Let me begin with some words of John Habgood, a former and extremely wise Archbishop of York.

" ..... in the long-term the future lies with Catholicism.  It must, because only Catholic tradition is rich enough and stable enough to offer something distinctive to the world without being captured by the world.  But it must be a Catholicism which is true to its highest vision, and hence broad enough, hospitable enough, rooted sufficiently in sacramental reality, confident enough in its inheritance to be able to do new things, diverse enough, and yet passionately enough concerned about unity, to be genuinely universal."

In his autobiography - KNOW THE TRUTH - George Carey took issue with the words of his fellow Archbishop when he wrote  "The future is Catholic" (sic).  He, himself, foresees the future as being neither Catholic nor Liberal.  He is tempted to say that the future is Evangelical - although he pulls back from succumbing  to this temptation.  Being an Evangelical himself George Carey, understandably enough, wants to promote this particular branch of the Church.  Within the Church of England Evangelicalism is certainly in the ascendant.  He sees its current success as due largely to Evangelicals being able to connect well with and mirror modern society being - "basically entrepreneurial in character".   The weakness of the Evangelicalism, as the former Archbishop sees it, is that it "is not a tight, well-ordered and coherent body of believers embraced by common faith and common practice, but rather a diverse cluster of people united around a core body of evangelical tenets".  Here he puts his finger on precisely why "the future lies with Catholicism".  Evangelicals tend to stress the individual's saving relationship with Christ - Catholics put the greater emphasise upon the corporate.  Together, we can indeed achieve great things for the Lord.

Earlier this year we witnessed the death of Pope John Paul II after a tremendously long reign.  The worldwide reaction to his passing was quite amazing.  He became Pope as long ago as 1978.  I remember seeing him twice in 1982 when he came to England when I attended papal services at both Wembley and Southwark.  He was then vibrant and full of vigour - in spite of the attempted assassination, which took place in St. Peter's Square on 13th May 1981.  The last time I saw him in the flesh was in June 1997 and what a difference the years had made - even then he was frail and slurred of speech - he has now mercifully been released from a long and debilitating illness.  There were quite incredible articles written in the Press at the time of his death with headlines such as "The Death of Protestant England" - for a whole month it seemed as though the attention of the world was focussed upon Rome.  I must say that my heart sank when following the excitement of the white smoke - the ringing of the bells and the dramatic announcement HABEMUS PAPEM - came the name of  the ultra-conservative - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger.  Still, at least it wasn't an Italian. John Paul II having wrested the papacy from centuries of Italian control has shown that there is no going back and that the office is indeed universal.  Maybe, after what must inevitably be a relatively short papacy, a new charismatic figure will emerge to lead a church which numbers one sixth of the world's population.  For the Pope is most certainly a figure of enormous spiritual significance on the world stage and is inevitably a focal figure for the Christian community unmatched by any other denomination.

Yet, truth to tell - the main divisions within Christ's Church are no longer CATHOLIC and EVANGELICAL but TRADITIONAL and LIBERAL.  Within my own lifetime of just over fifty years I have witnessed this change of emphasis taking place.  The new pope is certainly a strong traditionalist.  Within our own Anglican Communion there are enormous differences between the Traditionalists of Central Africa on the one hand and the Liberals of North America on the other.  I am sure that Christ's heart is broken whenever He sees division within His Body - the Church.  For didn't he most earnestly pray on the night of His betrayal for UNITY - that "they may be one"?   I think that there is a need on the part of all Catholics - all Evangelicals - all Traditionalists - all Liberals - to raise their sights beyond what divides and to look above all the divisions towards the everlasting Kingdom of God.  Let us all work together to make that eternal Kingdom a greater reality "on earth as it is in heaven".
 

                                                 EVERY BLESSING,

                                                       Father David