|
Learn Your ABCs
By Dwight Longenecker
Catholics may not know it, but ‘ABC’ is an Anglican abbreviation for Arch Bishop of Canterbury. Rowan Williams, the newly appointed ABC, has arrived on the scene from Wales and has taken the label ‘Affirming Catholic.’ Many Catholics are bewildered by all the different sub groups within Anglicanism. One of the ways to learn more about the Church of England is to learn your ABC’s. In other words, to learn more about the Archbishops of Canterbury. Understanding the Archbishops of Canterbury helps to shed light on the complicated world of the Anglican Church.
Saint Augustine was the first ABC. He was sent to evangelise England by Pope St Gregory the Great. He arrived in Kent in the year 597 and soon had success when the local king, Ethelbert was converted. The Archbishop of Canterbury was soon recognised as the leading bishop in England, and he had a powerful place in the court. When the twelfth century ABC, Thomas Becket, clashed with King Henry II he was martyred in his own cathedral. At the Reformation, King Henry VIII appointed his own man, a minor cleric named Thomas Cranmer, who agreed to ratify the king’s divorce. Since then, (apart from the short-lived restoration of Catholicism under Mary Tudor) the Archbishop of Canterbury has been the leader of the Church of England. With the growth of the Anglican Communion, he has also become the figurehead of the world-wide Anglican Church.
It would be a mistake, however, to regard the Archbishop of Canterbury as a sort of ‘Anglican pope.’ The ABC is simply the bishop of the Diocese of Canterbury and the head of the Southern part of the Church of England. (The Archbishop of York heads up the Northern Province) The important thing to remember is that the Archbishop of Canterbury does not speak for the whole Anglican Communion or even the whole Church of England the way the Pope speaks for the whole Catholic Church. The ABC is really ‘just another bishop’ and although he exercises a leadership role, he has no real authority over other bishops. The Anglican Church is not ruled by the Archbishop in solidarity with his fellow bishops and clergy. It is ruled by an elected body called the General Synod. The General Synod has three houses: the house of Bishops, the House of Clergy and the House of Laity. The World-wide Anglican Communion has no central ruling body. Each national church has its own synod to decide on both practical and theological matters in its own backyard.
Of course the Archbishop has powerful contacts and can pull political levers to make the church go in a certain direction. But because the Archbishop has no real authority he can do no more than voice his own opinion on various important matters. This is why one ABC may totally contradict his successor. So, for example, George Carey was opposed to practising homosexuals being ordained. Rowan Williams seems to approve. Robert Runcie understood the Catholic ban on total intercommunion between Catholics and Protestants. George Carey kept pushing for the ban to be abolished. Rowan Williams will take a more Catholic view of the sacraments and the Church. Carey took the Protestant line. This clash between successive leaders in the Anglican Church reflects the theological differences within the whole Church.
Those who know about the Church of England understand that within the Anglican Church there is a whole range of theological opinions. These opinions are reflected in the different styles of worship. There are basically three groups: Evangelicals, Liberals and Catholics. However, there are many sub groups. So, for example, you could be a Liberal Evangelical or a Conservative Evangelical. You could be a Charismatic Liberal Evangelical or a Charismatic Conservative Evangelical. Change that around and you might be a Liberal Catholic or a Conservative Catholic. You could be a Charismatic Conservative Catholic or a Traditionalist Liberal Catholic. These are just a few of the permutations, and the range expands when you throw into the mix all the different preferences of worship and spirituality. The Anglican Church is like a cafeteria, while the Catholic Church is a restaurant with a fixed menu.
So where does the new ABC fit in? There is a tradition in the Anglican Church that a ‘low church’ or ‘Evangelical’ ABC takes turns with someone from the ‘high church’ or ‘Catholic’ wing. Rowan Williams is an ‘Affirming Catholic’. What does that mean? One smart aleck said, ‘This means they affirm everything but Catholicism.’ I don’t think that’s fair. Williams genuinely understands and values many things from the Catholic tradition. He is a very knowledgeable theologian, and is well-informed in Catholic spirituality. He has a great regard for the Eastern Orthodox traditions of theology and prayer. Williams is thought to be orthodox in his theological views. In other words, he believes in the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection. However, he is liberal in his political and moral philosophy. Inasmuch as he takes a liberal political line he is in step with Catholicism. He is one of the few Anglican bishops who has taken a pro-life stance, and he has spoken up to support the family. However, in some of his moral teaching he moves away from Catholicism. If he really does allow the remarriage of divorced people, and sanctions homosexuality, then in this respect, he will take the Anglican Church further from Catholic teaching.
What will the future of Catholic-Anglican relations be like under the new Archbishop? As our Pope nears the end of his pontificate, and a new Pope is elected, it will be interesting to see how things develop. There are some huge obstacles in the path to reconciliation, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Archbishop Rowan Williams has a few surprises up his sleeve. I suspect he may turn his attention East. Perhaps the most fruitful way forward is for Anglicans to build more bridges with the Eastern Orthodox, while still trying to construct that tricky bridge across the Tiber.
When I was an Anglican I remember my Anglo-Catholic bishop lamenting the lack of theological understanding among his fellow bishops. He said, ‘I don’t mind the ones who understand the Catholic view, but disagree with it. But what really hurts is that the vast majority of the bishops don’t actually understand the Catholic view to start with.’ In George Carey we had an Archbishop who didn’t really seem to understand Catholicsm. We may disagree with some of the moral opinions of Rowan Williams, but at least in the new ABC we have a man who has a better grasp of what it means to be Catholic.
Dwight Longenecker used to be an Anglican vicar. He is editor of a book of conversion stories called The Path to Rome.
Sent 2.viii.02
|
