Randall Balmer: Vatican's cynical and opportunistic overture

Because, of course, not everybody is thrilled with the Pope right now.

From Randall Balmer, an Episcopalian priest, in a blog post on the Washington Post's On Faith blog (with my Fr. Z-style emphases and comments):

Vatican's cynical and opportunistic overture

The Vatican's sudden overture to disaffected Anglicans strikes me as both cynical and opportunistic. Cynical in that the concession effectively to allow congregations to continue using Anglican hymns and liturgies seems to undermine decades of ecumenical discussions [because reunion is so anti-ecumenical]by suddenly removing these issues as impediments to union. [So...the pope removed " impediments to union", and thus undermined ecumenism, which has the goal of reunion? And this is a bad thing? Heck, that's not even logical.]

The move is opportunistic in that Rome is making the overture at what might be viewed as a moment of crisis or weakness in the Anglican Communion. [I think the better comparison might be catastrophe.] The Vatican apparently is seeking to harvest those disaffected by the ordination of women and gays and by support for same-sex unions. [Harvest, poach - why does everyone seem to miss that the Pope is responding to the request of hundreds of Anglicans?]

A cynical action calls for a cynical interpretation: Perhaps the Vatican is hoping to lure Anglican parishes - and their property - to compensate for its financial losses in the priestly pedophilia scandals. [Yeah...you knew it was coming. Gotta be a sinister ulterior motive.]

I have no doubt that some disaffected Anglicans will see this as an attractive offer. At the same time, I wasn't aware that Christians opposed to homosexuality or to women's ordination were underserved in the religious marketplace. [Hmm. Is it me or is he being downright snippy here?]

Apparently it's inconceivable ("Inconceivable!") that Catholics actually believe that everyone should be Catholic.

Which tells you something about the state of ecumenical relations over the last forty years or so. Our ecumenists must have been giving off the impression that Catholic ecumenism doesn't have the goal of getting everyone to be Catholic. Apparently they must have been giving off the impression that the goal of ecumenism is to write nice joint papers and smile at each other while dialoguing ad nauseaum.

Not that I'm against doing those things, mind you. The world needs more smiles. But that can't be the end goal - only the means of obtaining the end goal: all Christians united in the Catholic Church.

Alas, some people just don't get it. At least not right now. But I'm hopeful, that as more and more Episcopalians and other Anglicans get fed up with priests who claim to be both Christian and Muslim, a bishop who denies the Resurrection, and their presiding bishop denying that Jesus is the only way to salvation, it might become clear to people like Balmer.

At least, I certainly hope so.

Update: For more sour grapes on the On Faith blog, see Susan K. Smith:

When I heard the news about this move of the Vatican, and then read about it, I found myself wondering two things: What would Jesus say? And what would Mary, the mother of the Christ, say?

I am at a loss.

Oh, that's easy. :-)

Jesus would say, "Father, may they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:22b)

And the Blessed Virgin would say, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:5)

Update: More sour grapes from a retired Episcopalian bishop (who also denies the resurrection, incidentally):

Ecclesiastical kindergarten games

In the recent communication between the Pope, Benedict XVI, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, which will allow Anglicans to become Roman Catholics with an "Anglican Twist," we have a sad picture of how out-of-date and irrelevant institutional Christianity has become. Here we have two unimpressive Christian leaders, rooted deeply in yesterday, jockeying publicly to see who can be the most prejudiced about the role of women and the place of homosexual people in the life of the Christian Church.

Pray for this man. He needs it.