Blessings vote causes rift with Catholics.The diocese of Niagara's approval of same-sex blessings during its November synod has caused a rupture in its relationship with local Roman Catholics. The Roman Catholic diocese of Hamilton The Diocese of Hamilton was created on February 29, 1856 by a division of the Archdiocese of Toronto. The Diocese comprises the counties and regions of Brant, Bruce, Grey, Halton, Waterloo, Wellington, Wentworth, as well as four Townships in the County of Dufferin, all located in in southern Ontario has decided not to take part in the renewal of baptismal vows Baptismal Vows The name popularly given to the renunciations required of an adult candidate for baptism just before the sacrament is conferred. In the case of infant baptism, they are made in the name of the child by the sponsors. with Anglicans and Lutherans during this month's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is an international Christian ecumenical observance kept annually between 18 January and 25 January. It is actually an octave, that is, an observance lasting eight days. , expressing concern over the diocese's approval of a motion allowing the blessing of gay couples. Despite the synod vote, diocesan policy regarding blessings did not change, as bishop Ralph Spence did not endorse the vote. That the bishop did not endorse the synod decision apparently did not make a difference. "After a frank and honest exchange of views at lunch today (Dec. 3rd), with the Roman Catholic Bishop of Hamilton (Anthony F. Tonnos) and the Auxiliary Bishop
Anglicans, Lutherans and Roman Catholics had, for the last four years, gathered for a renewal of baptismal vows. Last year, they commemorated the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in an evensong at Christ's Church Cathedral, Hamilton, Ont. It would have been the turn of the Lutherans to host this year's celebration. The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity unites Christian churches throughout the world. Its theme this year is "Our Foundation is Jesus Christ" (See related story this page.) Bishop Spence told Anglican Journal that the decision "has saddened us to say the least." But he said that Bishop Tonnos is "very firm in his decision and we respect where he's coming from. "Roman Catholics, he added, see the blessing of gay couples as "an attack on marriage." The joint statement added, however, that Roman Catholics would join the annual Lutheran Anglican Roman Catholic (LARC LARC Langley Research Center LARC London Action Resource Centre LARC Lighter, Amphibious Resupply, Cargo LARC Long Acting Reversible Contraception LARC Learning and Academic Resource Center (University of California, Irvine) ) study day this year. "The friendship between the four bishops continues as a sign of our respect for each other's ministries," Bishops Spence and Pryse said in their statement. Bishop Spence said he does not believe that the dialogue will end or that it has now taken a step backward. "I think we're just standing still," he said. Until the statement, there was no sign that Anglican-Roman Catholic relations were suffering under the strain of the deep divisions among Anglicans worldwide over same-sex issues. A day after Niagara's vote on Nov. 13, a group of Canadian, Anglican, Roman Catholic and Eastern Rite Catholic bishops met in Ottawa for a dialogue that discussed a wide range of issues including the Anglican Communion's Windsor Report. Although some Catholics have expressed concern "about developments within Anglicanism," particularly tensions over the ordination of a gay bishop in New Hampshire New Hampshire, one of the New England states of the NE United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts (S), Vermont, with the Connecticut R. forming the boundary (W), the Canadian province of Quebec (NW), and Maine and a short strip of the Atlantic Ocean (E). and the blessing of same-sex unions in New Westminster, the matters were not raised by the bishops during the dialogue, said Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, director of the Anglican Church of Canada's faith, worship and ministry department. In a press statement released after the meeting, the bishops said discussion on the Windsor Report, which focused on issues of communion, authority, decision-making and homosexuality "were addressed in a spirit of respect and honesty." Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada (referred to in older documents as the Primate of All Canada) is elected by the General Synod of the Church from among a list of five bishops nominated by the House of Bishops. , and Bishop Francois Lapierre of Ste. Hyacinthe, Que., co-chaired the meeting. "The Roman Catholics were very interested in the way in which Anglicans make decisions," Ms. Barnett-Cowan told Anglican Journal. "Mostly they were seeking to understand how it is that we have come out where we are. They were just as interested in the way in which we came to allow remarriage Re`mar´riage n. 1. A second or repeated marriage. Noun 1. remarriage - the act of marrying again after divorce ... Since they have a central magisterium mag·is·te·ri·um n. Roman Catholic Church The authority to teach religious doctrine. [Latin, the office of a teacher or other person in authority, from magister, master; see (teaching authority), they were interested in how Anglicans in different provinces decide." Ms. Barnett-Cowan said this was an ongoing discussion within the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission The Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) is an organization which seeks to make ecumenical progress between the Roman Catholic Church and Anglican Communion. , which has been in dialogue in Canada since 1975. |
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