Catholic solutions
Mark Stevens argues that the Archbishop of Canterbury’s reactions
to several recent debates are based on an ecclesiology which
fails to reflect the true nature of the Anglican Communion
N
ot entirely unpredictably, Rowan story of the ordination of women to the are no ‘theological’ (for which also read
Williams is responding to the priesthood and the episcopate provides ‘ecclesiological’) objections to women
increasing dysfunction of the us with a recent example of mutual dis- bishops or even to a female Archbishop
Anglican Communion by attempting to cernment and decision-making within of Canterbury. And where is Sheila
apply to it a catholic ecclesiology. That the Anglican Communion’, The Lambeth Cameron (the chairperson of the epony-
is, as the cant phrase used to have it, Commission on Communion, the Wind- mous Commission) now?
the tradition from which he is coming. sor Report, 2004, Section A, para. 12], Answer: on the Manchester Group,
But equally unsurprisingly, a catholic the Archbishop was implicitly calling in all probability arguing forcefully for
ecclesiology does not fit. into question. women bishops and for minimal pro-
Consider first Rowan’s response to the vision for those who cannot in con-
Gene Robinson effect, as it played out in The bishop’s role science (informed in part by the views
the Church of England. William’s argument, it has to be said, expressed in her own Report) accept
Here the star of the show was Jeffrey was soundly based not only in a catho- their ministry.
John, an out-gay cathedral canon, and lic ecclesiology, but also in recent Angli-
personal friend of the Archbishop, who can thinking about the episcopate. The Letter to Howe
had been selected as Bishop of Reading. Cameron Report [Report of the Arch- Consider next Rowan’s now famous
(John, incidentally, had been the princi- letter to the Bishop of Central Florida,
pal advocate in the Southwark diocese of John Howe. (The text of Bishop Howe’s
Williams as bishop – an appointment, it
Anglican ecclesiology, in
letter is to be found on p. 20 of this edi-
was widely alleged at the time, vetoed by
George Carey on the grounds of Rowan’s
the end, comes down to
tion of New Directions.) Like a number
of other American bishops, Howe is
own attitude to homosexuality.)
who pays, hires and fires
experiencing parochial defections from
the diocese. He sought the advice of the
A catholic argument ABC. Williams replied in a manner few
As Archbishop himself, Williams went bishops’ Commission on the Episcopate, had expected:
on to veto, somewhat asymmetrically, 1990] was quite clear: ‘I would repeat what I’ve said several
John’s appointment. He did so with an ‘In the local church the bishop focuses times before – that any Diocese com-
argument that, whilst further enraging and nurtures the unity of his people; in pliant with Windsor remains clearly in
the enragé, seemed at first sight incon- his sharing in the collegiality of bishops communion with Canterbury and the
trovertible. He began by stating that ‘it the local church is bound together with mainstream of the Communion, what-
would be anomalous to appoint as a other local churches; and through the ever may be the longer-term result for
bishop one whose ministry would not be succession of bishops the local commu- others in The Episcopal Church.
received by many in the diocese or the nity is related to the church throughout The organ of union with the wider
wider Church’. the ages. Thus the bishop in his own Church is the Bishop and the Diocese
He went on later to affirm that ‘the person in his diocese; and in his colle- rather than the Provincial structure as
concerns of many in the diocese of gial relations in the wider Church; and such. Those who are rushing into sepa-
Oxford are theologically serious, intelli- through his place in the succession of ratist solutions are, I think, weakening
gible and by no means based on narrow bishops in their communities in faith- that basic conviction of Catholic theol-
party allegiance or on prejudice. They fulness to the gospel, is a sign and focus ogy and in a sense treating the provin-
must be addressed and considered fully. of the unity of the Church’ [p. 160, para. cial structure of The Episcopal Church
Confidence in the ability of a new bishop 351]. as if it were the most important thing …’
to minister to those in his pastoral care This vision of the bishop effecting (The text of the Archbishop’s letter is to
is a centrally important matter, and it is and expressing unity on three different be found on p. 20 of this edition of New
clear that serious questions remain in but interrelated ‘planes’ effectively rules Directions.)
the diocese’ [Archbishop’s Letter to the out the selection as a bishop of anyone Again the sentiments are unexception-
Bishops of the Church of England, 23 whose ministry cannot command gen- ably catholic. But again they hardly fit the
June 2003]. eral acceptance. It is part, though by no observable facts. The Anglican Commun-
But was the argument – catholic with a means all, of the argument which has ion is not, after all, a worldwide Church
small ‘c’ though it undoubtedly is – quite led the Holy See to the conclusion that in which all dioceses relate equally to all
as unexceptionable and useful as it at first the Church has no authority to ordain other dioceses and to its focus of unity,
seemed? The problem, surely, is that what women. the Archbishop of Canterbury. On the
apparently (and usefully, in the ambient But, alas, no such seriousness or rigour contrary, it is a loose association of sepa-
circumstances) ruled out a gay bishop, seems to apply among Anglicans. Rowan rate churches. They have no common
appeared at the same time to rule out Williams, who in a moment of crisis was doctrine or ethics, no common liturgy
women bishops. prepared to sacrifice a friend, is neverthe- and orders which are no longer mutually
What the Windsor Report had held less famously sympathetic to gay ordina- acceptable. It is simply the case that the
up as an example of good practice [‘The tions and on record as opining that there Primate of one of those Churches could
December 2007
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newdirections
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