Posted on 11/28/2012 8:00:52 PM PST by marshmallow
How would the ordination of women as Bishops affect the relationship between the Catholic Church and the Church of England? More specifically, how would it affect dialogue?
At the end of an article about Professor Henry Chadwick's thoughts on the matter, Independent Catholic News reports on the position taken by Archbishop Nichols:
Meanwhile, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, was asked during a press conference in London on Friday 16 November 2012 about the impact on ecumenical relations if the General Synod of Church of England General votes in favour of the ordination of women bishops.
Archbishop Nichols emphasised that a vote for women bishops would “not fundamentally alter the dialogue and co-operation” between the two Churches.
The Archbishop added: “The dialogue will continue but this is a very significant step which the Church of England now stands about to take, it would seem.”
On 5 June 2006, Address of Cardinal Walter Kasper, then President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, spoke on the same subject to the Church of England Bishops on the ordination of women bishops (source: Zenit):
"What follows from these conclusions and questions? What follows for the future of our ecumenical dialogue? One thing is certain: The Catholic Church will not break off the dialogue even in the case of such a decision. It will above all not break off the personal relationships and friendships which have developed over the past years and decades. But there is a difference between types of dialogue. The quality of the dialogue would be altered by such a decision.
Ecumenical dialogue in the true sense of the word has as its goal the restoration of full Church communion. That has been the presupposition of our dialogue......
(Excerpt) Read more at the-hermeneutic-of-continuity.blogspot.com ...
The Ordinariate was rather timely then, wasn’t it?
Next step: a full-blown English Rite?
I figured the female bishop issue would definitely put a damper on relations between the Vatican and Canterbury. As a Presbtyerian(PCA variety) layman, I have no real investment in whether the RCC and the COE ever reunite or not. But I have a question for those who are either Roman Catholic or Anglican: why would you want to?
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