Qualified yes

from Rome for unity paper
by Martin Newland THE Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has given qualified approval to the latest agreed statement on salvation by the second Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC II).
The Sacred Congregation found that ARCIC's deliberations "can be interpreted in a way that conforms with Catholic faith", but asked for clarification on key aspects in the Catholic doctrine, namely on the role of the sacraments and of the Church as a means to salvation.
"Our findings have been accepted as in line with the Catholic faith. That is very positive," said Bishop Cormac Murphy O'Connor of Arundel and Brighton, who is CoChairman of ARCIC II. "We have simply been picked up on the fact that we have not made ourselves clear regarding the Church as the Body of Christ and regarding the importance of the sacraments."
"Given the nature of the Sacred Congregation there were bound to be conditions," said the Anglican Co-Chairman of ARCIC II Dr Mark Santer, Bishop of Birmingham. "1 have spoken with Bishop Cormac Murphy O'Connor and we are both pleased with the substantially positive way the statement has been received. It is
clear to both of us that more work needs to be done. This we will undertake when we come to discuss the nature of community in and between churches."
The ARCIC statement Salvation in the Church tried to tackle the key issue of justification by faith which split the Church in the sixteenth century. The Sacred Congregation said in its "observations" that "the vision of the Church as Sacrament of salvation and the specifically sacramental dimension of man's justification and sanctification are too vague and too weak to allow us to affirm that the commission has arrived at substantial agreement."
"The Sacred Congregation has made it clear that certain aspects concerning what the Church does in the process of salvation need further study", said Bishop Murphy O'Connor. "We have to be ready to disagree on areas of the faith. If we agreed on everything there would be no need for ARCIC at all."
"The problem is that at the time of the Reformation Luther saw the Church as little more than a 'useful aid' to living out the Christian life. For us the Church is not merely a help, but an instrument in our salvation," said the bishop.