Anglicaanse aartsbisschop van Canterbury: Ordinariaten zijn wellicht profetisch

Op bezoek in Rome vertelt de anglicaanse wereldleider Rowan Williams op Radio Vaticana over het bezoek van de paus aan Engeland, de oecumene, en het Ordinariaat-in-oprichting voor anglicanen die, samen en met behoud van de eigen tradities, in gemeenschap willen treden met de katholieke Kerk.

You have continually said that the Ordinariate for disaffected Anglicans is irrelevant or not important to the ongoing dialogue, yet officials here are increasingly talking about its fruits, seeing as a "prophetic gesture", that has grown out of recent progress and will further encourage a sharing of gifts

Well I think if the Ordinariate helps people evaluate Anglican legacy, patrimony, well and good, I'm happy to praise God for it. I don't see it as an aggressive act, meant to destabilise the relations of the Churches and it remains to be seen just how large a movement we're talking about.

But prophetic? Maybe yes, in the sense that here is the Roman Catholic Church saying there are ways of being Christian in the Western Church which are not restricted by historic Roman Catholic identity - that's something we can talk about.

What was your reaction to the departure of the first five Church of England bishops and what difficulties are you facing as a result – I've also heard talk of some 50 priests planning to follow them?

Obviously my reactions to the resignations is one of regret but respect but I know the considerations they've been through, particular the two who were my suffragans, we've talked about it, we've worked through it and parted with prayers and blessings so there's no ill feeling there. I think the challenge will come in working out shared use of churches, of how we as Anglicans 'recommend' people and also of course there will be some parishes without priests so we have a practical challenge here and there.

Zie over het afgelopen zaterdag opgerichte Ordinariaat ook dit bericht.