Diversity in Unity

Diversity in Unity

(Preached at St Thomas More Roman Catholic Church, North Mymms, 19/1/03)

We always hold this annual service at the beginning of the week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

I recall Fr Eddie Matthews, a former parish priest here at St Thomas More, asking me a

few years ago whether I had heard of Vatican Councils 1 and 2. I replied "Yes"; then with a serious face, he advised me that plans were afoot for Vatican Council 3, to which wives would be invited! He then went on to say that rumour had it that plans were also

afoot for Vatican Council 4, to which husbands would be invited!!

Don't worry, I am sure he was just teasing me. However, I am aware that there is a movement within the Roman Catholic Church seeking to explore the possibility of the ordination of women to the priesthood.

At the end of last year, the Dutch Roman Catholic John Winjngaards published a book entitled No Women in Holy Orders?: the women deacons in the early church.

Winjngaards resigned some years ago from the priesthood in protest at his Church's current position on the ordination of women. A year earlier he published another book entitled The Ordination of Women in the Catholic Church, which won wide acclaim in certain sections of the church.

His present book focuses upon the question: "Were the women deacons of the early church sacramentally ordained?"

He argues: "If the diaconate of women was a true diaconate, if it was one valid expression of holy orders, then women did in fact receive holy orders and the priesthood is open to them".

Margaret Hebblethwaite's review of the book in the Tablet argues that "there is unity among the threefold ministry, in that there is one sacrament of orders and not three". Nevertheless, it does not necessarily follow that one progresses from one order to the other. For instance, in the Orthodox Church, married priests are not eligible to become bishops and neither are permanent deacons in the Roman Catholic Church eligible to become Priests.

She also points out that from the early patristic texts, women deacon's ministry was not identical to that of men.

Furthermore, "the male deacon's ministry then was not the same as it is today, for then they were not allowed to baptise".

I would also want to point out that the use of the words 'deacon' and 'priest' in the early church are not as clear and straightforward as we like to think. We are in danger of reading our current practice into the New Testament texts, where the two words are often interchangeable.

I suspect the debate, as regards the ordination of women to the priesthood has only just begun within the Roman Catholic Church.

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In the Church of England, it started way back during the Second World War, when Bishop Hall of Hong Kong ordained Florence Li-Tim as a priest to ensure that the

sacrament of the Eucharist was available in an isolated part of his Diocese. Once the emergency ceased, he withdrew his permission for her to officiate.

However, the genie had been let out of the bottle and the debate had started, within the worldwide Anglican Communion, to a greater or lesser degree.

When I first addressed the subject in Lent 1970, my audience thought I was in cloud cuckoo land!!

Yet, after persistent debate within the General Synod of the Church of England, over a period of twenty years, legislation was eventually passed ten years ago permitting the ordination of women to the priesthood.

However, this did not carry the unanimous approval of the whole of the church of England, though it did just carry the necessary two thirds majority of the Houses of Bishops, Clergy and Laity voting separately.

Some of its Catholic wing maintained that the church did not have the authority to change the universal church's historic tradition. Furthermore, they argued that such a move would hinder church unity, especially with the orthodox and Roman Catholic

Churches. Meanwhile, some of those on the Evangelical wing maintained that it was against the teaching of the Bible for women to assume the role of headship within the church.

In order to accommodate those who objected, and at the same time to maintain the unity of the Church of England, it was agreed to allow parishes which objected, to opt out of inviting women to celebrate the Eucharist, and/or to be appointed as incumbent of parishes.

However, this still did not go far enough for some. The then Archbishop of York, John Habgood, became instrumental in the passing of an Act of Synod, as opposed to an Act of Parliament, which was necessary to authorise women to be ordained. This Act of Synod provided for alternative Episcopal oversight for those parishes which felt unable to accept that of their diocesan bishop, if he had been involved in the ordination of women to the priesthood. These were to be called Provincial Episcopal Visitors (PEVs) who quickly became known as "Flying Bishops" of which there are three.

The aim of the legislation was to enable those who objected, to be able to remain within the Church of England, alongside those who accepted women priests.

Whilst some would maintain that this had legislated for schism within the Church of England, others would maintain that this was necessary in order to provide breathing space for all concerned, during this time of 'reception', to see whether the ordination of

women to the priesthood be of God or not.

Recognising that this would still not satisfy some clergy, compensation was introduced for those who felt compelled to leave the Church of England.

To date 487 stipendiary clergy have resigned at a cost to the church of 15 million pounds. Some have been received and re-ordained within the Roman Catholic Church - I think I am right in saying that all the priests at Westminster Cathedral, at one time, were former Anglicans, save for the Cardinal, and only this last Friday I learned that a former Anglican priest is to become an auxiliary Bishop in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster. However, 64 have subsequently returned to the Church of England.

Today, there are approximately 2000 women priests of whom just over half are in full time stipendiary appointments.

Whilst some protagonists would wish to rescind the Act of Synod, and thereby force their point of view upon those who object, others would wish for a third permanent Province to be established within the Church of England, in order to safeguard the position of those who still object. The newly appointed Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, is on record as advocating such a possible move, in his desire to maintain the unity of the Church of England.

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Now you are probably wondering why I have chosen to address such a controversial subject, drawing at length upon the experience of the Church of England, at the start of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The answer to that question is quite simple.

Whilst I am not suggesting that the answer to Christian Unity is for everyone to become members of the Church of England, that church does, nevertheless, take pride in its ability to contain differences. It has had to learn how to live together in unity. This need not signal to a lack of conviction, as some suppose. Rather it witnesses to the belief that no single expression of the Christian faith can do justice to the whole.

In his latest book, the Chief Rabbi, Lionel Sachs, has made a powerful case for the idea that differences, not only between faiths but also within them, far from being an unfortunate lapse from the ideal of unity, can form part of the purpose of God who loves diversity.

"Living with differences, particularly within a single organisation, is not easy'', observes John Hapgood. "It can give rise to insecurities, animosities and actual divisions. Much depends on the attitude of mind and tone of voice in which differences are discussed. It is on this level that religious bodies ought to have something positive to contribute to the deep cultural and political divides of today's world".

"Sadly, the reality is often the exact opposite. There have been too many examples where religious intransigencies have merely exacerbated political conflict". One thinks immediately of the conflict between Roman Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland, or between Muslim fundamentalism and Christianity.

"We really ought to be able to do better. This is why a difficult internal debate, like that which still centres on the ordination of women as priests, is not just a domestic matter. It is also in some way a measure of the Church's ability to make a convincing contribution as an agent of reconciliation - in a world beset by misunderstandings, injustices, suspicions, hatred, anger and fear".

For far too long, the movement towards the reunion of Christendom has focused upon uniformity. In other words that we all become the same. What I am advocating is for diversity within unity.

This includes giving space for each other; respect for each other; and an acknowledgement that no one particular church has a monopoly of the Christian truth.

This also demands courtesy, tolerance, and a prayer for one another, which is the purpose of this annual Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

In our differences, within our individual churches, and between our churches, we need to learn to draw upon our reserves of generosity, forbearance and readiness to learn, which can be deployed without threatening fundamental convictions.

For as St Paul reminds us: "There are a variety of gifts, but the same Lord, and there are varieties of working, but it is the same God who inspires them all in everyone.....To

each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good" (1 Cor 12.4-8).

And now to that one God, who reveals himself through diversity, be all honour and glory, today and forever. Amen.