London Newspaper Comment On Episcopal Dissidents
Episcopal News Service. September 29, 1977 [77314]
LONDON, England -- Two newspapers in London -- the independent Anglican weekly Church Times and the influential daily Times -- have commented editorially on some of the "awkward diplomatic questions" raised by the breakaway movement among certain Episcopalians meeting in St. Louis in mid-September.
The Church Times front-page story said that "it remains to be seen whether the Archbishop of Canterbury and other provinces of the Church will feel able to establish links" with the proposed Anglican Church in North America.
"The Affirmation of St. Louis," which was approved by the Church Congress called by the Fellowship of Concerned Churchmen in St. Louis, emphasized "continued relations of communion with the See of Canterbury and all faithfull parts of the Anglican Communion."
The Church Times said that a spokesman of the Church of England information office said "that the Archbishop of Canterbury would be unable to say anything until he had studied reports of the St. Louis congress and consulted with the Presiding Bishop of the American Episcopal Church."
The Times said that the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops from around the world -- scheduled to meet at Canterbury July 22-August 13, 1978 -- is likely to be a "difficult occasion" because of the "absolute split" over the ordination of women to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church in the U. S. and conflicting opinions on that issue in the Church of England.
Both the Church Times and the Times speculated that the American dissidents "may seek some form of union with the Roman Catholic Church. "
The National Catholic Reporter of Kansas City reported that some of the dissident priests affiliated with the newly-formed Diocese of the Holy Trinity visited Pope Paul's Apostolic Delegate in the U.S., Archbishop Jean Jadot, and the president of the U.S. Catholic Conference, Archbishop Joseph L. Bernadin of Cincinnati, or their representatives, for what priests say they "believe is a prelude to formal discussions on reunion."
The Church Times editorial pointed to another awkward question raised: "Among other points, it has to be decided whether the break-away Church will be represented in the Anglican Consultative Council, which meets every two years between the decennial Lambeth Conferences, and whether any bishops appointed by the Anglican Church of North America will be allowed to attend next year's Lambeth Conference at Canterbury."
The Daily Times noted that one important issue facing the Lambeth Conference will be whether to endorse formally -- it cannot legislate -- the principle of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate.
A number of Anglican churches, in addition to the Episcopal Church in the U. S., have approved in principle or practice the ordination of women priests, the paper pointed out. "The pressure will be strong" to endorse the principle, it said.
On the other hand, the Times' editorial noted, there are "ecumenical considerations" which can be argued against such endorsement. While an endorsement might improve relations with the Free Churches, closer relations with the Orthodox or the Roman Catholic Church might be hindered, it said.
The Times said, with regard to the issue in the Church of England, that no one should "be prepared to press change beyond the strong and sincere opposition of a substantial minority. The onus must be on those who want women priests to show that there will be acceptance of them among the Church at large, and there is no reason to believe that that condition can yet be met. "
The St. Louis congress was attended by some 1,700 persons from all parts of the United States and Canada. The primary concern of the separatists was the action of the Episcopal Church in the United States and the Anglican Church of Canada in ordaining w omen priests, though there were other issues involved.
"The Affirmation of St. Louis" points out that the separatists object to the "unlawful attempts" by the two churches "to alter Faith, Order and Morality (especially in their General Synod of 1975 and General Convention of 1976)" by which they "have departed from Christ's One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church."