(Times) Catholic-Anglican relations reach new low

Posted by Kendall Harmon

The Roman Catholic Church has finally ended all hope that Anglican priestly orders will ever be recognised as valid.

In an address to the Lambeth Conference of 670 Anglican bishops from around the world, the cardinal who heads the Council for Christian Unity said the dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics would be irrevocably "changed" as a result of the ordination of women and the recent vote to go ahead with consecrating women bishops.

Cardinal Walter Kasper also reiterated the Vatican's stance that homosexuality is a "disordered" condition.

In a well-attended closed session at the conference at the University of Kent University, Canterbury, Cardinal Kasper said relations between the two churches are now deeply compromised. He urged bishops to consider their shared inheritance, which he said was "worthy of being consulted and protected."

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Lambeth 2008 • Sexuality Debate (in Anglican Communion) • Same-sex blessings • * Religion News & Commentary • Ecumenical Relations • Other Churches • Roman Catholic

5 Comments
Posted July 31, 2008 at 9:08 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. badman wrote:

It has long been clear that the Roman Catholic Church will not recognise the validity of Anglican orders in the foreseeable future, so nothing has changed here.

It is likely that the Roman Catholic Church will itself decide to ordain women sooner than it decides to recognise the validity of Anglican orders.

July 31, 1:28 pm | [comment link]
2. adhunt wrote:

I did not realize that our dialogue was about being ‘recognized’ by Rome.  Rome has a great many beliefs that need to be changed before we ‘recognize’ them too!

July 31, 1:35 pm | [comment link]
3. stabill wrote:

Cardinal Kasper (if this should be passed by someone to you),

1. Wasn’t the first appearance of the risen Christ to Mary Magdalene?

2. In what aspects of the life and teaching of Jesus is his maleness significant?

3. Is the marriage of priests in the Orthodox tradition an ultimate obstacle to unity with the Church in Rome of those in the Orthodox churches?

4. What is more important for the Christian witness than a functioning cooperative unity of those who follow Christ?

But, yes, I agree: we Anglicans do need to get our act together. Please be patient with us.

July 31, 1:44 pm | [comment link]
4. mary martha wrote:

I am not Cardinal Kasper but as a Catholic I am happy to answer at least one of your questions…

Is the marriage of priests in the Orthodox tradition an ultimate obstacle to unity with the Church in Rome of those in the Orthodox churches?

In fact, Eastern Rite Catholic Churches that are united with Rome do have married priests.  So no, I don’t think that tradition is an obstacle.  It has not been proven to be an obstacle when Orthodox churches have united with Rome in the past.

It is a common misunderstanding to think that there can not be married priests in the Catholic Church.  The practice of an unmarried celibate priesthood is a discipline in the Latin Rite Church, however it is not applied to all of the Catholic Church.

July 31, 3:36 pm | [comment link]
5. jsurm04 wrote:

Jesus could never used the title Son of Man, if he was not a man, that would be one answer to your #2.  Stabill. peace be upon you

July 31, 5:25 pm | [comment link]
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