Church of England’s Impending Ordination of Women Bishops Poses Ecumenical Challenge

The Pope and the archbishop of Canterbury emphasized areas where their churches can work together when they met last month, but progress towards future unity appears blocked.

Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury joins a crowd of hundreds of Church of England women priests on the steps of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, prior to a special service on May 3 celebrating the 20th anniversary of the ordination of women.

Meeting of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Francis

In a sign of the current good relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, the meeting at the Vatican on June 16 between Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was warm — but clouds still loom over the prospect of any unity between the two churches in the foreseeable future.

Pope Francis emphasized the ways in which Catholics and Anglicans can work together, highlighting “the effort to achieve greater social justice, to build an economic system that is at the service of man and promotes the common good. Among our tasks as witnesses to the love of Christ is that of giving a voice to the cry of the poor, so that they are not abandoned to the laws of an economy that seems at times to treat people as mere consumers.”

These sentiments were echoed by Archbishop Welby, who said Christians must “love, above all, those tossed aside — even whole nations — by the present crises around the world.”

Yet unspoken was a decision the Church of England is expected to take this month that would seriously damage the prospect of any future unity between the Catholic Church and the Worldwide Anglican Communion.

It is a near certainty that the Church of England’s General Synod, taking place in York July 11-15, will see the Anglicans push ahead with the creation of women bishops.

During his tenure as president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Cardinal Walter Kasper commented in 2006 that such a move would “call into question what was recognized by the Second Vatican Council (Unitatis Redintegratio, 13), that the Anglican Communion occupied ‘a special place’ among churches and ecclesial communities of the West.” Cardinal Kasper warned that “restoration of full church communion … would realistically no longer exist following the introduction of the ordination of women to episcopal office.”

Speaking to the Register, Father Tony Currer, secretary to the Anglican and Methodist dialogues at the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said that while the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has made great strides in addressing theological differences, two issues have emerged “which make progress towards full visible unity extremely difficult.”

“The first concerns the ordination of women; the second is that of human sexuality and ethical teaching,” he commented. “It has to be admitted that it is extremely difficult to see a way forward on these issues at the moment.”

Father Currer added that the Church’s dialogue is with the whole Anglican Communion, not only the Church of England. Many elements of that communion are acting similarly to the Church of England on these issues, he said, “which constitutes a very significant obstacle to the full visible unity that we continue to seek.”



Anglican Perspective

Serenhedd James, visiting tutor in ecclesiastical history at the University of Oxford’s St. Stephen’s House — an Anglican theological foundation in the Catholic tradition of the Church of England — told the Register, “The admission of women to the historic episcopate in the Church of England will, no doubt, make ecumenical conversations more difficult.”

He noted the same caveat as Father Currer: that women bishops already minister elsewhere in the Anglican Communion, but maintained that the Church of England’s move will not necessarily derail the ecumenical dialogue, “although it may make it harder to find common ground on sacramental issues, especially as those women then begin to ordain others.”

Instead, James said he saw more significant problems likely to emerge over moral issues. Although he said there is “a good deal of common ground” between Catholics and Anglicans, he commented that “it is no secret that there is dissent in the Church of England on a number of issues among members of both clergy and laity — most recently and vocally on the matter of same-sex marriage — and Rome knows this.”

He added, “Should the House of Bishops at some point in the future depart from traditional church teaching on the dignity of human life — for example on issues like abortion on demand and euthanasia — then that would no doubt be viewed as a problem.”



Areas of Shared Commitment

Nevertheless, all involved in such ecumenical discussions are keen to stress that the likely episcopal ordination of women does not mean a total breakdown in relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.

Professor Paul Murray, dean of Durham University’s Center for Catholic Studies, who was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to ARCIC and as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, told the Register that Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby “share a passionate commitment to the social gospel in the face of such contemporary issues as human trafficking.”

