Thoughts on Rome

...I am fascinated and encouraged by the irenicism and openness to Anglo-Catholics demonstrated by the Orlando RC Diocese. That a Roman priest would bend the knee to the Blessed Sacrament in an Anglican parish church or attend Benediction given with an Anglican monstrance manifests the actual position so many Romans sincerely hold regarding us. Church of England friends of mine have reported through the years that they have freely concelebrated Mass and received Holy Communion with Roman priests, even with the knowledge and consent of the local bishops. Many European and Latin American RCs, who are not English-speaking, have always been incredibly accepting and welcoming of Anglicans, and clearly do believe in the validity of Anglican Orders. Only Anglophonic RCs from the former British Empire seem still to harbour the angrier resentments and condemnations of the past. Father Tavard, the famous Assumptionist RC priest in England, writes in his excellent books on the subject that lay Roman Catholics intuitively know that Anglicans are Apostolic and possess Holy Orders and the Blessed Sacrament: he attributes the phenomenon to the consensus fidelium of the Church, the common sense of the People of God. The TAC-Rome dialogue will be most intriguing to follow and it will be interesting to see what the Vatican does. Cardinal Kasper does not want a traditional Anglican presence in communion with Rome, but the Pope seems very sympathetic to the idea. We shall see indeed...