U.S. Anglican-Roman Catholic Group Responds to Authority Statement
Episcopal News Service. January 25, 1977 [77018]
NEW ORLEANS, La. -- The Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation in the United States at its meeting here Jan. 19-22,"received with gratitude" the recently released statement by a similar international commission on authority in the church.
The Anglicans (Episcopalians) and Roman Catholics said that the 16-page study document issued by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission on Jan. 20 "merits prayerful study on the part of all Anglicans and Roman Catholics concerned about the unity of the Body of Christ," though they said they plan "a deeper study" of the statement and the "preparation of a reflective commentary to assist the menrbers of our two churches in its understanding and use."
The statement on authority in the church -- called the Venice statement because it was approved in Venice, Italy last summer -- is the third and final document on the three areas of doctrinal disagreement between the two churches which the international commission was originally asked to examine in 1968. Previously the commission had issued the Windsor statement on eucharistic doctrine in 1971 and the Canterbury statement in 1973 on ministry and ordination.
The U. S. scholars offered two "initial observations" about the Venice statement, the first of which is that "there seems to be a significant difference between the nature" of this one and the two previous documents on eucharist and ministry. The Windsor and Canterbury statements "expressed areas of substantial agreement in matters of faith and practice already present" in the two Churches, while the Venice statement on authority "may not be fully reflected or even recognizable to all readers in the practice of either of our churches at the present time."
The second observation is that "episcope" and primacy are given more attention than "certain other expressions of authority more directly involving laity and clergy," such as vestries, standing committees, and conventions in the Episcopal Church, and parish councils, diocesan pastoral councils, priests' senates, and national advisory bodies in the Roman Catholic Church.
However, the Episcopalians and Roman Catholics on the U. S. commission said that the statement, like its two predecessors, is "a significant challenge to both our churches in the pursuit" of the commission's "stated goal of 'full communion and organic unity.'"
The Rt. Rev. Arthur A. Vogel, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of West Missouri, and the Most Rev. Charles H. Helmsing, Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, are co-chairmen of the Anglican-Roman Catholic consultation in the U. S.
The release of the Venice Statement on Authority in the Church proposed by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARIC) happened to coincide with a previously scheduled meeting of ARC-USA in New Orleans, La., January 19-22, 1977. This document has been received with gratitude by the members of ARC-USA but only an initial discussion was possible at this time. We propose to devote the next meeting of this group to a deeper study of the Agreed Statement on Authority and to the preparation of a reflective commentary to assist the members of our two churches in its understanding and use. Meanwhile we offer some initial observations.
- There seems to be a significant difference between the nature of the Venice Statement and the two earlier Agreed Statements on the Eucharist and Ministry. The Windsor and Canterbury Statements expressed areas of substantial agreement in matters of faith and practice already present in the Anglican and Roman Catholic Communions. The Venice Statement is presented as "a consensus on authority in the church, and, in particular, on the basic principles of primacy. " The Windsor and Canterbury Statements seem to be verified in the life of our two churches. The principles in the Venice Statement, on the other hand, may not be fully reflected or even recognizable to all readers in the practice of either of our churches at the present time.
- While the Venice Statement deals broadly with the doctrine of authority in the Church, it appears to treat the questions of episcope (oversight) and primacy more fully than certain other expressions of authority more directly involving laity and clergy (e.g., in the Episcopal Church, vestries, standing committees, conventions; in the Roman Catholic Church, parish councils, diocesan pastoral councils, priests' senates, and national advisory bodies).
Even now, as we offer these tentative observations on the Venice Statement, it is clear that it must be seen, together with the two previous ARCIC statements, as a significant challenge to both our churches in the pursuit of ARC's stated goal of "full communion and organic unity." It merits prayerful study on the part of all Anglicans and Roman Catholics concerned about the unity of the Body of Christ.