GOOD FAITH FOR THE COMMON GOOD

Good Faith and the Co= mmon Good

Occasional Offeri= ngs from Sam Candler on issues of faith, church, and the world.<= /p>

I SALUTE THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

= OF A PLAN TO ACCEPT ANGLICANS

I welcome the news of Pope Benedict XVI and the Vatican to make provision for the conversion of certain Anglican Christians to the Roman Catholic Church.

In the past ten years, I have noticed many of my disenchanted Episcopal and Anglican friends drifting toward Roman Catholic structures. They have been arguing for more ecclesiastical order and authority. It has long been my prediction that our current Anglican controversies will be cleared up, fina= lly, with a choice between distinctly Anglican and distinctly Roman ecclesiologi= es. Much of our current controversy, having been precipitated by sexuality issu= es (ordination of women and homosexuality), is more accurately about authority, uniformity, and legal order.

The Roman Catholic tradition, certainly a long and esteemed tradition, is very = good on these very issues: authority, uniformity, and legal order. The Anglican tradition (in my opinion having begun in the fourth century A.D., and thus almost as old as the Roman tradition) is very good on other matters. In particular, the Anglican tradition of Christianity is very good at allowing local authority and jurisdiction to exist in partnership with wider authori= ty and jurisdiction.

Many disenchanted Anglicans and Episcopalians have actually been arguing in the = last ten years for more centralized and universal jurisdiction, when the Anglican tradition of Christianity has always resisted such universal and centralized jurisdiction. Thus, it is gratifying that the best centralized and universal jurisdiction in the world—the Roman Catholic Church—has been ab= le to make provisions to welcome such disenchanted Anglicans.

I note, too, the gracious words in the joint statement of = the Archbishop of Westminster and the Archbishop of Canterbury. There is good relation= ship between these two branches of Christendom, the Roman and the Anglican. Frui= tful ecumenical conversations have certainly enabled the Vatican to go forward with th= ese provisions, and I salute all those who have been involved.

I believe there is room in the kingdom of God for various ecclesiastical styles, and I pray that God will direct us all to a place where we can more freely preach the gospel and work toward the kingdom of God.

20 = October 2009

Sam = Candler is Dean of the Cathedral of St. Philip in Atlanta, Georgia. Contact him at scandler@stphilipscathedra= l.org.

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