He added, “With Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby, the Catholic and Anglican communions are both blessed with charismatic evangelists. Even recognizing the significant theological and ecclesial difficulties that continue between the traditions around such sensitive matters as ordained female ministry, this represents the most remarkable moment of opportunity for real progress in the relations between Catholicism and Anglicanism.”

James, who is also a regular contributor to the Anglican newspaper Church Times, concurred. “It’s clear that the two churches are willing to work together on domestic issues: the eradication of poverty, to take one example. The image of the cardinal-archbishop of Westminster standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the archbishop of Canterbury on social issues is a powerful one.”

Other areas where the two churches are already working together are in attempts to tackle human trafficking and campaigning for freedom of worship in the face of religious extremism.

Thus, although the ordination of women bishops in the Church of England may prove an insurmountable hurdle to full reunion, a future relationship based on practical cooperation remains. It may not be a fully corporate union, but the potential for working together as a united Christian voice in an indifferent, sometimes hostile, secular environment is significant, according to participants in the Catholic-Anglican dialogue.

Said Father Currer, “We are committed to continue to talk to one another and to explore our differences in charity. To do anything else would be to give up on Christian unity and to allow ourselves to simply grow apart. As St. Pope John Paul II taught in Ut Unum Sint, this is not a legitimate option for a Christian, because ‘to believe in Christ means to desire unity.’”

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Answer to a Protestant on Absolution of Sins by Priests

 The Priest Forgives sins through the Power of Christ acting in him; he is a sharer in the Divinity of Christ. You say i have spoken abomination? I tell you, you yourself do not understand the meaning of Sacaramental Power. At baptism, a human being acts in the Name of Christ and His Church in infusing divine life in an infant. You say the priest should not be made to look as if he can do what only God can (which is forgiving sin), yet it is clear that God wants man to participate in things he alone can do. The humanity of Christ introduces the possibility of God sharing in man's actions and Man sharing in God's.  When at baptism a Priest, or even you yourself say "I baptize you" what does this mean? You give life to another soul !

And bear in mind that ONLY God can give life, yet you can also give this life because you share in it; because God has given you the power to give this life. "Giving life" here simply means acting in the stead of Christ in the sacramental celebration.

So when a priest says "I absolve you" let it not marvel you, for the Lord breathed on the Apostles in the scriptures and said "Receive the Holy Spirit, whatever sins you forgive are forgiven, whatever sin you retain, are retained" (See Jn 20: 22/23)

Mind you he said "YOU FORGIVE" not "You tell them i forgive" he said "YOU FORGIVE" showing it is actually the Priests who carry out this mission of forgiveness in his place.

If you say its a lie, then why did Christ speak those words in the first place? or was the Gospel lying as to its meaning?

Confession has been practiced right from the beginning of Christianity, Msgr. Louis Gaston de Segur even traced its origin to the Jews before Christ. The Jews confessed their sins to the priest who in turn would offer atonement sacrifice for the penitent. There are many documents written by early Christians containing teachings on confession and absolution from priests. They seemed to have no problem with this, until some "KNOW-IT-ALL" protestants began to redefine teachings that has always been clear; confusing people who have little or no instruction. They BROKE away from orthodox Christian practice in their quest to be more christian, they believed they were wiser and better than billions who have died for this faith; that they were the "chosen" ones to whom God revealed a "secret" teaching.

Never doubt unless you have researched well on this else you will be like many others who have rejected sublime truths simply because "they did not like them" not because they were unreasonable or false or contradictory.

God bless you

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Ohio Priest Dies two days after Ordination

Fr. Scott Carroll of the Diocese of Toledo.

 
 Father Scott R. Carroll, ordained a priest of the Diocese of Toledo, Ohio, on May 8, died of cancer two days later after battling the disease for some time.

Bishop Leonard P. Blair of Toledo ordained the transitional deacon a priest at his parents' home with immediate family members present. He was named associate pastor of his home parish, St. Joseph in Maumee, a Toledo suburb.

