Pope Acknowledges Anglican Church in North America

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Peter_J said:
There’s no question that the ACNA is closer to us on some things than are the Episcopal Church. However, what you quoted makes it sound like the pope is involving himself in intra-Anglican issues.
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It’s about time! Better late than never. Catholics have some responsibility to Christians who are going through distress, as some in the Anglican Communion may be.
Actually unlike GKC I do give some importance to this gesture by the Pope and Catholic archbishop. There was a long period when the RC Church would not have offered “recognition” of any kind to another denominational leadership. Then there were a few decades when the Church was very favorable to denominational leadership, but tended to ignore plight of the Christians in that denomination or communion who were suffering under new leaders who were doctrinally wayward. I think many dioceses still regard the TEC bishop as the official ecumenical contact, and are cautious about recognizing groups that defy his power. I think that is why Pope Benedict set up the Ordinariates totally outside the local diocesan structures, because some RC dioceses were too enmeshed to the TEC. In my diocese, the ecumenical office talks about collaboration with the mainline denominations as if they still had the same (compatible to Catholic) positions they had in 1964.

It may be significant that Pope Francis is specifically reaching out to ACNA, offering it a beginning of a recognition. I hope he will do the same for the Continuum; and more local RC bishops too.
 
commenter said:
It’s about time! Better late than never. Catholics have some responsibility to Christians who are going through distress, as some in the Anglican Communion may be.
Actually unlike GKC I do give some importance to this gesture by the Pope and Catholic archbishop. There was a long period when the RC Church would not have offered “recognition” of any kind to another denominational leadership. Then there were a few decades when the Church was very favorable to denominational leadership, but tended to ignore plight of the Christians in that denomination or communion who were suffering under new leaders who were doctrinally wayward. I think many dioceses still regard the TEC bishop as the official ecumenical contact, and are cautious about recognizing groups that defy his power. I think that is why Pope Benedict set up the Ordinariates totally outside the local diocesan structures, because some RC dioceses were too enmeshed to the TEC. In my diocese, the ecumenical office talks about collaboration with the mainline denominations as if they still had the same (compatible to Catholic) positions they had in 1964.

It may be significant that Pope Francis is specifically reaching out to ACNA, offering it a beginning of a recognition. I hope he will do the same for the Continuum; and more local RC bishops too.
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I said I draw no conclusions. Not that I didn’t attach any importance to the actions. But I wouldn’t attempt to suggest what it might mean. I’m not well enough informed to do that.

But I’d not be unhappy to see a Papal shout-out to the Continuum, myself.

GKC
 
GKC said:
I said I draw no conclusions. Not that I didn’t attach any importance to the actions. But I wouldn’t attempt to suggest what it might mean. I’m not well enough informed to do that.

But I’d not be unhappy to see a Papal shout-out to the Continuum, myself.

GKC
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You are a fountain of accurate information, holding off on conclusions until you yourself have confirmed and assessed the data.

I, on the other hand…
 
commenter said:
You are a fountain of accurate information, holding off on conclusions until you yourself have confirmed and assessed the data.

I, on the other hand…
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You, OTOH, are very kind in your assessments, at the very least.

GKC
 
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