First-ever Anglican Evensong in St Peter’s, Rome On March 13, for the first time ever, Anglican Choral Evensong will be celebrated at the altar of the Chair of St Peter in St Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. Permission for this unique occasion was granted by Cardinal Angelo Comastri, Archpriest of St Peter’s Basilica, during a recent meeting with Archbishop David Moxon, the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. Archbishop Moxon will preside at the 3.00pm service, while the preacher will be Archbishop Arthur Roche, the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments at the Vatican. The music will be sung by the Choir of Merton College, Oxford. The gesture reflects the deepening bonds of affection and trust between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. It comes just five months after Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby celebrated Vespers together at the Basilica of San Gregorio al Celio to mark the Anglican Centre’s fiftieth anniversary. It also reciprocates the liturgical hospitality of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Dean Robert Willis in welcoming Cardinal George Pell to celebrate Solemn Mass at the High Altar of Canterbury Cathedral on July 7, 2015. This date has been chosen as the nearest available day to the historic feast day of St Gregory the Great, who has become an unofficial patron of relations between the two churches. St Gregory was the Pope who sent St Augustine to England in 595 to evangelise the Anglo-Saxons and who became the first Archbishop of Canterbury. Click here for the rest of the article: http://anglicancentre.churchinsight...re_in/News/Evensong_at_St/Evensong_at_St.aspx
At the risk of being unpopular, I feel duty bound to speak my mind. For me ,a Roman Catholic follower of tradition, this is a step too far that puts the most famous Catholic Church in the world at risk of being neither fish nor fowl. What is perceived to be a Protestant service, not withstanding its beauty, should not be celebrated in Saint Peters
I agree Aidan, probably for different reasons. I am not too keen on celebrating Augustine's arrival and subsequent Roman attempts to change the Church already present in what became the modern UK. Also, the CoE has jumped the rails in theology etc. There is too much Rome has done to Anglicans and too much Anglicans have done to yourselves for this to be happening. Rome does not even consider us a church. Why would any Anglican want to participate in a service with a group who thinks so low of their fellow Christians? Fr. Mark
I understand the points being made, yet I also celebrate that +Francis and +Justin have an understanding that is determined to celebrate what we have in common, being far greater than that which divides us. Whilst it is at one level fairly symbolic, it is in a real sense putting some flesh on the bones of the statements they made together of our division being a scandal and a shame. Of course it is probably true to say that +Justin is likely to be more welcome in St Peters than in many congregations claiming a level of Anglicaness. We live in interesting times.
I wonder what response would occur if a Roman Catholic bishop suggested saying Mass in St Pauls or Westminster Abbey
Incidentally, a service of Evensong has been approved for use in the Ordinariate that is probably closer to the BCP than most Church of England services ( the penitential rite is included for instance). While this service will be from the 1662, the differences between the prayer book service and the authorised Catholic Ordinariate service is tiny.
I think this is quite a beautiful thing and see no real problems on either side. Evensong is a wonderful service of prayer and song, which should appeal to all christians of good will who proclaim Christ our Lord regardless of denomination. I would distinguish this from the mass since the mass is a sacrament that has long been a symbol of unity of faith, which our two communions currently do not enjoy. But we both recognize our bounden duty to pray and render thanks.