Ann Fontaine shared this bit from The Telegraph at The Lead:
The Vatican said last night that the time has come for the Anglican Church to choose between Protestantism and the ancient sacramental Churches of Rome and Orthodoxy.And why, pray tell, should the Vatican's agenda set ours? Or our actions be driven by their sense of timing or urgency?
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, told the Catholic Herald that the Anglican Communion must “clarify its identity” and stop hovering between the Catholic and Protestant traditions.
As a friend says in Spanglish: ¡Por fa-f*cking-vor!
It seems to me we have made it clear for centuries now that we are both and neither and rather happily not fitting into either camp.
As my CPE supervisor taught us years ago, one sign of mental health is knowing that there are always more than two choices.
I realize that Rome and Constantinople (and the other patriarchates) have considerable difficulty with the concept of ancient orthodoxy that is democratic and not chained to thoroughgoing clericalism. I say we offer them a way forward. I know they don't see it this way but I refuse to accept that as my, or our, problem.
It is in our not fitting neatly into other people's niches that we have our own gifts to offer to the larger Church. By our traditional and sacramental nature we shall ever be a thorn in the side of the Prots. By our democratic approach and openness to new manifestations of God's presence and power we shall ever be a thorn in the side of the other sacramental communions. I believe this is a good thing.
In sum: Hey, Walt, stuff your "must."
--the BB
7 comments:
And what if we clarify our identity? Will they admit we are a church? Will they accept our orders? I think not. They're dangling the goodies just out of reach, and the goodies will remain out of reach, no matter what.
Thanks, but no thanks, Cardinal Kasper. Why on earth should Rome set our timetable?
Oh, the arrogance!
Exactly. Pompous twit.
Since I incline more toward the Orthodox, I find Roman practices often "defective" and see no reason to assume they set the standard for much of anything. I've studied too much history.
Um, isn't part of the point of being Anglican that we are BOTH Catholic and Reformed AND that we have much in common ecclesiologically (and in some cases liturgically and spiritually) with the Orthodox churches?
Are we Catholic or Protestant?
Yes.
To both.
Dear Walter, we've already answered the questions.
Repeatedly.
I am an Anglican.
I am C of E.
I have a perch
in Holy Church.
I'm Protestant and Catholic and Free.
Neither Presbyterian nor Methodist,
nor a Baptist flecked with foam.
I am an Anglican,
several steps ahead of Rome.
Jane, I have certainly always thought so.
You and I must have had the same CPE advisor. and therapist.
Um, what? What we do is not their choice.
I haven't done CPE yet; my friends say it's all about the boundaries. Maybe Kasper should take it again?
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