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PAGE 2 — The Southern Cross, December 13,1973
CATHOLICS, ANGLICANS
Canterbury Statement Possible Basis for Reunion
The new Anglican-Catholic
Canterbury Statement, an agreement
between theologians of both churches
on the nature of ministry and
ordination, could serve as a basis for the
eventual reunion of the two Christian
bodies.
The statement, released December 13
by the Anglican-Roman Catholic
International Commission (ARCIC), is
only a study document proposed to the
two churches for their consideration,
and it does not tackle some of the major
issues-authority and primacy-which
still obstruct unity.
But if theologians, church officials
and the general membership of both the
Catholic and Anglican communions are
able to find the Canterbury Statement
an adequate expression of their
respective doctrines on ministry,
priesthood and apostolic succession,
Catholics could find the Anglican
Church on a par with the Eastern
Orthodox churches or the Old Catholic
Church with respect to the validity of
its ordinations.
That is to say, the Eastern Orthodox
churches and the Old Catholic Church
are recognized by Roman Catholics as
having a legitimate apostolic succession
in the ordination of their priests and
bishops, although these churches are not
in union with Rome.
The major obstruction to such an
understanding of Anglican orders on the
part of Roman Catholics is a series of
decisions against the status of Anglican
ordination which culminated in a
declaration by Pope Leo XIII in 1896
that “ordinations enacted according to
the Anglican rite. . .are invalid and
entirely void.”
The Canterbury Statement does not
tackle that issue directly. Rather, it
purposely avoids judging whether either
Anglican or Roman Catholic orders
today are valid.
“Even though there may be
differences of emphasis within our two
traditions, yet we believe that in what
we have said here both Anglican and
Roman Catholic will recognize their
own faith,” said the cochairmen of the
commission in their preface to the
Canterbury Statement.
The statement itself says,
“Agreement on the nature of ministry is
prior to the consideration of the mutual
recognition of ministries.”
What is most important about the
agreement, in that context, is that the
theologians on the commission were
able to agree on all points of essential
doctrine, or the substance of faith,
regarding ministy, ordination, and
apostolic succession.
The statement begins with a
discussion of the variety of ministries in
the Christian community, and quickly
moves into a lengthy discussion of
ordained ministry. At the end of the
section on ordained ministry, the
commission members state: “Here are
comprised the essential features of what
is meant in our two traditions by
ordination in the apostolic succession.”
But to observers on the ecumenical
scene there is an even deeper
importance to the ARCIC agreement on
ministry and ordination, beyond the
fact that they have reached an
agreement. The deeper importance is in
the method of approach that was used
to reach the agreement.
The focus on essential doctrine and
shared belief, while it is a common
feature of ecumenical dialogues, is
nevertheless especially important in the
Canterbury Statement for its openness
to other Chrisitan communions.
“Both the Anglican and Roman
Catholic traditions face the suspicions
of non-episcopal churches that both
Romans and Anglicans do not approach
the New Testament data on ministry
with an open mind,” says Father Ryan
in his worship article.
“Christians in these traditions suspect
that Churches which so emphasize their
episcopal structure understand
apostolicity only in terms of ministerial
succession and do not pay adequate
attention to doctrinal succession as an
element in apostolicity in the Church,”
he adds.
“The Canterbury Statement is to be
read in the light of all these
considerations for each of the members
of ARCIC was keenly aware of them all
during the three years of tedious labor
that went into the composition of the
statement.”
The broader ecumenical concern is
also very evident in the commission’s
preparatory work that is outlined by the
Rev. Colin Davey, Anglican secretary
for the commission, in an appendix to
the statement.
Father Davey cites papers and
statements from several other dialogues,
most notably from a series of
Lutheran-Catholic and
Lutheran-Anglican dialogues, as a major
part of the input into the
Anglican-Roman Catholic commission’s
work.
