Church of England declines compromise proposals on women bishops

[Maranatha]

Church turmoil over women bishops

The Church of England appears to be on course for further turmoil after members of its ruling body narrowly threw out compromise proposals on women bishops.

									General Synod members refused to back proposals from the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, seen as a attempt to avert a damaging split within the Church over women bishops.

Under the proposals from the Rt Rev Packer, the Church of England would have explored two options - those of a national code of practice and so-called “super bishops” to cater for parishes which oppose women bishops.

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[SenorSalsa]

every time I see stories like this, it makes me a little happy on the inside, becuase it is such a huge opening for more Catholics

 

[consumedconvert]

I have mixed feelings. I certainly hope many come to their true home in Catholicism because of this. But it feels like an empire collapsing, and many may lose their faith in all Christianity. In the end it seems inevitable that the Anglican Communion will continue its course of self-destruction, a lost religion with nothing but beautiful buildings left. The fate of Old-Line Protestantism. May God lead their parishoners to their true home.

An illustration that separation from Rome will inevitably lead to absolute confusion and eventual ruin.

 

[bkovacs]

I have mixed feelings. I certainly hope many come to their true home in Catholicism because of this. But it feels like an empire collapsing, and many may lose their faith in all Christianity. In the end it seems inevitable that the Anglican Communion will continue its course of self-destruction, a lost religion with nothing but beautiful buildings left. The fate of Old-Line Protestantism. May God lead their parishoners to their true home.

An illustration that separation from Rome will inevitably lead to absolute confusion and eventual ruin.

And those beautiful buildings as well. Since many of them were built by Roman Catholics in Britian before the reformation.

 

[benedictgal]

I just got this in my inbox from the Vatican Inforamtion Service:

VATICAN CITY, 8 JUL 2008 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a communique released late this morning by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, concerning recent events within the Anglican Communion.

"We have regretfully learned the news of the Church of England vote that paves the way for the introduction of legislation which will lead to the ordaining of women to the episcopacy.

"The Catholic position on the issue has been clearly expressed by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Such a decision signifies a break with the apostolic tradition maintained by all of the Churches since the first millennium and is, therefore, a further obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.

"This decision will have consequences on the future of dialogue, which had up until now borne fruit, as Cardinal Kasper clearly explained when on 5 June 2006 he spoke to all of the bishops of the Church of England at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

“The Cardinal has been invited once again to express the Catholic position at the next Lambeth Conference at the end of July”.

Rome certainly doesn’t mince words here.

 

[SenorSalsa]

I assume that quote means its an obstacle to reunite with the Anglican Community as a whole, and not individual parishes or segments of the church that disagree, correct?

To me it seems like it would be an opening for those anglicans that do not agree to be drawn to Catholicism, and that Rome would be inviting to those groups.

 

[cathgal]

Yippee!

 

[benedictgal]

I assume that quote means its an obstacle to reunite with the Anglican Community as a whole, and not individual parishes or segments of the church that disagree, correct?

To me it seems like it would be an opening for those anglicans that do not agree to be drawn to Catholicism, and that Rome would be inviting to those groups.

Yes, you hit the nail on the head. What the Anglican Communion did, as a whole, effectively put the proverbial monkey wrench into any pssible union with Rome. However, if individual parishes want to join, hey, there’s room.

 

[Ridgerunner]

When a church ordains women and appoints female bishops after 2000 years of what it claims to be its lineal predecessors forbidding it, and when it ordains priests and appoints bishops that are living in overt homosexual relationships, I’m not sure “dialogue” with it was serving much purpose anyway.

 

[Rolltide]

And so it begins…

Church of England Bishop will Lead Anglicans to Rome
wdtprs.com/blog/2008/07/church-of-england-bishop-will-lead-anglicans-to-rome/

Tuesday, July 8, 2008, 04:30 PM GMT

The Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, is to lead his fellow Anglo-Catholics from the Church of England into the Roman Catholic Church, the Catholic Herald will reveal this week.

Bishop Burnham, one of two “flying bishops” in the province of Canterbury, has made a statement asking Pope Benedict XVI and the English Catholic bishops for “magnanimous gestures” that will allow traditionalists to become Catholics en masse.

He is confident that this will happen, following talks in Rome with Cardinal Levada, head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Kasper, the Vatican’s head of ecumenism. He was accompanied on his visit by the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough, the other Canterbury “flying bishop”, who is expected to follow his example.

Bishop Burnham hopes that Rome will offer special arrangements whereby former Anglicans can stay worshipping in parishes under the guidance of a Catholic bishop. Most of these parishes already use the Roman liturgy, but there may be provision for Anglican prayers if churches request it.

Anglican priests who are already married will not be barred from ordination as priests, though Bishop Burnham would not be able to continue in episcopal orders, as he is married and there is an absolute bar on married bishops in the Roman and Orthodox Churches.

In his statement, Bishop Burnham explains why he is rejecting the code of practice offered to traditionalists by the General Synod last night. “How could we trust a code of practice to deliver a workable ecclesiology if every suggestion we have made for our inclusion has been turned down flat?” he asks.

"How could we trust a code of practice when those who are offering it include those who have done most to undermine and seek to revoke the code of practice in force for these last 14 years? …

“What we must humbly ask for now is for magnanimous gestures from our Catholic friends, especially from the Holy Father, who well understands our longing for unity, and from the hierarchy of England and Wales. Most of all we ask for ways that allow us to bring our folk with us.”