The Rt Rev John Broadhurst, the Bishop of Fulham, accused the Church of England of breaking promises to make provisions for opponents of women's ordination.
He warned that the Pope's invitation to disaffected Anglicans to join theCatholic Church would appeal to traditionalists dismayed at their treatment.
His comments came as a parish in the Archbishop of Canterbury's own diocese became the first in the country to announce that it would defect to Rome, with one parishioner declaring: "The Pope's offer was the answer to our prayers."
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Related article: "Church of England parish sings battle hymns as it plans move to Rome"
And the Church of Rome is not a totalitarian church with the Pope as its supreme leader (Il Duce). Benito Mussolini had two models for the Fascist dictatorship that he established in Italy--the ancient Roman empire and the Church of Rome. The organizational structure of the Church of Rome is itself modeled on that of the Roman empire.
Sir, Could you please clarify whether the last paragraph is yours or a quote. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt is my own observation. Whenever I post a comment after an article in italics, it usually will be mine. The diocesan structure of the Western Church is modeled on the administrative divisions of the Western Roman Empire, with the Roman Pontiff replacing the Roman Emperor in the West.
ReplyDeleteIl Duce dreamed of restoring the Western Roman Empire to its former days of glory. He drew upon both the models of the Western Roman Empire and the Church of Rome in establishing the new Italian state. He adopted as the symbol of the Fascist Party the ancient Roman symbol of the fasces. The fasces was a bundle of rods and among them an ax with projecting blade borne before ancient Roman magistrates as a badge of authority. It symbolized the magistrate's power to order the punishment of offenders--the rods--and to condemn offenders to death--the ax.
The Bishop of Rome's claim to supremacy is in part attributable to ancient Rome's claim to supremacy over the entire Roman empire before its division into the Eastern and Western Empires.
Thank you for both explanations.
ReplyDeleteYou have explained what I have felt in my spirit after reading church history, listening and watching contemporary churches and churchmen (and women) in action.
Dean Munday of Nashotah House remarked the other day that he had almost become convinced of a 'mal esse' view of bishops.
Yet, lay leaders, i.e. GC and the HoD are no better and can do as much damage and devilment if they are not truly and wholly Christ's.
Have you written articles that describe a Biblical Church structure that has been shown to be safe and successful over time?
A Christian friend says no attempt at reform and no organizational structure is safe/sustainable for more than one generation because only God can cleanse and fuel our hearts, homes and churches unto good works and the nature of humanity is not to be able to pass on the salvation, glory and power of God. Each new generation has to seek and experience it for themselves.