Rowan Williams preaches at Catholic Mass?

[levavi]

I am troubled to read that the “Archbishop of Canterbury”, Rowan Williams, preached at a Catholic Mass –*at Lourdes, 24 September 2008. (See archbishopofcanterbury.org/1973)

According to the General Instruction of the Romal Missal:

"The Homily
“66. The Homily should ordinarily be given by the priest celebrant himself. He may entrust it to a concelebrating priest or occasionally, according to circumstances, to the deacon, but never to a lay person.”

Yet, according to Apostolicae Curae:

“36. Wherefore, strictly adhering, in this matter, to the decrees of the Pontiffs, Our Predecessors, and confirming them most fully, and, as it were, renewing them by Our authority, of Our own initiative and certain knowledge, We pronounce and declare that ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been, and are, absolutely null and utterly void.”

WHY HAS THIS HAPPENED?

 

[japhy]

I would imagine the Holy See can grant an indult in that particular case, which I certainly hope happened. Then again, consider who the Mass was celebrated by. (Hint: he ain’t no “friendly ghost”.)

 

[benedictgal]

I would imagine the Holy See can grant an indult in that particular case, which I certainly hope happened. Then again, consider who the Mass was celebrated by. (Hint: he ain’t no “friendly ghost”.)

I think that these remarks were made after the Mass, or, at least, after the Post-Communion prayer. If you look at the picture closely, it appears that the Anglican primate is speaking while the rest of the clergy are standing. This seems to indicate that he is making his remarks at the end of the liturgy. Just my guess.

 

[NPC]

I think that these remarks were made after the Mass, or, at least, after the Post-Communion prayer. If you look at the picture closely, it appears that the Anglican primate is speaking while the rest of the clergy are standing. This seems to indicate that he is making his remarks at the end of the liturgy. Just my guess.

I agree with you, Benedictgal - it seems to me that his sermon is not taking place directly after the Gospel reading; if it were, it is unlikely that all the other clergy would, most likely, not be standing. According to the BBC News website, Archbishop Williams was invited to Lourdes by the Bishop of Tarbes & Lourdes, Jacques Perrier and the Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity. Although we can only speculate from the photograph, I think it is unlikely that Cardinal Kasper would have broken the Church’s rules on homilies for the sake of ecumenism.

I wonder what does anyone else take from this news - should we attach any major significance to the Archbishop of Canterbury visiting one of Catholicism’s major shrines? His speech seems to show an acceptance at least on the possibility of Mary having appeared to Bernadette…was he simply appealing to the almost 100% Catholic congregation or was it a genuine statement from the head of the Anglican Communion?

 

[JPUSC]

I don’t see anything wrong with an Anglican archbishop speaking favorably of Catholic doctrine at Lourdes. If anything, it would make more Protestants open to the Catholic Church.

Haha, look how pissed some of the anti-Catholic Protestants are:

The Rev Jeremy Brooks, director of ministry for the group, said: 'All true Protestants will be appalled that the Archbishop of Canterbury has visited Lourdes, and preached there.

‘Lourdes represents everything about Roman Catholicism that the Protestant Reformation ejected, including apparitions, mariolatry and the veneration of saints.

dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1060951/Rowan-Williams-Anglican-leader-accept-visions-Virgin-Mary-fact.html