Women ordinants `barrier to unity'

IF THE Church of England brings in legislation to allow women ordained in Anglican churches abroad to officiate in this country, unity talks will suffer a severe setback, Catholic authorities said this week.
Although Catholics were not suprised by the apparent change of attitude of Dr Robert Runcie, the Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, in favour of women priests, they criticised his view that the legislation would not damage relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church.
Commenting on the proposed legislation, Bishop Alan Clarke of East Anglia, chairman of the Bishop's Conference Department for Mission. and Unity and a leading member of the Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission on unity, said that discussion would be made even more difficult.
"The simple fact that women are ordained in the Anglican communion is a very great barrier to the progress of unity," he said. "But I do feel that if women priests are allowed to officiate in this country, this barrier will be reinforced."
Dr Runcie, who has so far opposed women's ordination, partly because of his hopes for unity with Rome, told the Synod last week: "It is now clear that the ordination of women to the priesthood — like it or like it not — is almost certainly a permanent development in the ministry of at least some Anglican churches. There can hardly be a way back so long as there are women priests."
He added: "I do not believe the carefully-hedged provisions in this draft will make a significant change to our relationships with the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches." He is now expected to give his support to the motion due to go before November's General Synod asking for legislation to all women priests should be prepared.
Fr Anthony Churchill of the Catholic Media office said that in legal terms the Archbishop could not be faulted, because unity discussions were with the Anglican Church worldwide, not just the Church of England.
"The Church of England is part of the Anglican communion which has women priests. Therefore the Church of England would merely be recognising what is the case in other Anglican churches."
He added, however, that women priests in this country would set back unity relations at an ecumenical and pastoral level.