Thus the new statement by Anglican
and Catholic theologians represents a
significant step forward both for
Anglican-Catholic relations and for the
wider goal of unity among all Christian
churches.
But there are still many obstacles to
unity, even if the theologians’
agreement reaches the level of official
acceptance in both churches. According
to Father Ryan: “One may prudently
estimate that 50 or 60 years of full
sacramental sharing and local
partnership in mission will be required
before any provincial or national
structure would represent the ‘organic
union’ that ARCIC wishes to achieve.”
Ecumenical Document—
(Continued from Page 1)
offering His own sacrifice,” the
statement says, “ .. . our two traditions
commonly used priestly terms in
speaking about the ordained ministry.”
The statement goes on to say that the
ordained priesthood is different from
the common priesthood of all
Christians. “Ordination denotes entry
into this apostolic and God-given
ministry, which serves and signifies the
unity of the local churches in
themselves and with one another. Every
individual act of ordination is therefore
an expression of the continuing
apostolicity and catholicity of the
whole Church.”
Speaking of the passing on of
ordination through the college of
bishops, the statement says:
“Both presbyters and deacons are
ordained by the bishop. In the
ordination of a presbyter the presbyters
present join the bishop in the laying on
of hands, thus signifying the shared
nature of the commission entrusted to
them. In the ordination of a new
bishop, other bishops lay hands on him,
as they request the gift of the “Spirit for
his ministry and receive him into their
ministerial fellowship. Because they are
entrusted with the oversight of other
churches, this participation in his
ordination signifies that this new bishop
and his church are within the
communion of churches. Moreover,
because they are representative of their
churches in fidelity to the teaching and
mission of the apostles and are members
of the episcopal college, their
participation also ensures the historical
continuity of this church with the
apostolic church and of its bishop with
the original apostolic ministry. The
communion of the churches in mission,
faith and holiness, through time and
space, is thus symbolized and
maintained in the bishops. Here are
comprised the essential features of what
is meant in our two traditions by
ordination in the apostolic succession.”
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CHRISTMAS CANDLELIGHT SERVICE. - The pm. in the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist,
combined glee clubs of St. Vincent’s Academy, Monsignor Daniel J. Bourke, rector, joins with Les
Savannah, will present their annual Christmas Chanteurs and the Chorale in inviting the public to
Candlelight Service on Sunday, December 16 at 8:00 attend. Mrs. Joseph C. Schreck will direct the program.
Chatham MDs Nix Health Center
In 1968, a professional survey of the
West side of Chatham County which
includes Pooler, Bloomingdale, Port
Wentworth, Garden City and portions
of Savannah, indicated a need for health
services and facilities for that area. The
survey was conducted by an Urban
Planning Consulting firm based in
Atlanta. (For details see editorial on
page 4).
In 1971, the women of St.
Antnony s parish, located on Savannah’s
West side, under the leadership of
Father William Dowling who was then
their pastor, and Sister M. Julian,
Director of St. Anthony’s Community
Center, decided to do something to
implement the needs cited in the
surveys. They enlisted the cooperation
of other elements in the community and
there came into being, in 1972, the
Westside Comprehensive Health Center
(WCHC), funded by the Office of
Economic Opportunity to the tune of
$669,000 from 1972 until September of
1973. A similar appropriation is
expected for fiscal 1973-74 from the
Department of Health, Education and
Welfare (HEW).
The initial OEO grant was earmarked
for planning and development. The
Health Center has now finished this
phase and expects to begin construction
on a health facility which will be in full
service by late 1974.
But the Center has hit a formidable
snag. About three weeks ago the
Chatham County Medical Society and
the Chatham Dental Society appointed
a committee to examine the Health
Center’s plans. It has recommended that
both societies withold support for the
Center.
According to the joint committee’s
head, Dr. Darnell Brawner, the Center’s
projected facility and services would
only duplicate tax-supported programs
already in operation elsewhere in
Chatham County.
