Anglicans and Roman Catholics are planning for unity

Roman Catholic and Anglican theologians have been working on documents expressing issues they face in trying to work out how to bring their organsations into what they call “full communion”. One such document, called “The Gift of Authority” basically emphasises that this unity will be under the Pope of Rome. I quote from the document below:

52. The Commission is of the view that we have deepened and extended our agreement on:

…

• a universal primacy, exercised collegially in the context of synodality, as integral to episcope
  at the service of universal communion; such a primacy having always been associated
  with the Bishop and See of Rome (paragraphs 46-48);
• how the ministry of the Bishop of Rome assists the ministry of the whole episcopal body
  in the context of synodality, promoting the communion of the local churches in their life
  in Christ and the proclamation of the Gospel (paragraphs 46-48);
• how the Bishop of Rome offers a specific ministry concerning the discernment of truth
  (paragraph 47).

So we can see that the Anglicans have agreed in principal that all their bishops need to submit to the oversight of the pope. Presumably the pope is then “authority given by God” which we should see as a blessing. The crazy thing is that Roman Catholics who were around before Vatican II realise that the things the recent popes have been doing go right against historical Catholic doctrine. Be that as it may, Anglicans seem happy enough to forge some kind of political and religious union with Rome. It is not as if the Anglican system and organisation is not also fraught with contradictions both internally and with Rome. It is. Anglicans recognise the unbelieving Queen Elizabeth, sworn as she is at her coronation to uphold protestant Christianity and to govern Christianly, as the “head of the Anglican church”. How can both the Queen and the Pope be heads? Thats interesting. Where is the proof that the living Jesus Christ is the head of either of these church denominations?

Anglicans want to accept and in some places do accept homosexual priests and bishops, married priests and bishops, while Roman Catholics officially accept no such thing – though it is well known by now that their “priesthood” is full of child molesters and homosexual offenders. How will agreement be forged on issues like this? The Anglican church is more liberal than the Roman Catholic church, at least officially – by which I mean just about anything goes in the Anglican church. The Roman Catholic position on divorce and remarriage is also at odds with that of the Anglican church and pretty much all other major denominations.

What is clear to me is that these organisations are populated with religious politicians whose love for the truth must become secondary to their political ambitions (I do not mean they are PERSONALLY ambitious necessarily, but they have political ambitions for church unity at any reasonable price).

I hope people can see that all of this stuff represents a departure from the simplicity of faith in Jesus Christ outlined in the New Testament. But even if you can’t see that or agree to that, take note that all kinds of diverse traditions are now being kind of melded and compromised together to form something that would cause a thinking person to realise that at any rate, the Anglicans could not have been consistently walking in truth until now.

Visible Unity is Definately on the Agenda

Listen to what this document goes on to say.

Renewed Collegiality: Making Visible our Existing Communion

58. Anglicans and Roman Catholics are already facing these issues but their resolution
may well take some time. However, there is no turning back in our journey towards full
ecclesial communion. In the light of our agreement the Commission believes our two
communions should make more visible the koinonia we already have. Theological
dialogue must continue at all levels in the churches, but is not of itself sufficient. For
the sake of koinonia and a united Christian witness to the world, Anglican and
Roman Catholic bishops should find ways of cooperating and developing relationships of
mutual accountability in their exercise of oversight. At this new stage we have not only
to do together whatever we can, but also to be together all that our
existing koinonia allows.

…

Universal Primacy: A Gift to be Shared

60. The Commission’s work has resulted in sufficient agreement on universal primacy as
a gift to be shared, for us to propose that such a primacy could be offered and received
even before our churches are in full communion. Both Roman Catholics and Anglicans look to
this ministry being exercised in collegiality and synodality – a ministry of servus
servorum Dei (Gregory the Great, cited in Ut Unum Sint, 88). We envisage a
primacy that will even now help to uphold the legitimate diversity of traditions,
strengthening and safeguarding them in fidelity to the Gospel.

—–

I suggest my readers take a look at my articles on the Roman Catholic church and also across the internet. It is my opinion that the development here is just one more step on the road to the full manifestation of the harlot church – the united church of all those ecclesiastical groups which are unfaithful to Jesus Christ.