Sentire Cum Ecclesia

On a slightly more hopeful note than the opinion pieces regarding Anglican/Catholic unity below, there is a great interview with Archbishop Hilarion of the Russian Orthodox Church on the National Catholic Register’s site here. Here are some snippets:

What in the Orthodox view constitutes full Christian unity? What does it look like?

Full Christian unity is the Eucharistic communion. We do not need to reshape our Church administration, our local traditions. We can live with our differences within one Church, participating from one bread and one cup. We need, however, to rediscover what united us and what brought us to disunity, particularly in the 11th century.

Do you think complete union between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is a possibility in our lifetime? What do you think would have to happen before it could come about?

I would respond by quoting the Pope: it depends on how long we will live. But I believe that the Eucharistic unity between the Orthodox and the Catholics is not something easily achievable within a few years because even if we look at our theological dialogue, it goes very slowly, and we sometimes are unable to solve even rather insignificant problems which existed in the past for many years.

So what has some of the dialogue been like in recent months? There’s been a lot of talk about breakthroughs and being on the verge of unity.

I believe that when some people talk about breakthroughs, it was a wishful thinking rather than anything close to reality. We are still at a rather early stage of the discussions. We still discuss the role of the bishop of Rome in the first millennium, and even on this issue we see clear differences between the Orthodox and the Catholics. If we come to the discussion of the second millennium, the differences will become much more obvious. Therefore we should not pretend that we are close to solving this problem.

BTW, you may not have realised it, but it seems that the NCR is now part of EWTN. The forces of light gather against the forces of darkness…

My previous father-in-law (yes, I have had two of them in my time – and two mothers-in-law) had a saying about modern technology: “All this cleverness we’re learnin’ “. Well, I’m learning a bit of cleverness with my new iPhone at work. I was offered one to replace my Palm Treo over a year ago, and I resisted it – partly because I’m not (in my heart of hearts) a “Mac-person”. I’m the boring “PC” guy you see in the ads.

Well, I finally succumbed, and at home the other night I was leafing through the apps store for freebies. I searched “Catholic” and “prayers” among other things. I found the Magnificat App, which really is very neat. It’s cheaper than the Divine Office app (ie. it’s free!) and it gives you a shorter form of morning and evening prayer and compline, along with the saints for the day, the calendar, a “meditation”, the propers and readings for mass for the day, and few other prayers and things. Very nice.

But of course, I also came across something called the “Catholic Confession” app. Well, I didn’t download that one, because I thought “That’s just some silly thing from someone who thinks you can go to confession on the phone or something”. Little did I know then that this little app is taking the Catholic world by storm. Fr Z has had his input, with an initial review, Fr Lombardi has had to tell folk that you can’t go to confession on a phone – even an iPhone – and The Age had an article on it today from the NYT. As everyone knows by now, it isn’t a replacement for going to Confession, but a tool to help Catholics do what many of them probably haven’t done for ages – ie. GO TO CONFESSION! Still, I don’t think I will be signing up for it. Ticking your mortal sins on a piece of networked apparatus seems to me a rather risky behaviour in a corporate environment…

But another piece of cleverness has also just been purchases for use in the office. I have this habit of printing off reems of articles from the Internet to take out into the garden with my pipe. This is so much better than reading off the net (or even off your iPhone), since it enables you to scribble and highlight and notate at will. For the same reason, I have resisted the urge to go out and buy a Kindle or some such electronic book reader. Reading is for me an interactive exercise and I like to liberally comment in the margins with my pencil (never pen – that would really be breaking the Code of the Librarians!).

Then just the other day, Pastor Fraser Pearce told me about a new ebook reader he had purchased. It is made by Sony, it is small enough to fit in your pocket, it will read all kinds of documents, including Word, rtfs, txts and pdfs as well as epub books. And, joy of joys, you can actually make notes in it – highlighting passages and writting your own notes with a stylus, which it then saves along with the file of the book in question (although it is a little difficult to write legibly with the stylus). It is also not backlit, but appears just like the Kindle readers. As you can gather, I have purchased one of these little jiggers, and after a bit of fiddling, have got it to work just fine.  I intend to use it for all kinds of documents that I have to carry around with me to meetings and such. No more searching for this bit of paper or that, or wondering where I put that article or other. It’s all there!

The Sony Reader is available in two sizes, the 5″ screen and the 6″ screen. Scanned pdfs, which are images rather than text, are a little hard to read, since it wants to show you the whole page rather than resizing the text, but the small Pocket edition which both Fraser and I have purchased has the advantage that it really does fit in your shirt or coat pocket, which the larger one would not do.

All this cleverness we’re learnin’…

For your interest, I offer here links to two opinion pieces recently written regarding the establishment of the Anglican Ordinariates and the continuing official international dialogue between the Catholic and Anglican communions. The first is by a Catholic journalist in the UK, the second by an Episcopal author in the US. Of course, I assume that I do not need to add that the opinions expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily of the owner of this ‘ere blog.

And now, ARCIC III: isn’t it time to bring this ecumenical farce to an end?

The forthcoming discussions will be an expensive freebie that achieves nothing

Here is a media release reporting developments for the Australian Ordinariate.

MEDIA RELEASE

FESTIVAL CELEBRATES THE
AUSTRALIAN ORDINARIATE

An Australian Ordinariate Festival was held at St Stephen’s College, Coomera, Queensland, between February 1 – 3.

Anglicans from all States came together with Catholics to understand more about Pope Benedict’s offer of a Personal Ordinariate for former Anglicans seeking full communion with the Church. Participants included clergy, laity and religious women from the official Anglican Church of Australia (ACA) and the Anglican Catholic Church in Australia (Traditional Anglican Communion: TAC). Bishop Tolowa Nona of the Church of the Torres Strait (TAC) was accompanied by priests and laity.

Archbishop John Hepworth, Primate of the TAC, hosted the festival at the campus St Stephen’s College, Coomera, of which he is the chairman. He celebrated a solemn Anglican Eucharist in the college chapel to open the festival. On February 2, Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett of Lismore celebrated the Catholic liturgy for the Presentation of the Lord, with the customary blessing of candles.

The Episcopal Delegate for the Ordinariate, Bishop Peter Elliott, said that he sensed strong feelings of anticipation and enthusiasm among participants. Archbishop Hepworth said that many people are looking forward to the establishment of an Australian Ordinariate.

“Difficult questions were raised frankly.” said Bishop Elliott, “But I was moved when people gave testimonies of their journeys towards the Ordinariate. We all came to understand the urgent pastoral need for this unique community in full communion with the Successor of St Peter.”

After the festival, a national implementation committee representing all groups met for the first time to tackle practical issues. Local Ordinariate working groups are also being established in the States.

On February 26 another Ordinariate Festival will be held in Perth, at Holy Family church Como, hosted by Bishop Harry Entwhistle (TAC). Other festivals are envisaged for Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide to inform people as plans for an Australian Ordinariate take shape.

Terra has some good comments on her blog.

You hear a lot of WWJD theology today, ie. “What would Jesus do?” unfortunately, this type of thinking usually relies on a person’s own picture of the kind of person Jesus was, eg. a welcoming person who never had a bad word to say about anyone.

But is this picture accurate? A case in point would be yesterday’s Gospel.

Matthew 5:13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot. 14 You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. 15 No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.”

I was rather surprised recently to find these verses listed in N.T. Wright’s “Jesus and the Victory of God” in a list of “judgement” texts from Jesus’ preaching. Essentially, he saw it as addressed to the nation of Israel, who had been called to be “salt of the earth” but had “lost its saltiness” and who had been made a “light to the nations” but had “hidden its light under a bushel”.

But I doubt if many of us heard sermons yesterday that took this passage as a word of judgement. Rather we hear it as a word addressed to Christians to be salt and light in the world. And yes, it is that, but if you miss the threat of judgement (“is thrown out and trampled under foot”) you perhaps miss a dimension of Jesus’ preaching in its original context. Tied up with this is, of course, that Jesus was in a way pointing to himself as the true and faithful Israelite who was indeed “the Light of the World”.

So when we ask “What would Jesus do?” (or say) we need to ask ourselves, what picture of Jesus am I working with? Is it accurate? (cf. a blast from the past here!)

Ooooh! This is exciting: a new, “third edition” of the Catechism, especially designed for teenagers, and cleverly named “YouCat” (short for “Youth Catechism”, but also reminiscent of YouTube etc.).

I don’t know when the English edition will be out, but I am looking forward to it. I was always a bit disappointed at the Compendium, because the language used in it was a bit too “high” for the simple folk (as Luther would have called them). I always wanted an official version of the Catechism which I could give to my daughters and which we could use for teaching here in the home. I hope that this will be it!

In the link above, Magister includes the wonderful words of Pope Benedict lauching this book – well worth a read in full, but here is a taste:

Some people tell me that today’s young people are not interested in the catechism; but I do not believe in this statement, and I am sure that I am right. They are not as superficial as they are accused of being; young people want to know what life is really about. A crime novel is compelling because the fate it draws us into is that of other people, but could be our own; this book is compelling because it speaks to us of our very destiny and therefore concerns each of us intimately.

For this reason I invite you: study the catechism! This is my heartfelt wish.

The following statement from Archbishop Denis Hart was issued to the Melbourne Archdiocese on Friday:

English translation of the Roman Missal
Friday 4 February 2011

The only altar missal in English approved for Australia, with the Australian supplement and variations approved by the Holy See is in preparation (in conjunction with England and Wales, and Scotland) by the Catholic Truth Society, London, and will be sold in Australia by St Paul’s from whom you will receive information in due course. There is the larger size (with superior binding and illustrations) suitable for parishes, a medium size (suitable for smaller chapels) and a hand size. Under no circumstances should missals from other countries be purchased as they lack the Australian proper and variations. You will find that the new missals are of a higher quality and durability than the former one.

For the people, St Paul’s are also preparing Sunday and Weekday Missals with readings, and other people’s aids. It seems that any revision of the Lectionary is distant by a number of years.

The National Liturgical Commission is preparing a laminated people’s card with the new texts for the people’s use when they are introduced on Pentecost Sunday (June 12) and resources for those parishes who use overheads will be available soon on the Bishops’ Conference website.

Musical settings of the new texts now available include Mass of St Francis – Dr Paul Taylor (Archbishop’s Office for Evangelisation).
Revised for the new texts: Mass Shalom (Colin Smith) and Mass of Creation (Haughen) are available from Willow Connection Pty Ltd, C/- IDS, Box 519 GROVEDALE Vic., 3216. email: orders@idsoceania.com

Dr Geoffrey Cox has also prepared a Gregorian Chant Mass (adaptations of Mass XV and XVI) with the music and accompaniment for the eucharistic acclamations which appear in the missal.

Details of other settings approved for Australia can be found at www.cam.org.au/evangelisation/changes/changes-to-music.html or on google Australian Catholic Bishops Conference: National Liturgical Music Board.

Enquiries to Damian Coleridge or Paul Taylor at the Archbishop’s office for Evangelisation.

I trust this will be helpful, With every good wish,

+ Denis J. Hart,
ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE

Yes, very helpful, thanks, Your Grace. It is always good to know what is going to happen. I had been wondering about what version of the lectionary would be in the new missals. I knew that the lectionary was being revised, but I hadn’t even heard whether a particular translation had been adopted yet, and I couldn’t see how they were going to have the revised lectionary ready in time to publish with the new missal. Answer: they’re not, and so the current JB readings will appear in the new people’s missals. Which means some stage down the line a new edition with the revised lectionary in it will have to be purchased.

As far as the musical settings go, I have Paul Taylor’s setting. I think many parishes in Melbourne and elsewhere will find this a singable version. Paul won’t be offended, I hope, if I say that my preference will still be for Dr Cox’s accompaniment to the standard chants of the new missal (a copy of which Dr Cox has loaned to me). Unfortunately, these accompaniments are not yet published, and are only available for use in workshops etc. Still, if you learn to sing the chants that are readily available on the net now unaccompanied, you will be set for when Dr Cox’s Missa Cantata is published.

This morning my parish priest announced that he will begin to introduce the new texts from March. Here in Melbourne we are being encouraged to introduce the sung people’s sections (Kyrie, Gloria, Creed, Sanctus, Acclamations, Agnus Dei). I expect that we will begin simply with the Sanctus, which has one small change to it. There are no changes to the Kyrie and the Agnus Dei – and the Gloria and Creed are more complex. Note that responsive Glorias are discouraged in preference to “straight through” settings in which the people sing the whole text.

After writing the post below, I discovered this article on Sandro Magister’s site “A Glimmer of Light in an Egypt of Revolt”.

Magister’s lead into the article is not very hopeful, and stresses the real dangers of the situation – a danger the Copts understand well.

But then he zeroes in on something that Fr Samir Khalil Samir has been posting about on Asia News (his full commentary is here). Apparently 23 leading Egyptian Muslim scholars (including a former Grand Mufti of Egypt, the brother of the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood) have proposed a “Document for the Renewal of Religious Discourse”, which, since it was first released on January 24th, has been reposted on more than 12,000 other Arab websites.

Here is Fr Samir’s translation of the proposal. It contains some real “bombshells” – but if such a proposal had a snowflake’s chance in Hades of being implemented in a “new Egypt”, it would have amazing consequences for Islam internationally and for Christian-Muslim relations.

Document for the renewal of religious discourse

• Review the books of the Hadith (the words attributed to Muhammad) and Koranic commentaries to purge them.
• Fine tune Islamic political-religious vocabulary, such as the gizyah (the special tax required of dhimmi, the second-class citizens).
• Find a new expression for the concept of fraternisation between the sexes.
• Develop the Islamic vision of women and find suitable ways for marriage laws.
• Islam is a religion of creativity.
• Explain the Islamic concept of gihâd, and clarify rules and requirements that govern it.
• Block attacks on external piety and foreign practices that come from neighbouring states [a euphemism that aims to expose the influence of Saudi Arabia-ed.]
• Separate state and religion.
• Purify the heritage of the “first centuries of Islam (Salafism), discarding the myths and attacks against religion.
• Give adequate preparation to missionary preachers (du’ât) and in this field open the doors to those who have not studied at the University of Al Azhar, according to clear criteria.
• Formulate the virtues common to the three revealed religions.
• Eliminate incorrect practices and provide guidance with regard to Western ways.
• Articulate the relationship that should exist between members of religions through schools, mosques and churches.
• Redraw in a different way [adapted] to the West the presentation of the biography of the Prophet.
• Do not keep people away from economic systems with the requirement not to deal with banks.
• Recognising the right of women to the Presidency of the Republic.
• Combat sectarian claims, [underling] that the flag of Islam [must be] one. Invite people to come to God through gratitude and wisdom, not through threats.
• Evolve the teaching of Al Azhar.
• Recognise the right of Christians [to have access] to important positions and [also] to the presidency.
• Separate religious discourse from power and restore the bond with the needs of society
• Establish the bond between the Da’wah (the call to conversion to Islam) and modern technology, satellite chains and the market for Islamic cassettes.

This story was in The Age today:

Local Coptic Christians fear extremist takeover

Farah Farouque February 2, 2011

THE Melbourne head of the Coptic Church in Australia said his congregation, who have strong family links to Egypt, had been praying for peace.

”We are supporting the right of people to protest peacefully but we are fearful that extremist groups will take over the country – this would be a disaster for Egypt and for the Copts,” said Bishop Anba Suriel, who is based in diocesan headquarters in suburban Donvale. Melbourne has nine Coptic churches and two schools.

Copts make up the largest Christian community in the Middle East and constitute about 10 per cent of Egypt’s 80 million people. Copts lay claim to being direct descendants of the pharaohs, but co-exist uneasily with the majority Muslim population.

Advertisement: Story continues below Last month there was a violent expression of sectarianism when a bombing in the port-city of Alexandria, where the Coptic pope is based, killed 23 and wounded 97 people leaving a New Year’s Mass.

Bishop Suriel said that while the system in Egypt was ”corrupt”, the concern was who would take power.

In Egypt, members of the church hierarchy have emerged as reluctant supporters of President Hosni Mubarak, fearing his departure would leave them more vulnerable as a minority community.

The 2006 census determined there were nearly 20,000 Copts nationally, but Bishop Suriel said the community in Australia approached 80,000.

”People are worried about their families. The images coming out of Egypt are very frightening,” he said.

These fears are very well founded, I believe, and not just a concern for Egypt, but Tunisia and Lebanon and for other Arab countries touched by this turmoil.

It is very hard to know how things will go, however. There are many comparing it to Iran – but in this internet/twitter age, are the young people who are driving the revolution necessarily going to be attracted by a regime which, although Islamic, is more restrictive than the regime under which they currently live?

Also, I find myself asking what the events of last Christmas mean against the background of the current turmoil. Not only the bombing itself, but then the reaction of many Egyptian citizens, as it was reported they formed a “human shield” to protect Christians going to worship. Then keeping in mind the reaction of the Egyptian government and the Al-Azhar University to Pope Benedict’s call for religious freedom and tolerance, what does the fall of that government mean?’

I have no answers to these questions. I don’t think anyone does. Hence, I guess, the fear factor. And hence the fact that the fear is well founded.