Kevin Kallsen has posted
more videos from the International Catholic Congress of Anglicans last week.
Bishop Ray Sutton’s
sermon during the closing Solemn Mass stands out.
His call to focus on and
preach the cross as a remedy for divisions among catholic Anglicans was
timely. He also noted that those
who separate themselves from other catholic Christians usually fail in their
quest for church purity, and then die out, even if they do have exemplary
influence for a time. He cited the
Puritans (particularly the Separatists who fled to America) and the Non-Jurors
as examples. Another bad fruit of
separatism is the tendency to “unchurch” others.
His warning about
separatism was a needful counter-point (although I do not know if that is what
Bp. Sutton intended) to an earlier sermon at the Congress from Mark Haverland,
Archbishop of the Anglican Catholic Church. I have been very hesitant to mention it. Another attendee remarked to me that the
less attention given to it the better, and I can hardly disagree. But I think it fair to say it
emphasized differences among us a bit much and not in a particularly winsome
and inviting way.
I am glad to say Bishop
Sutton’s sermon was far more representative of this Congress. But both Haverland and he agree and are
correct on one thing – dealing with the divisions among catholic Anglicans will
require work and focus.
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