Richard Harries: Difficulties in changing your faith

Posted by Kendall Harmon

So it is very understandable that Tony Blair should convert. But what about the difficulties - and they are great? He has been a great champion of embryonic stem cell research. This involves the destruction of the tiny multiplying bundle of cells that form the early embryo. According to the Roman Catholic Catechism, 'human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception'. In other words, the early embryo has to be accorded the full rights of a baby. This also rules out in vitro fertilisation, for this involves the destruction of some of the fertilised eggs. All this without even taking into account his voting record on abortion.

Then there is the question of gay relationships and his support for civil partnerships. As a Catholic there can be no question of Tony Blair now advocating their blessing.

There are also the old theological difficulties. A huge amount has been achieved in recent years by the international commission of Anglican and Roman Catholic theologians. On issues such as the Eucharist, misunderstandings have been overcome and substantial agreement reached. But on two areas there is still a big divide. One is any idea of the Pope being an oracle in his own right, as opposed to the linchpin of the college of bishops. The other involves dogmas such as the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption, which Anglicans may believe if they like, but which since the 19th century have been matters of basic faith for Roman Catholics.

Read it all.



Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Church of England (CoE) • CoE Bishops • * Culture-Watch • Religion & Culture • * International News & Commentary • England / UK • * Religion News & Commentary • Other Churches • Roman Catholic

3 Comments
Posted December 23, 2007 at 9:54 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. azusa wrote:

A faux Anglican on a faux Catholic? Or maybe Blair will now renounce all the worship he paid to the goddess of Power?
As for Harries, well, he undermined Anglicanism from within, a position of leadership (one he owed to his political appointment). That he was partially checked in his ambition to extend the homosexualist movement in England (through sneaking in the aborted appointment of Jeffrey Johns) is a cause for small rejoicing.

December 23, 12:15 pm | [comment link]
2. RichardKew wrote:

I’ve known Richard Harries since he was chaplain of my wife’s university college before we married more than forty years ago. I have tended to disagree with him more than agreeing over the years, but on this occasion I think we find ourselves reading off a similar manuscript. Thankfully, the days of great animosity between Canterbury and Rome are past, but there are some distinct differences based on the use and authority of Scripture that set the two communions apart from one another far more significantly than most are prepared to admit.

He is right, also, in that aware of Anglican shortcomings we tend to sell ourselves far too short when it comes to comparison with Rome. One of these is the issue of conversions. As far as my ministry is concerned I have seen many more Roman Catholics on the Canterbury trail than those who have left Canterbury and swum the Tiber. The thing is, that those coming in the Anglican direction and the Anglican churches themselves tend to make far less fuss of all this.

December 24, 12:14 pm | [comment link]
3. Unsubscribe wrote:

“...there are some distinct differences based on the use and authority of Scripture that set the two communions apart from one another far more significantly than most are prepared to admit.”
This may be true in these ecumenical times; indeed in the Harries article he expresses the fervent hope that his communion will one day proclaim as good a course of conduct that the other communion finds to be expressly prohibited in Scripture. Of course, the differences don’t stop there. For example, one communion can “disagree” with Harries (whilst treating him as of episcopal rank) whilst the other would certainly excommunicate him.

“As far as my ministry is concerned I have seen many more Roman Catholics on the Canterbury trail than those who have left Canterbury and swum the Tiber.” This would seem to indicate some kind of Anglican ministry. It would not be unreasonable to expect that one exercising a Catholic kind of ministry would observe precisely the opposite.

December 26, 6:21 am | [comment link]
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