Pope Benedict is the pope of Christian Unity. He is seeking to heal the schism between Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. This is where we must first seek reconciliation, since it was the first major schism.
The second is with the denominations of the Protestant Reformation. Although the Anglican Communion is somewhat similar to the Eastern Orthodoxy schism, the Protestant reformation so deformed it that it cannot really be viewed as Eastern Orthodoxy because of the invalidity of Anglican Orders due to Reformation influences.
However, Pope Benedict allowing Anglicans to become Catholic and maintain their Anglican heritage where it does not affect doctrine or dogma is a huge step for the Catholic Church, especially allowing them to keep their liturgy, spirituality and valid customs as well as married clergy and former Anglican bishops acting as bishops in the Apostolic Administrator capacity.
Could the same happen for Lutherans seeking full communion? Presbyterians? Methodists? Many of these denominations have members who are fed up with the direction of acquiescence to the dictatorship of relevatism and secularism. They want a Church that will stand up to the world, evangelize the world and change the world (as St. John's Gospel understands the world). Except for conservative evangelical Protestants, the Catholic Church is the only Church doing that.
The Catholic Church is the creating bridges for Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism all under the authority of Saint Peter. That's marvelous. Pope Benedict is the pope of Christian Unity and Charity!
2 comments:
This is really marvelous stuff. And, we can trust that Pope Benedict will do this responsibly and from a position of strength rather than going hat-in-hand to Protestantism as some of the more "ecumenical" progressives would like.
Of those mentioned, I would think that Presbyterians would have the most theological difficulties (TULIP and all that), but if they learn Augustine they should be fine. Surely the Church can stand a few only slightly Jansenist Catholics...LOL!
PIN, How many of those who go "hat in hand" to the Proestants also go hat in hand to the Muslims? It really irks me to hear someone say, "The Holy Koran."
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