Big Doings in Rome & London?

Now what can this be all about?

I get an email from my Li’l Bro Thom (who likes show tunes, a lot, and is often peppering his emails with Broadway lyrices) “Could be, who knows? There’s something due any day, I will know, right away…soon as it shows…”

He was writing about this bit of a blurb from Deacon Greg, who got it from American Papist, who got it from Damian Thompson:

We inform accredited journalists that tomorrow, Tuesday 20 October 2009, at 11am, in the John Paul II Hall of the Press Office of the Holy See, a briefing will be held on a theme pertaining to the relationship with the Anglicans, at which His Eminence Cardinal William Joseph Levada, Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and His Excellency Mgr Joseph Augustine Di Noia OP, Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments will take part. (Hat-tip, Fr Finigan.)

Meanwhile, this press release came from the Archbishop of Canterbury’s office:

You are invited to a press conference with Archbishop Vincent Nichols (Archbishop of Westminster) and Archbishop Rowan Williams (Archbishop of Canterbury) on Tuesday 20 October at 1000. The press conference will take place at 39 Eccleston Square, London SW1V 1BX.

Father Z supposes that this is “to announce that there will be a reunion of Traditional Anglicans with the Catholic Church. ”

Which might result in something rather like this parish in Texas, an Anglican-use Catholic church.

Certainly traditional Anglicans have been considering such a move for a while. Recall, just last month, 10 Anglican nuns and their chaplain entered the Roman church.

Even more interesting, to my way of thinking, is this blurb about Queen Elizabeth, who is reportedly “appalled” by the recent moves within the Church of England. Her Majesty, a plucky lady who worked in the motor pool for the UK armed forces during World War II, is, along with Benedict XVI, the last 20th century figure of world-wide caliber to still stand upon the world stage. As she is also the head of the Church of England and, of course, the Defender of the Faith, it is remarkable to read that Benedict’s 2010 visit to England may very well include a stay at Buckingham Palace as the guest of the Queen.

Interesting doings? It seems to me that everyone currently in power is moving about in a rather rushed fashion, just now. Churches do not rush, much. As a rule, the churches take a good long time to make their moves. But when they do; they are resolute.

Also worth noting: don’t ignore the very young Russian Orthodox Archbishop Helarion of Volokolamsk, the Vicar of His Holiness the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia and the chairman of the Department of External Church Relations (basically, the foreign secretary of the Russian Orthodox Church). He recently met with Pope Benedict XVI and had what all concerned called a “positive” and “constructive” meeting.

The times being what they are, Christian churches may have to find ways to come together, ut unum sint.