Anglican Ecumenism

ARCIC (Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission) has wrapped up another meeting! How momentously earth-shattering! The world of theology no doubt is simply aquiver with all of the brilliant doctrinal apologetic and exposition that will be unleashed from this most recent confabulation.

Or maybe nobody will care.

I'm betting on the latter option.

In case you've never heard of this before, ARCIC is an ecumenical meeting between Anglicans and Catholics that has about as much use as surgically grafting mammaries onto a boar hog. We've discussed it before here and here. Per the Zenit article, the current mission is as follows:

The group was charged with considering the Church as communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church comes to discern right ethical teaching. They were also asked to examine how commitment to restoring full visible unity is to be understood and pursued today. The ARCIC is also preparing case studies regarding theological matters on differing issues such as divorce, remarriage, and contraception. They also will set out to discuss evolving issues such as the economy and the theology of work.

I'm sure, dear readers, that your adrenaline peaks just by thinking of what grand fruits will be brought forth from these labors. Here's my favorite part, though:

The ecumenical commission has made it clear that they do not intend to seek to resolve disputed ethical questions. Rather, its purpose is to “analyze the means by which our two traditions have arrived at or are currently determining right ethical teaching.”

Ok. How about I save everyone a lot of time and money and just get that question out of the way right now? Here's how the respective traditions have arrived at and currently determine right ethical thinking.

Catholics:





Anglicans:





Do we really need to have meetings to understand this?