Papal Visit to Britain: "Rome is struggling to get her religion enshrined in EU law"

 "Truly seeking unity"

 The head of the Vatican’s department for Christian unity said that with the new Anglican ordinariate, Pope Benedict is merely opening the door, to those “who knock.” Reflecting on the recent trip to the U.K., he added that the possible mass conversions are not an impediment to the continued dialogue between the Anglican and Catholic Churches.

Archbishop Kurt Koch, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity was with the Pope throughout his trip to Britain. Only a dozen of the closest Vatican advisors accompanied the pope for the entirety of the trip. “Archbishop Koch’s presence in the papal party… is a testament to the importance that was put on unity” within the scope of the visit. Kock “spoke of the ‘great success’ of the Pope’s trip to the U.K.

What would that great success entail? It would certainly entail the breaking down of barriers, including feelings and attitudes to visible communion between the two churches.

“The archbishop pointed out… that there was great emphasis on ecumenism during the visit. It was evident, he said, in the fact that in each of Benedict XVI’s 18 discourses he called European faithful ‘continuously back to the Christian roots of the continent.’”

When Benedict XVI speaks of the “Christian roots of the continent” he is referring to the Roman Catholic roots of the continent. After all, the European Union is in fact the resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire in modern times. Yet Rome is struggling to get her religion enshrined in EU law. Perhaps the angels are holding back the winds.

See our sermon called the Secret History of the European Union.

Keep in mind that the only purpose for ecumenical dialog is to seek for full, visible, sacramental unity under the authority of the pope. Archbishop Koch sad that the Anglican bishops were contented how the ecumenical dialog. He also said that they are “truly seeking unity.”

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith published Anglicanorum Coetibus in November 2009. It provides special papal guidelines for the conversion of whole groups or churches of Anglicans into full unity with the Catholic Church. Koch said that there were specific requests from groups to join the Catholic Church to which the pope responded by publishing the Apostolic Constitution.

“What differentiates these requests from others in the past, he explained, is that they involve a number of people rather than single individuals. While Cardinal John Henry Newman came alone, ‘now it’s about groups that want to enter the Catholic Church with their pastors and maybe with bishops,’ he said.”

John Henry Newman was an Anglican priest that challenged the independence of the Anglican Church from Rome, and quite successfully moved the Church of England closer to Rome with greater ritualism. Eventually he left the Church of England and joined the Church of Rome. Many priests and bishops followed him.
The ecumenical dialog must continue said the Archbishop, because it “has already brought fruits,” he said.

What fruits has it born? The slow disintegration of the Church of England and the return of hundreds of churches and thousands of parishioners to Rome would certainly be among the fruits of dialog. The visit to Britain with its insistent message on ecumenical dialog was an open attempt to put the Catholic Church on display and warmly embrace all Anglicans (as well as others). Keep the Faith