Catholics and Protestants Holding Hands?
Perhaps its because I've only understood this in an outside way, but I thought the whole point of '95 Thesis was that Luther had big issues with the RCC that he did not want to bother even trying to work with? A fundamental different ideological platform? Which is usually what forming a seperate insititution is about right? Incompatible viewpoints on conduct and doctrine> So why are they so invested in working together all of a sudden?
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/national/18bishops.html wrote:
U.S. Catholic Bishops Agree to Join New Ecumenical Group
The top hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States decided yesterday to join the broadest alliance of Christian churches in the country so far, a new ecumenical group that would bring the church to the same table as conservative evangelicals and liberal Protestants.
Members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have played a central role in the formation of the group, Christian Churches Together in the U.S.A., since discussions began with leaders of other denominations in fall 2001. The conference approved membership in the group at a meeting in Washington.
Despite its emergence after an election campaign marked by controversial pronouncements on faith and politics by conservative Catholic and Protestant leaders, the new group is expected to skirt most controversial public policy issues, at least for now, said clergy members involved with the organization. Its goal appears instead to be more modest: to create a forum, once a year, where the leaders of a range of churches can discuss topics of common interest, from charity work to interfaith relations.
If the group wants to take a stand on abortion or stem cell research, however, its members can vote to do so, said the Rev. Arthur Kennedy, executive director of the secretariat for ecumenical and interreligious affairs at the bishops' conference. Yet formulating a common position on such a divisive issue may be difficult, given that the group will make decisions only by consensus.
The organization has about 23 members, Father Kennedy said, including Eastern Orthodox churches; the historic Protestant denominations, like the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; evangelical churches; ethnic churches; and religiously oriented groups, like the Salvation Army and World Vision. The decision by the bishops' conference to join Christian Churches Together was seen from the outset as essential to the group's existence.
Although most churches engage in ecumenical dialogue with other Christians, those talks are usually bilateral. Moreover, evangelicals and Pentecostals have often not participated regularly in such talks. Through this new group, they can be brought into greater contact with the more traditional churches....
Oh. That's the reason. I knew there had to be one that wasn't about if
Il Papa gets the final parkinson ridden word.
