EXCERPT:
Did anyone notice?
Amid the pomp and pageantry that surrounded the royal wedding, the simple words of the Wedding Sermon by Dr. Richard Chartres, Bishop of London, were probably lost on most viewers (emphasis mine):
You have both made your decision today – “I will” – and by making this new relationship, you have aligned yourselves with what we believe is the way in which life is spiritually evolving, and which will lead to a creative future for the human race.
We stand looking forward to a century which is full of promise and full of peril. Human beings are confronting the question of how to use wisely a power that has been given to us through the discoveries of the last century. We shall not be converted to the promise of the future by more knowledge, but rather by an increase of loving wisdom and reverence, for life, for the earth and for one another.
As my readers know, this is precisely the vision I have long attributed to Vatican Council II: the profound challenge of harnessing a wisdom that can guide the modern world’s newfound powers toward a future of promise rather than peril. These words, woven into the fabric of a ceremony filled with echoes of past glories, cast an unblinking eye on the future of Christianity in the modern world.
But Christianity’s ancient wisdom does no good if the modern world ignores it. To yoke power to wisdom, the Christian church must become what I have called a “global force for good.” I have written that Vatican II called for the Church to become less Roman so that it could become more catholic, less Latin so that it could be more universal.
But has that happened? Are there signs of a renewed Catholicism that is less European, Latin, imperial, and Roman - - and more international, multicultural, popular, and catholic?
In some respects the answer is: yes - - with a vengeance!
Now comes a Monty Python bishop from a "church" without doctrine, an ardent ecumaniac but no great fan of Pope Benedict or the "Catholic Wing" of the Catholic Church, to exemplify THE VISION of THE COUNCIL. Well, it's a point of view!
ReplyDeleteWhat lovely anthropocentric goo it all is:
"Spiritually evolving... a creative future for the human race... loving wisdom and reverence for life, for the earth and for one another..." As far as "Christianity's ancient wisdom" goes it's a bit thin, old bean; sounds more like one of those radio adverts for the Freemasons! Or the wisdom of the archdruid Rowan Williams, those CofE types all sound the same these days...
Really, old chap, If this is where you're "at" it's hard to believe that you wouldn't be right at home with these blokes - and their lady "bishops" too! Methinks they'd welcome you with open arms...