In response to a recommendation by
Brawner’s committee, the Georgia
Medical Society of Savannah voted
disapproval of the WCHC.
Final approval of the center is now
up to the state office of Comprehensive
Health Planning in Atlanta. If the center
is finally approved, in spite of the
Medical Society’s vote, a comprehensive
program of health care and an
educational and social services program
will be provided for the West side area.
According to a proposal published by
the WCHC, “The Westside
Comprehensive Health Center proposes
to offer to all potential members in its
target area, a health plan called The
Savannah Health Plan (SHP). It will be a
group practice, prepaid plan that will be
a “stay well” plan emphasizing health
and prevention of illness.
“We propose a single plan and a single
standard of quality health care available
to all SHP members within our target
area. In order to achieve our health
goals for an area and a population which
historically has not had access to such
services, we believe that WCHC-SHP
must control, in a management sense, its
total program.”
i
Membership would be open -to ‘ all
residents of the area. A onetime
membership fee based on ability to pay
(in the range of $1 to $10 would give
members and “ownership interest” in
the plan, WCHC officials say.
The center would provide
comprehensive primary and specialty
health care for members at the health
center, physicians’ offices, home and/or
hospital within the resources available
to the center.
All specialists’ services for persons
being served by the center would be
purchased or contracted for with
community physicians and other
medical providers.
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Church must find ways to capitalize on
young people’s “respect for knowledge
rather than the last generation’s respect
for position or role,” according to Dr.
Robert F. Vizza, dean of the School of
Business at Manhattan College in New
York City.
Dr. Vizza made his remarks in an
address to the First National Conference
on Pastoral Planning here.
Changes are necessary, he said,
because polls indicate a tremendous
credibility problem for all big
institutions, including the Church, and a
growing lack of confidence in them
among people.
Formal education, Dr. Vizza noted, is
a continuing process today.
“The day is gone when just getting
the degree was enough,” he said.
“Education has replaced experience as
the force of change in our
society. . .Young people today are
saying don’t give me yesterday’s
experience for today’s answers to
tomorrow’s problems.”
The Church, whose influence on
today’s young people is not as great as it
was a generation ago, Dr. Vizza added,
must find ways to pull together the zeal
and enthusiasm of young people who
are searching and grasping for ways to
be productive.
Planners should focus on
opportunities and not on problems, he
explained. Problems are never solved,
only replaced by other problems. Only
opportunities, he concluded, can bring
results.
Sulpician Father William J. Lee,
president of St. Mary Seminary and
University in Baltimore, told the
conference that pastoral planning “can
improve the chances of a diocesan
decision-maker making good decisions.”
The planners’ job, Father Lee said, is
to gather all the data, acquire all the
knowledge possible about the situation,
then help the decision-maker determine
some concrete priorities and adjust the
structures to begin to meet those
priorities.
“Planners’ lives aren’t easy,” he
added. “They’re aiming at moving
targets, not fixed objectives. The
longer-range the planning is the more
the target shifts.”
The essential ingredient, he noted, is
flexibility because of rapid change, new
knowledge and instant communication.
Concepts such as collegiality,
accountability and subsidiarity are
important in the changing Church,
Father Lee explained, and must be
examined and studied in light of the
programs in which they are being used.
But when a decision must be made,
Father Lee urged the planners to resist
the temptation to appoint a committee,
because while many people want to be
involved in decisions that will affect
them, they do not want to do the work
involved.
“But just dare to make a decision
without them,” he said. “There always
are those who fight it.”
Auxiliary Bishop William M. Cosgrove
of Cleveland told the conference that
the concept of shared responsibility is
not a problem in the Church, only the
manner in which some people try to
implement it.
“Too many interpret shared
responsibility simply as shifting it from
one location to another,” he said,
“rather than a genuine sharing. ”
The conference was the result of
regional conferences of diocesan
planners who expressed a desire for a
national meeting.