C HURCH Ecumenism, ministry, spirituality

E CUMENISM Unity – an unnecessary ideal? All Christian churches carry out: Evangelism Service to the world

E CUMENISM Theologically it seeks to: Make manifest the Kingdom of God amongst all peoples To work out God’s purposes of redemption and salvation through out the world Has been interpreted as ‘ you-come-in-ism ’ !

F ORMS OF U NITY Of origin : in the Trinity Of nature : the Church in the body of Christ In baptism : the validity of baptism is generally recognised so we are all incorporated into Christ In the Spirit : all those being saved have within them the Spirit and so they are united

U NITY - In charity : where there is charity and love, there is God Of life : we share many common structures and organisations across the Christian spectrum Of destiny : we are heading for the same destiny, may one day be in the same ‘saved’ state so in a sense we are already unified.

ARCIC Anglican and Roman Catholic study groups on various topics Very little significant difference pinpointed The ordination of women intervened to prevent further unification between Catholics and CoE

T HE C HURCH AND M INISTRY All Christians have a ministry the ordained ‘The common priesthood of the faithful And the ministerial or hierarchical priesthood Differ essentially and not only in degree’ N10 Are interrelated Each shares in the priesthood of Christ

O RDAINED WOMEN ? - F OR Exclusion violates human dignity and baptismal mandate to participate in the church’s mission Deaconesses in the early church (1 Tim 3:8-13; 5:2; Nothing positively excludes ordination of women Women have demonstrated a capacity to fulfil this role

A ND : ‘the tradition’ may well be in its infancy! Exclusion of women on the basis of gender assumes a radical inferiority Jesus called no one to ordained priesthood as distinct from discipleship and apostolate The growing requirement of the Eucharist to be celebrated

W OMEN ' S ’ ORDINATION : ARGUMENTS AGAINST The tradition has consistently been against it Jesus did not call women to priesthood, even his mother The ordained priest acts in the name of Christ and must be able to represent him physically as well as spiritually. No one has a right to ordination Some ambiguity about the ordination of women called deaconesses in the NT

C OLLABORATIVE MINISTRY ‘The Sign We Give’ 1989 Ordained and lay working together Result? Poor to middling

S PIRITUALITY IN THE C HURCH TODAY The role of the parish: a spiritual flame? Vatican emphasis (General Directory for Catechesis n257) Movements today: many, varied and increasing And outside of the parish? A response to the world?

S PIRITUAL M OVEMENTS TODAY Taize, Iona, Northumbria Focolare Ascent L’Arche Youth 2000 St Egidio Many third orders

P OPE F RANCIS ON T AIZE..D EC 2014 Speaking of the search for full communion between the Churches in Istanbul he cited 3 voices calling particularly for unity: the poor, victims of conflict and the young. “The young people today who implore us to make progress toward full communion....[for example] come together through the Taize community. They do not do this because they are not aware of the differences....but because they are able to see beyond them; they are able to embrace what is really important and what already unites us” Taize website 12/14