November 9, 2009 [LINK / comment]
Last month the Roman Catholic Church announced that it will welcome Anglican Christians into full communion with the Catholic Church, meaning that members of the two denominations will share in the Holy Eucharist and other sacraments. See catholic.org. This weekend, The Traditional Anglican Church in Great Britain announced it will accept the offer, which could lead more members of the Church of England back toward Rome. See catholicnewsagency.com; hat tip to Shaun Kenney for both items. This comes in the midst of bitter legal and moral disputes within the Anglican Communion, as the Episcopal Church bishops continue to defy mainstream Anglican opinion on the issues of gay bishops, etc.
In response, the Episcopal Church issued a surprisingly bland statement saying that the Catholic moves are a continuation of what Rome "has been doing for some years more informally." I hope they are not ignoring profound signs of dissent from within the Anglican-Episcopal fold.
Several weeks ago the Pope issued a new encyclical, emphasizing the deep connection between Truth and Charity. It looks interesting, and I hope to diget it one of these days. See the Vatican Web site; hat tip to Shaun Kenney.
Yesterday our congregation (Emmanuel Episcopal Church!) had a special "Harvest Day" service, as part of the annual pledge drive. Like most businesses and individuals, churches too are facing a budget crunch these days. I was among the "Harvest Band" musicians who played some lively folk tunes as an alternative to traditional organ music. Earlier today I posted a couple photos at the emmanuelstaunton.org Web site.