Dr Rowan Williams: Ordinariate ‘may be prophetic’

By Staff Reporter
Thursday, 18 November 2010

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has said he would “praise God” for the Ordinariate if it helps people appreciate the Anglican patrimony.

Speaking to Vatican Radio in Rome, Dr Williams was asked about Pope Benedict XVI’s description of the Ordinariate as a “prophetic gesture”.

He said: “Well, I think if the Ordinariate helps people evaluate Anglican legacy or patrimony, well and good, I’m happy to praise God for it. I don’t see it as an aggressive act, meant to destabilise the relations of the Churches, and it remains to be seen just how large a movement we’re talking about.”

Asked again whether he thought it was prophetic, he said: “Maybe yes, in the sense that here is the Roman Catholic Church saying there are ways of being Christian in the western Church which are not restricted by historic Roman Catholic identity – that’s something we can talk about.” the rest