London, 19 Feb. (AKI) - Senior bishops from the Anglican and Catholic churches have agreed on radical proposals to reunite the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches under the pontiff's leadership the Times newspaper disclosed on Monday.The move comes as the world's Anglican archbishops met in Dar es Salaam Tanzania, in an attempt to avoid a schism over gay ordination and other liberal doctrines such as the ordination of women priests that have taken hold in parts of the Western Church.
An international commission of both churches has prepared a 42 page document urging the world's 78 million Anglicans and one billion Roman Catholics to look at ways they might reunite under the pope for the first time since the 16th century Reformation. The document, which was leaked to The Times, is reportedly being considered by the Vatican, where Catholic bishops are said to be preparing a formal response.
The Anglican-Catholic report - called 'Growing Together in Unity and Mission ' - acknowledges the "imperfect communion" between the two churches but says that there is enough common ground to unite. "The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the ministry of the Bishop of Rome [the Pope] as universal primate is in accordance with Christ’s will for the Church and an essential element of maintaining it in unity and truth," states one of the report's key passages.
In another paragraph the report goes even further: “We urge Anglicans and Roman Catholics to explore together how the ministry of the Bishop of Rome might be offered and received in order to assist our Communions to grow towards full, ecclesiastical communion.” Other key recommendations included inviting lay and ordained members of both denominations to attend each other's synodical and collegial gatherings and conferences.
Anglican bishops could be invited to accompany Catholic ones on visits to Rome.
Special “protocols” should also be drawn up to handle the movement of clergy from one Church to the other, the report suggests.
Other proposals include common teaching resources for children in Sunday schools and attendance at each other’s services, pilgrimages and processions.
Anglicans are also urged to begin praying for the Pope during the intercessionary prayers in church services, and Catholics are asked also to pray publicly for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Immigration to Britain from Catholic countries like Poland is about to make the Catholic church overtake Anglicanism as the predominant Christian denomination for the first time in since the sixteenth century.
There are about 78 million Anglicans worldwide compared with a billion Roman Catholics.The church is looking to shore up its credibility, undermined by internal feuds - as the faithful look for strong leadership.
Anglicans were due on Monday to resolve their differences by publishing a new Anglican Convenant or joint doctrinal statement. If this week's discussions in Dar es Salaam fails to prevent a split between liberals and conservatives in the Anglican church, many of Rome's former objections to a reunion with Anglican conservatives would disappear.
Benedict XVI while still a cardinal, sent a message of support to the orthodox wing of the Espiscopal Church of the United States - the US branch of Anglicanism - after the church ordained its first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, as bishop of the northeast state of New Hampshire.
Moreover, the Vatican can claim to have already shown flexibility on the issue of celibacy, having accepted dozens of married priests from the Church of England into the Catholic priesthood after they left over the issue of the ordination of women priests.
Most of of Anglicans who object most strongly to gay ordination also oppose the ordination of women priests.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce