THE
P RTAL
May 2018
Page 3
P ortal Comment
The Gospel and
the Catholic Church
Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane report on
a Conference discussing Anglican Patrimony today
T he late
Michael Ramsey’s book formed the title for this conference. Published in the 1930s it still
has resonance today. About one hundred people, clergy and lay, assembled at Saint Stephen’s House
in Oxford. Many different strands of what one might loosely call “Anglicanism” were represented. These
included a good representation from the Ordinariate, both clergy and lay.
We began and ended each of the two days with
worship from the BCP or the Customary. Mgr Keith
Newton and Fr James Bradley leading the Ordinariate
based worship. Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali took the
lead, and began proceedings with an, as usual for him,
excellent opening address setting the scene. This was to
be followed by an address from Archbishop Augustine
Di Noia, (member of the CDF) but unfortunately he
was indisposed. His contribution was read by Mgr
Patrick Burke, (Vicar General of the RC Diocese of St
Andrews and Edinburgh). This rehearsed the themes
well known to Ordinariate members about how the
Holy See responded to requests from Anglicans for
full communion with the Catholic Church.
Fr George Westhaver (Principal, Pusey House Oxford)
made a response in which he agreed that it is false to
separate the gospel from the church. He was concerned
that the pre-Vatican II lectionary might be lost.
Bishop John Hind (former Bishop of Chichester)
spoke about Anglicans and Christian Unity. This was
followed by a response from Bishop John Fenwick
(Bishop of the Northern Diocese of the Free Church
of England) and also from Mgr Mark Langham (RC
Chaplain to University of Cambridge). He admitted
that the rush of enthusiasm for ecumenical endeavour
following Vatican II, has slowed somewhat. Dialogue
was now more thoughtful and realistic. In Roman
Catholic circles Anglican Patrimony is important
as both a challenge and an encouragement. But he
also warned that there is RC suspicion of Anglican
comprehensiveness.
and reiterated that the Holy See was aware that there
was something lacking which the Ordinariates could
give it as a gift. He began with the old jokes about
the Ordinariates, and reminded the conference that
the journey taken by those in the Ordinariate began
some three or four centuries ago. A second thoughtful
response was from Bishop Jonathan Goodall (Bishop
of Ebbsfleet) He pointed out that the Anglican way was
for those who hold major theological differences to
“walk together”, and closed with the observation that
Our Lord’s sacrifice and the sacrament of His Body is
in contrast to something far shallower.
The second day began, after Morning Prayer, with a
talk from Dr Steven Rutt entitled Anglicans, Culture
and the State. Bishop John Ellison (formerly Bishop
of Paraguay) made a response, as did Dr Gavin
Ashenden. His talk was one of the highlights of the
conference. It was a chilling analysis of the state of
Christianity in the West and especially England and
the English Church. He ended by telling the assembled
company that a secular society has only just begun its
assault on Christianity.
All ended with some closing remarks from Bishop
Michael Nazir-Ali. Looking back on the Conference,
we felt the contributions of Archbishop Di Noia and
Mgr Mark Langham were the highlights, along with a
brief intervention from Bishop Azad Marshall. He has
worked in Iran, Jerusalem, and Pakistan. He reminded
the Conference that Islam is losing respect for
Christians because the church in the west has taken up
with what it sees as non-biblical doctrines. We must be
careful because what is said in the west effects the lives
of Christians in the east.
Late in the first day Bishop Christopher Cocksworth
(Bishop of Coventry) spoke to the title Anglican
We wait to see what will become of it all. We shall
Worship. The response to this was from our own
Mgr Andrew Burnham. His talk was well received keep you informed of future developments, if any.