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INTWOMMUNION: ROME PARENTS' BODIES WANT A NATIONAL "POLITELY" ORGANISATION i IMAMS ROME (NC). — Vatican ecumenical officials have expressed surprise and polite disagreement with the call by Anglican Archbishop Donald Coggan, of Canterbury, for intercommunion now between Roman Catholics and Anglicans at his historic meeting with Pope Paul.
official ARCIC dialogue between the two churches have agreed on what they considered the essential points regarding priestly ministry. And even, during Archbishop Coggan's visit to Rome, the Anglicans in England published proposed changes in the Anglican ordination rite which could satisfy Catholic objections to the rite itself. "There are some today before the archbishop's Yet the decree of Leo who say, 'We can practise scheduled departure. XIII still stands — and with "I don't feel that the arch- intercommunion; declarAnother unity secretariat it stand questions for Cathbishop took full account of ed the Pope at the audience. official said privately that the Catholic side of the "But no, we can't. Be- the Catholic Church was olics of the historical continuity of Anglican ordinaintercommunion issue," said cause Communion presup- not ready to take action on tions, even if a changed ritone official of the Vatican's poses that we are already an issue such as intercomual should be found acceptSecretariat for Promoting united in faith and charity, munion "as if a situation able. Christian Unity. but we are not yet." of full unity existed." "In emphasising the curAn Anglican bishop in He recalled a recent rent practice in our church- CHURCH NOT READY Rome explained that, for speech by Pope Paul to the Anglicans, The Pope's words seemed es the archbishop seemed to sharing the Euchbe saying that, since inter- to be especially aimed at secretariat in which he warn- arist could be considere d as communion is already being the Anglican-Catholic ecu- ed officials against taking either the goal of the ecuactions based on the menical phrase. menical dialogue done, then let's bless the dialogue. or the The speech came the "as if it were". Practice. Well, we can't do means for attaining the goal same week in which a major It that way." Another secretariat offi- of Christian unity. Archbishop Coggan had agreed statement on auth- cial emphasised that the He said that until recentSaid that the time for offi- ority in the Church was re- whole problem of intercom- ly Anglicans agreed with the cial sanction of intercom- leased by the official joint munion cannot be tackled Vatican in viewing intercommunion — sharing each dialogue group of the two until the question of the munion as the ultimate goal Other's Eucharist — had churches, the Anglican- validity of Anglican Orders to be achieved. arrived for Anglicans and Roman Catholic Internation- is faced. He added, however, that Roman Catholics. al Commission. According to a decree is- Archbishop Coggan was the Vatican ecumenical offi- sued by Pope Leo XIII in most eminent in a growing JOLT FOR VATICAN cials felt that the Vatican 1896, "ordinations perform- list of Anglicans who saw The frank challenge by would make some response ed according to the Angli- intercommunion as a means the head of the world's 70 to Archbish op Coggan's ser- can rite have been and are for obtaining full unity million Anglicans jolted mon. But they did not feel completely null and void." rather than the final goal. some Vatican officials, and that a response would come Since then scholars in the (• SEE ALSO PAGES 2, 8) not a few Anglicans as well. The archbishop reasoned that the important joint work of evangelisation was Weakened by the fact that Anglicans and Catholics cannot receive Communion at the same altar. He added that intercommunion was already comVATICAN CITY monplace in many areas and (NC). — The Vatican that the practice would conhas put on ice its protinue, even though official Unction may not be forth- posal that all Christ-
onnuon taster date "put on ice"
ians celebrate Easter
Pope Paul, in a January on the same day. general audience discourse, The Vatican released a said that Christians should letter from Cardinal Jan The letter gave as a rea- desire to see all Christians Work harder than they are Willebrands of Utrecht, the son "serious pastoral diffi- celebrate Easter together." toward "common participa- Netherlands, president of culties" in some Orthodox But "because of serious tion in the single Eucharist." the Vatican Secretariat for churches. pastoral difficulties existing But the Pontiff emphasis- Promoting Christian Unity, This year all the world's in certain local churches, ed that intercommunion which said that "no deci- one thousand million Christ- they feel that further study could not be allowed until sion will be possible in the ians celebrated Easter• on and reflection should be Union in matters of faith immediate future" concern- April 10 because the dif- made by their churches behad been achieved. ing the proposal. ferent calculations used by fore a definite answer can Orthodox and Western be given." Christians for fixing the The letter said that "this Easter date happened to study was under way, but harmonise. it is clear that no decision Usually they do not. will be possible in the imSeveral years ago, at the mediate future." request of Pope Paul VI, The cardinal added that Cardinal Willebrands proPope Paul has decided not posed to world Christian to take unilateral action on bodies that Easter be celefixing the Easter day since brated by all on the Sunday following the second "that would not assist us in arriving at the goal of a Saturday of April (This comm on celebration" by all year that day was April 10.) Christians. In his letter to the world's At the World Council of Catholic bishops, dated Churches assembly in NairMarch .15 and released by obi, Kenya, in 1975. Damasthe Vatican on April 26, kinos Papandreou of the Cardinal Willebrands said Orthodox Centre in Geneva that Western Christian told the assembly that the groups were "almost unani- Orthodox churches could mously favourable to the only take action on the proproposal.", posal at a pan-Orthodox He added that the Ortho- synod. dox had "given serious atSuch a synod is expected CANNINGTON: 1308 Albany H/Way. 68 1826 tention" to the plan and to take place within the next 4891 liC 0891. "have publicly stated their few years.
SYDNEY. — The annual general convention of the Catholic Parents and Friends Associations will continue to press the Australian Bishops Conference to set up a national pa rent organisation.
At a recent meeting attended by more than 150 delegates, reports were given on progress that had been made since the idea was first raised in 1973. An Interim Committee for the National Association of Parent Organisations has been in existence since 1973. The Sydney meeting recommended that this committee have further discussions with the Australian bishops so that a national body can-be formally established.
VATICAN II VIEW
It was said by the delegates that this was the wish of a large number of parent groups and it was a request in line with the mind Of the Second Vatican Council regarding participation in the affairs of the Church. The 'suggestion is that a national body would allow a two-way channel of communication between bishops and those in‘Olve'd in Catholic -eduS cation. The matter was placed before the Australian bishops in .Nugust, 1976.
had been conducted on the matter among parent groups. The responses to the questionaire were: • 51 per cent being interested to very interested. • 31 per cent were not interested. 4111 18 per cent gave no indication.
APPROACH TO GOVT.
In an executive report to the convention, the secretary, Mrs. Monica Turner Rave details of a delegation to Federal Education Minister, Senator Carrick, on April 22.
She reported that Senator Carrick said that in regard to the national body, the Bishops Conference had insisted to the Federal Government that at this time no organisation had the right to speak for Catholic parents.
PRECEDENT SET
She said that in aswer to a query to Federal Government funding of parent organisations, Senator Carrick agreed that a precedent had been set when a grant had been made to the national body of the Parents and Citizens organisations.
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DECISION IN 1976
The decision of, the bishops, at the, time was:.. "The Australian Episcopal Conference strongly supports parental involvement in Catholic Education and encourages the development of organisational structures that will bring about a genuine partnership between parents, teachers, clergy and all involved in the education of young people. "However, given the diverse background to the development of parent bodies througbout Australia, the Australian Episcopal Conference judges it neither appropriate nor feasible to endorse any national parent body as operating under its authority."
REVIEW WANTED
The Interim Committee has asked the Bishops Conference to review its decision. At the meeting, the delegates were given the result Of two surveys that
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