++Francis’ inauguration mass! From what I have seen in the press, +++Francis will be visiting +++Benedict 16 on Friday. Reading some of the analysis of the Conclave, it seems like the group of Cardinals who are serious about reforming the Curia rallied around Bergoglio and blocked any attempts by the Italian/Curia block to elect their own candidate. I hope that +++Francis can rely upon the block that supported… Read more »