Friday, April 08, 2011

Ordinariate Watch: After brief encounter — ‘not derailed’


The Archbishop of Canterbury said this week that there was “no for-ever-and-a-day prohibition” on Anglican and Ordinariate congregations’ shar­ing buildings, but “pastoral sen­sitivities” meant that it was too early to happen yet.

Speaking after the fourth bilateral meeting of Anglican and Roman Ca­tholic diocesan bishops, which was held at St George’s Roman Catholic Cathedral, Southwark, on Monday, Dr Williams said: “I don’t think there’s any objection in principle [to sharing buildings], but if you have a congregation that’s just divided, it’s not ideal that they’re sharing the same church.”

The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, the Most Revd Vin­cent Nichols, reiterated his view (News, 19 November) that “the simplest solution” was best, “and the simplest solution is that those who are coming into the [Roman] Ca­tholic Church come and use our buildings”.

Dr Williams said that “the routine work of contact and exchange between our two Churches has gone on without being in any sense derailed” by the Ordinariate. The meeting had received “a report from the liaison group that we’ve already set up on questions that arise in connection with the Ordinariate”.

Archbishop Nichols said that the Ordinariate was “not some kind of alternative ecumenism” and would not be a distraction from “the overall ecumenical aim of full visible communion”.

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