RBWords - Volume 21 - Number 7: July 2008
Something to Think About
Those who pay attention to the world wide Christian church (and many who don\'t but do watch TV or use the internet), are aware of the significant developments within the Anglican Communion, which are now focused on the meeting of the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops which meets every ten years. The unity of Anglicans is undergoing severe testing, and there has been a rupture already, through the recent formation of a separate Anglican “communion” at a meeting in Jerusalem – the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans. The “hot button” issues in all this ferment are the ordination of females and practicing homosexuals to the priesthood and episcopacy and the recognition of gay marriage. As sensitive as these issues are, they are really only the occasion for testing what the identity of the Anglican Church is. Most of the new “communion” is composed of Anglicans from Africa, South America and Australia! The English “roots” in the historic separation of the English Catholic Church from Rome are no longer supporting the entire plant! An Anglican “reformation” appears to be in progress! Some of it is even resulting in Anglicans returning to the communion of the Roman Catholic Church!
Schism and division is nothing new to church history. Even in the modern Roman Catholic Church, divisions still occur as witnessed by the “Lefebvrites” or traditionalist movement after Vatican Council II. The Orthodox Church in all its many manifestations and the “Old Catholics” are other testimonies to schism and division. We Roman Catholics have no occasion to brag about our “unity” but it wouldn\'t hurt us to think a bit about what does hold us together. Any number of responses might be possible: the Papacy, the Creed, the Eucharist, Tradition, Rome! It seems to be a combination of these things, creating a resilient but occasionally tumultuous union. As a matter of faith, we give the Holy Spirit credit for keeping us together! Whatever comes of the current turmoil in the Anglican Communion, the whole process should give us Roman Catholics, of whatever rite, pause to realize how fragile unity can be and how hard the work to maintain it can be. IT\'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT
It Has Been Said
The Church is one because she has as her source and exemplar the unity of the Trinity of Persons in one God. As her Founder and Head, Jesus Christ re-established the unity of all people in one body. As her soul, the Holy spirit unites all the faithful in communion with Christ. The Church has but one faith, one sacramental life, one apostolic succession, one common hope, and one and the same charity.
From THE COMPENDIUM – Catechism of the Catholic Church #161
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