On Wednesday 9th February, Auxiliary Bishop George Stack of
Westminster addressed the Church of England general synod on this topic.
He referenced in particular the 2005 report titled "Mary, Grace and
Hope in Jesus Christ," presented by the Anglican Roman Catholic
International Commission (ARCIC).
The prelate underlined the importance of this topic in the process of dialogue, noting that Pope John Paul II wrote in "Ut Unum Sint" that "the Virgin Mary, as Mother of God and Icon of the Church [...] is one of the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of faith can be achieved."
The prelate underlined the importance of this topic in the process of dialogue, noting that Pope John Paul II wrote in "Ut Unum Sint" that "the Virgin Mary, as Mother of God and Icon of the Church [...] is one of the areas in need of fuller study before a true consensus of faith can be achieved."
The bishop
also recalled that the subject was addressed in the ARCIC statement on
authority in the Church in 1981.
He observed, "The fact that Mary found
a place in the theological and historical minefields of the document on
authority, and not just in devotional literature, is an indication of
her important role in understanding how the salvation achieved by Jesus
Christ is communicated to each individual believer and also to the
community of the Church as a whole."
Bishop Stack underlined the need
to use "the tools of biblical language, theological methods and even
devotional life to seek to understand how the living faith of the Church
is molded by our understanding of the place of Mary in the mystery of
faith, the saving action of Jesus her Son."
He acknowledged: "The
doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and Assumption of Mary may
sometimes seem to distort or misunderstand the role of Jesus as the
unique mediator between God and the human race. "An example of such a
distortion would be the development of a theology which places her as an
intercessor by the side of her Son."
The prelate added that "the
degree to which these dogmas and their teaching on virginity,
sinlessness and obedience in the life of Mary have affected an
understanding and role of women in the life of the church mentioned in
the Faith and Order Group Response need to be explored in the historical
context in which the dogmas were proclaimed."
"These questions raised
by a study of Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ are equally legitimate for
Catholics as they are for Anglicans in an exploration and explanation of
the two doctrines on Our Lady and the light they shine on her life and
the whole drama of salvation as lived out in and through the Church," he
affirmed.
The bishop added that this debate "is even more significant
in the light of last week's announcement that the third phase of the
ARCIC dialogue will begin in May on the subject of 'The Church as
Communion -- Local and Universal.'"