The ordination Mass was concelebrated by the priests of St. Joseph parish, Frs. Keith Stripe and Kishore Kottana, and by the diocesan vocations director, Monsignor Charles Singler.
Bishop Blair has asked that all the faithful of the Toledo diocese continue to remember Fr. Carroll in their prayers.

Fr. Carroll was due to be ordained with his classmates on June 22, but “it became clear this week that an earlier ordination might be prudent,” the diocesan vocations office said.
Born in 1966 to Robert and the late Patricia Carroll, the priest is the step-son of Connie Carroll, and is also survived by his brothers Patrick and Tim.

He studied education at the University of Toledo and went on to get a master's in history there as well. He also attained a master's degree in educational administration from the University of Dayton and taught middle school social studies before entering seminary.

Before finishing his studies at St. Meinrad Seminary in Indiana, Fr. Carroll had attended Holy Spirit Seminary. He did summer ministry at St. Paul in Norwalk and at his home parish, and did a pastoral year at St. Paul.

In addition to teaching and history, Fr. Carroll was interested in 4-H and sports.
He wrote on Toledo's vocations website that “I consider the vocation of priesthood to be both the most demanding and rewarding thing that God could ever call me to do. It is my duty to find out if this is what is meant for me, to represent Jesus by teaching, learning and just being there for people.”

Shortly after the ordination, his classmate Mike Keucher of the Indianapolis archdiocese, said on his blog, “The Long Journey Into Light,” that Fr. Carroll “is one of the most humble, gentle folks here.”
He noted that Fr. Carroll was graced to die just after having finished saying Mass.
“When it was over, he fell asleep and died shortly thereafter,” Keucher wrote.

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Priest collapses, dies at altar during Mass

 

TIMOTHY HANNIGAN

 Hundreds of parishioners watched in shock as a Catholic priest died at the altar during mass, moments after baptizing a baby.

Napier's longest-serving priest, Monsignor Timothy Francis Hannigan, 81, collapsed at the altar during communion at St Patrick's Catholic Church on Sunday.

A doctor and nurses in the packed church rushed to help the popular priest when he slumped to the ground about 9.30am, but he died by the altar of the church where he had served for more than 30 years.

"It's one thing for a priest to die in a church, but it's a whole other thing for him to die during communion," a parishioner who did not wish to be named said yesterday.

The congregation continued to pray as his body was taken away. Some also recited a rosary.

Former St Patrick's parish priest Father Paul Kerridge said Monsignor Hannigan had taken mass as usual, and had just finished baptising a baby and blessing the parents when he fell to the floor.

It was believed he died after a cardiac arrest.

The energetic priest had not shown any previous signs of illness, and was fine during the sermon, Father Kerridge said.

His loss would be keenly felt.

"I would say everyone in the parish would consider him their next of kin. He was like a brother."

Parishioner Ross Allan said those who were there were shocked by what they saw unfolding.

"One moment he had baptised a child ... then the next moment there was all this commotion up the front of the church. It was a very unusual situation."

Monsignor Hannigan was a pillar of the community who did everything he could to help those in need, including the homeless who showed up on his doorstep, Mr Allan said.



Fellow parishoner and retired Napier dentist David Marshall  said church members were comforted by the fact that Monsignor Hannigan did not have to suffer a long illness.

‘‘He died doing what he did best, which was saying mass for his parish family – which I think is the greatest gift a priest could have.’’

One of the highlights of Monsignor Hannigan's services was his blessing of children, he said.


In a now-famous incident, a visiting bishop had once been completely ignored when all the kids flocked to Monsignor Hannigan.

"There he was waiting for children to rush up to him, and they all rocketed straight past. He was left quite nonplussed."

Monsignor Hannigan had officiated at thousands of wedding ceremonies, funerals and christenings.

Originally from Ireland, he emigrated to New Zealand in 1956. He worked as a priest in Wellington, Levin, Palmerston North and Ohura before moving to Napier to become parish priest at St Patrick's in 1979.

He was made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2000 for services to the community, including his work with the sick and elderly.

At the time, he attributed the award to his parish and joked that he "thought they'd got the wrong person".

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