A “tear” in unity

Most Anglicans in England are in favour of the Episcopal ordination of women. This represents a further step since 1994, when the Anglican Communion paved the way to woman priesthood. This decision – taken by the General Synod of the Church of England which convened in New York on July 4-8 – triggered a series of opposite stands taken by the more traditionalist fringes of the Anglican world, by the Vatican and by the Russian Orthodox Church. Since 2006. The debate regarding women’s admission to episcopate within the Church of England dates back to 2006. In that year the Synod appointed a study commission to develop a proposal. In that same year, on the invitation of the archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, expressed to Anglican bishops the position of the Catholic Church. On that occasion, the Cardinal had presented the assembly with the problem regarding the future of ecumenical dialogue. “The growing practice of priestly ordination of women led to a cooling” in the relation between the two Churches. A “resolution in favour of women’s Episcopal ordination in the Church of England could determine further division”. His Eminence said he his aware that other provinces of the Anglican Communion have already undertaken this path. However, he added, also for the Catholic Church the Church of England plays a unique role in Anglican Communion” since this is the Church which gave rise to Anglicanism, and also because it is led by the archbishop of Canterbury who is the primate of the entire Anglican Communion. “Since the Episcopal office is a Minister of Unity – the Cardinal remarked – the decision you are addressing may have an immediate impact upon the question of the unity of the Church and ecumenical dialogue. This decision would go against the common objective we pursued in our dialogue until now”. How could this affect our ecumenical dialogue in the future? One thing is for sure – Cardinal Kasper declared on that occasion -: “the Catholic Church will not interrupt the dialogue not even in the case this decision is taken. Mostly, it will not interrupt relations and personal friendships developed in recent years”. The motion of 2008. In July, a large majority of the members of the general Synod of the Church of England expressed their approval regarding priestly ordination of women. The minutes of the debate equally stated that the Synod gave its approval to seeking “special provisions” to be applied “within pre-existing structures of the Church of England for all those who for theological beliefs are unwilling to accept women’s ministry as bishops and priests”. The Synod thus instructed a team of experts to complete the work done until then in harmony with the “home of the bishops”, and to prepare a draft code to be approved in February 2009. The daily “L’Osservatore Romano” devoted a long report to this issue with the contribution of experts in Anglicanism. According to these experts, “the vote cast in York by the Synod of the Church of England cannot have a regulatory value yet”. Since “two or three years might still be needed prior to approval of a regulation regarding women-bishop ordination in the forthcoming assemblies”. The reactions. “We sadly learnt about the news regarding the Church of England, which paves the way to the introduction of legislation leading to the ordination of women to the Episcopate”. This was the comment of the Pontifical Council for the promotion of Christian Unity. “The Catholic stand on this subject – is written in a Note issued by the press office of the Holy See – was clearly expressed by Pope Paul VI and by Pope John Paul II. This decision represents a tear in the apostolic tradition maintained by all the Churches in the first millennium, and therefore it constitutes a further obstacle to the reconciliation of the Catholic Church with the Church of England. This decision will also have an effect on the future of dialogue, which had given positive fruits”. Also the Russian Orthodox Church reacted to the decision adopted by the Synod of the Church of England. “This decision, the spokesperson of the Patriarchate of Moscow, Igor Vyjanov, told Russian international news agency “Novosti” – is a hard blow to the entire Anglican Communion since it reveals its inner contradictions”. With this decision the Church of England is drifting away from the apostolic tradition which, Vyjanov explained- “has profound roots and a deep theological meaning that cannot be reduced to questions pertaining to social order. Mostly, the fact that the previous generations did not love or respect women is out of the question”.