Wednesday 27 February 2013

Christian Unity


Cardinal O’Brien [Scotland] ‘thought the unthinkable’ - that the Church of Rome should consider allowing priests to marry.  That set me thinking about the Articles of the Church of England.  In almost all of them, the Roman branch of our Church has now come up to scratch: that still leaves  Article XXV that "the Sacraments were not ordained of Christ to be gazed upon, or to be carried about, but that we should duly use Them.”.  The idea that you should worship the piece of bread taken by the priest was anathema to the Protestant reformers: the Roman doctrine that it was no longer a piece of bread because the priest had converted it to Christ Himself was just not credible - all one’s senses confirmed it was not so. Alas, the next Pope can do nothing about that. because it has been declared to be part of the infallible doctrine of his church  What he could do, though, would be to acknowledge that this need not be an obstacle to inter-communion - that all who believe that in the Eucharist they are replicating the Last Supper should be allowed to sup at the same table - which would give an enormous fillip to the one, holy, catholic and apostolic church which currently faces an enormous challenge from Satan. So we must all pray WITH CONFIDENCE that the Holy Spirit will guide the cardinals in their deliberations.