THE DOG THAT DIDN’T BARK

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

On November 28th, Pope Benedict XVI met with two Anglican religious leaders from North America:

At the close of the General Audience of 28 Nov 2012, the leader of the Anglican Church in North America, Archbishop Robert Duncan met with Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican.

Archbishop Eliud Wabukala of Kenya, leader of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, was to have also attended the General Audience, but was delayed. Joined by the chairman of the ACNA’s ecumenical relations commission, Bishop Ray Sutton of the Reformed Episcopal Church, Archbishop Duncan spoke with the pope.  The three later met with Vatican officials.  Details of the conversations have not been released.  Claims of the significance of the meeting or of its symbolism are also premature, one Vatican watcher said, until the substance of the conversation is known.

Probably because the Episcopalians and Canadian Anglicans are denser than a black hole.

In recent years the Vatican has expressed its displeasure with actions taken by the Episcopal Church and other parts of the Anglican Communion.  Following the 2003 election of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, the Vatican indicated that it would not be comfortable with Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold remaining co-chairman of the ARCIC talks with the Vatican in light of his participation in the consecration ceremony.

Three cardinals addressed the 2008 Lambeth Conference, warning the innovations of doctrine and discipline taken by the Episcopal Church, Anglican Church of Canada and other provinces were making dialogue all but impossible.  The Vatican has also lobbied the Church of England not to permit the consecration of women bishops, stating that this step would end efforts at seeking visible unity.  
Questions about the validity Anglican sacraments and orders, which had been under discussion since the mid-1960’s would end with women bishops.

As George Conger points out, Benedict supported traditionalist Anglicans long before he became pope.

Pope Benedict XVI has offered a hand of welcome to conservative Anglicans in the past.  At the 2003 “Plano Conference” of conservative Anglicans held in Dallas, Texas, Bishop Duncan read a 9 Oct 2003 letter from Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger written on behalf of Pope John Paul II that extended the Catholic Church’s prayers.

”I hasten to assure you of my heartfelt prayers for all those taking part in this convocation. The significance of your meeting is sensed far beyond Plano, and even in this City from which Saint Augustine of Canterbury was sent to confirm and strengthen the preaching of Christ’s Gospel in England. Nor can I fail to recall that barely 120 years later, Saint Boniface brought that same Christian faith from England to my own forebears in Germany.

“The lives of these saints show us how in the Church of Christ there is a unity in truth and a communion of grace which transcend the borders of any nation. With this in mind, I pray in particular that God’s will may be done by all those who seek that unity in the truth, the gift of Christ himself,” Cardinal Ratzinger wrote.

I realize that popes meet with non-Catholic religious leaders all the time (I still have trouble wrapping my mind around a photo I once saw of John Paul II shaking hands with Benny Hinn).  So nobody should read too much into this.

But since I’m, well, me, I’m going to read too much into this.  Not because of the two people in this picture with His Holiness but because of two people who are not in this picture and will never be in one like it.
Here’s a hint.  One of the latter two is named Fred.  The other one’s named Katharine.

If Bob Duncan and the rest of the Anglican Church in North America have eyes to see, they would realize that they’ve just been given a gift FAR more valuable than “official” recognition by Lambeth Palace could ever hope to be.

Benedict just had a picture taken with you, Bob.  He’s not going to have one taken with Kate or Fred any time soon.  Do the math.