At his blog Archbishop Cranmer, the Anglican Adrian Hilton pondered Pope Francis’s gift to Justin Welby: “a crozier, symbolising episcopal jurisdiction”. This gift, and the Pope’s warm words to Welby, suggested to Hilton that Francis was trying to say something. “So Anglican priests are priests equal with those of Rome; not laymen masquerading as prelates? Her sacraments are real? Her salvation assured?”
But then, Church documents say Anglican orders to be “absolutely null and utterly void”. And the Church of England’s 39 Articles “considers that ‘The Church of Rome hath erred, not only in their living and manner of ceremonies, but also in matters of faith’.”
On his blog, Fr Ray Blake said the symbolism shouldn’t be over-interpreted. “Gestures are simply that, gestures,” he wrote. What does it mean, beyond a photo opportunity? Well, little. It is an act of friendship.”
Suddenly the Church has clout in Mexico
The “religious right” has come to Mexico: so David Agren argues in the Washington Post. He observes that Mexico City has recently seen “the National March for the Family, which took aim at the president’s plans to enshrine same-sex marriage in the constitution.” These marches were strongly backed by the nation’s Catholics. In a country which has often marginalised – and sometimes persecuted – the Church, the battles over same-sex marriage “symbolise a growing conflict in this nation.”
It seems “the religious right is rising as a political force”. The ruling PRI party has suffered defeats in local elections, which campaigners put down to its campaign for same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, the opposition party is courting Catholic support as it tries to win back power. “It is a dramatic change in a country where, for much of the 20th century, the Church had no legal status and was barred from owning property.”
Cancelled talk ‘a blow to Cardinal Sarah’
Cardinal Robert Sarah had been scheduled to speak at the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, to mark the start of the academic year. But he has been replaced on the programme by an even bigger name – Pope Francis. Pentin noted that the change came amid controversy at the institute. The Pope’s recent appointment of new leaders – Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia and Mgr Pierangelo Sequeri – has “caused some distress.” Why? The two “have expressed views that critics say contradict the moral clarity of the Church’s traditional approach to marriage and the family, something the institute has always tried to uphold.”
The replacement of Cardinal Sarah, said Pentin, is “a blow to the African cardinal whose preference for clarity when it comes to the Church’s moral teaching is well known”.
✣Meanwhile…
A Catholic priest has won $250,000 (£200,000) on the US edition of Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Fr Bill Matheny, from West Virginia, said he wanted to go for the £500,000 question, but explained: “I watch the show enough to know that when someone gets to this level what seems logical is not always the right answer.”
He will donate some of the money to his former Catholic primary school. “If I were playing only for myself, I would’ ve gone for it,” he said.
✣ A 101-year-old woman has made her First Communion at a nursing home in Rio de Janeiro.
Dona Penha had begun attending Mass at the home, which is run by the Sisters of the Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima Association. Eventually she made clear that she wanted to go to Confession and receive the Eucharist.
✣ St Peter’s has been struck by lightning – on the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. The lightning strike took place at about 9.20 am last Friday. The only other recorded lightning strike on the Vatican was on February 11, 2013 – the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes – a few hours after Benedict XVI announced he was stepping down. A BBC article said the odds of the Vatican being struck in any one year were one in 112.
✣The week in quotations
I’m shocked beyond words Archbishop Joseph Tobin on being named a cardinal Twitter
The ‘seamless garment’ is back Journalist John Allen on the politics of the new American cardinals CNS
[Women’s ordination] can be discussed, and I hope… Cardinal-elect Jozef De Kesel Remarks from 2010, reported by Belgian media
[Catholics] in good conscience cannot support candidates who will advance abortion Archbishop Aquila of Denver Diocesan newspaper
✣Statistic of the week
5 Countries which have just gained a cardinal for the first time Source: New York Times
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