Stephen Bates reports in the Guardian on the Saturday investiture service, Celebrations greet first woman to lead Anglican province.
There is no coverage of this event in The Times but it is mentioned obliquely in the Telegraph where Jonathan Petre reports on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s planned visit to the Pope later this month, Williams will meet Pope to revive talks on unity and last week Jonathan also reported: Archbishop to meet leaders seeking split from liberal Church.
There was a second service on Sunday: reported by ENS as Presiding Bishop takes seat in Washington National Cathedral and the full text of that sermon is here.
If the precedent is set to look after the conservatives; I hope someone has the courage to offer support to the liberals who are out in the cold in conservative dioceses.
“These words are trustworthy and True”
“The Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission has already issued a report raising the possibility of the Pope becoming a “universal primate” for all the Christian denominations.”
Ummmm…..NO! How much blood was spilled to end the absolute power of the Bishop of Rome? And now we just want to hand it back to him? I’m all for anglo/roman/orthodox communion, but let’s not get carried away.
Actually, it’s not about how much blood was spilled to wrest power from the Bishop of Rome. Christians killing one another, or anyone, in power struggles is a grave sin. The issue is what it means to be the Patriarch of the West. The Pope is that, we have never denied it, but he is not King of the Bishops. He can only ever be first among equals, the elder brother, perhaps. He can rule in his own diocese, he can urge his fellow bishops to correct doctrine, but in that he can be wrong. He can, if called upon,… Read more »
Well..the Pope claims infallibility now, he is guided by the holy spirit you know, and is unable to make doctrinal error. And if he wants to be the “universal primate”, what exactly do you think that will mean, if not, do as I say and do it now?
No thanks.
I’m with you, no thanks! I was merely pointing out that we Anglicans have never denied his episcopate, nor his right to being considered the first among equals. Neither have the Orthodox. I think when Anglicans use “universal primate” they aren’t thinking of the kind of infallible papacy that Rome currently claims, and likely can’t back away from. I would argue that he might say he’s guided by the Spirit and thus immune frm error, at least when he speaks ex cathedra, which is Rome’s official teaching. Thing is, the idea that the Spirit tells one bishop, even the most… Read more »
Interestingly enough, Benedict has laid off references to Patriarch of the West, which was the only thing the Bishop of Rome ever was with us. He never was Pope in these lands – which would lead me to suppose, that this also is true for other Provinces of the Church.
The RC denomination is falling apart in Britain, as most of the clergy are over 50, and indeed a great many have already passed retirement age.
A parish near me no longer has a daily mass, but on the elderly (and excellent) priest’s two days off each week, a lay woman conducts worship and they have communion from the tabernacle.
Soon, a true practical ecumensim of the possible, and the everyday will be will be needed by us all. There won’t be much place for all the niceties.
You think maybe God has had enough of our clouding the Gospel with divisiveness that he’s driving us to a place where we’ll have to agree with each other so we can have enough priests to celebrate the Eucharist? It’d serve us right!