Posted on 10/21/2012 5:00:53 PM PDT by markomalley
The outgoing Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is trying to persuade members of the Church of England’s upcoming General Synod to back the ordination of women as Anglican bishops, putting further strain on the theologically divided Anglican Communion.
In an article published in the Anglican newspaper The Church Times, Archbishop Williams said the church legislation “will shape the future of the Church of England for generations.” He contended that a vote against the proposal “risks committing us to a period of continued and perhaps intensified internal conflict with no clearly guaranteed outcome.”
The archbishop is trying to push through the measure at the General Synod in November. The synod is the last gathering of Anglican leaders before he leaves office in December 2012 after 10 years as the leading clergyman of the Church of England.
The failure of the legislation would mean it cannot be revisited until the next general synod in 10 years.
Archbishop Williams said the ordination of women as priests but not bishops creates an “anomaly” that introduces “unclarity” into Anglican theology, which he said accepts only “the priesthood of Jesus Christ.” He said it is “inconsistent to exclude in principle a baptized person from the possibility of ordained ministry.”
The archbishop denied that the effort is a concession to “secular egalitarianism” but he said the Anglican Church must admit that “without secular feminism we might never have seen the urgency of this or the inconsistency of our previous position.”
One major controversy in the Anglican legislation is whether it offers adequate protections to Anglicans with theological objections to women bishops. Some proponents of women bishops view the accommodations as discriminatory.
The Anglo-Catholic group Forward in Faith and the evangelical group Reform have both opposed the legislation.
The group Women and the Church, a major proponent of ordaining women bishops, has said its members are divided over the issue and is not taking a position, the U.K. newspaper The Guardian reports.
The legislation risks further alienating traditionalists, many of whom have already left for other churches because of objections to leading Anglicans’ theological and moral differences with historic Christianity.
Pope Benedict XVI has created a new Church structure called an ordinariate for converts from Anglicanism who wish to join the Church while retaining many of their customs and liturgical practices.
Archbishop Williams’ push for women bishops will be one of his last major actions as Archbishop of Canterbury.
His replacement will be nominated through the British Crown Nominations Commissions, which will submit a preferred candidate and a second acceptable candidate to the U.K. Prime Minister. The Prime Minister will then advise Queen Elizabeth II, the head of the Church of England, on the appointment of the archbishop’s successor.
I’ve never had a problem with only male priests in the Catholic Church but I’m helping with our RCIA program in my parish (actually I’m getting a lot more than I’m giving) and heard this explanation which makes huge sense. At the Consecration the priest says, “This is my body.” That makes no sense if it is the actual priest’s body. What is going on is that the priest is acting as the medium through which Christ is changing the bread and wine into His own body and blood. In Confession the priest says, “I absolve you.” It’s not the priest who is doing the forgiving but again he is the medium through which Christ absolves. So the medium, i.e., the priest, has to be male because Christ was male. Christ didn’t change water into his blood or grape soda into his blood but wine into his blood. It’s the medium through which we receive salvation.
Your explanation is the one that I use also — it’s called the “iconic” argument, given that the actual priest is the “icon” or image of Christ.
The other argument that I use is the fact that a recurring image of God’s relationship with his people is the marriage, with God/ Christ as the groom and the Israel/ Church as the Bride. At the Eucharist, Christ is offering himself to his Bride. That metaphor only makes sense if Christ is male, and the priest (who is acting in the person of Christ in the Eucharist) is male.
“The archbishop denied that the effort is a concession to “secular egalitarianism” but he said the Anglican Church must admit that “without secular feminism we might never have seen the urgency of this or the inconsistency of our previous position.”
They really would be in rough shape without that ol’ secular feminism informing their faith. If there’s one thing that’s vital to theology it’s whatever secular feminism thinks about it. On the other hand, feminist secularism is virtually worthless in that regard.
Freegards
But if you are going to have femaile vicars, why can't they be bishops? If women can't be bishops, why should they be allowed in the pulpit at all?
By the way, this is great for RCIA programs. http://www.thencab.com/rica-program/
You wrote:
“If women can’t be bishops, why should they be allowed in the pulpit at all?”
Exactly! Women should not be at the pulpit.
It doesn’t follow that the medium has to be of the same gender as the historical Jesus in order for the transcendent Christ to act through him or her. Nevertheless, I’m opposed to women’s ordination because I can see how it has destroyed the Anglican church.
Rowan wants to ensure that the Anglican communion is knocked out under his watch.
Great link, thanks.
I’ve never had a problem with only male priests in the Catholic Church but I’m helping with our RCIA program in my parish (actually I’m getting a lot more than I’m giving) and heard this explanation which makes huge sense. At the Consecration the priest says, “This is my body.” That makes no sense if it is the actual priest’s body. What is going on is that the priest is acting as the medium through which Christ is changing the bread and wine into His own body and blood. In Confession the priest says, “I absolve you.” It’s not the priest who is doing the forgiving but again he is the medium through which Christ absolves. So the medium, i.e., the priest, has to be male because Christ was male. Christ didn’t change water into his blood or grape soda into his blood but wine into his blood. It’s the medium through which we receive salvation.
The Bible tells it where even us not in the church can understand.
“This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop , he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach; Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; One that rules well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil
1 Corinthians 14:34 - Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but [they are commanded] to be under obedience, as also saith the law.
1 Timothy 2:11 - Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection.
1 Corinthians 14:35 - And if they will learn any thing, let them ask their husbands at home: for it is a shame for women to speak in the church.
People will use other scriptures to try to contradict these scriptures even though common sense tells us that the ones they are using are of a different nature.
Bottom line, they are not believers.
They forsook the valid sacraments and thus the ghostly protections from the enemy. At long last the enemy is picking them apart and devouring them.
It is like a train wreck: horrible to watch but I cannot tear my eyes away.
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