Weekly Thoughts

FATHER MICHAEL’S DIARY

16 MAY 2025

HABEMUS PAPAM – HABENT PAPEM

“We’ve got a Pope – they’ve got a Pope”

I was very surprised how little time it took - Pope Leo XIV was announced on the second day of the conclave called to elect a replacement for Pope Francis I. Compare that to the months and months it is taking the Crown Appointments Commission to come up with the name of the new Archbishop of Canterbury.

There are many in ways in which we can compare and contrast the Pope and the Archbishop. The Pope as well being a religious leader is also a Head of State: the Vatican (with an area of 121 acres and a population of 882) is a tiny independent country, the last vestige of the Papal States which ran across central Italy until 1870 when they became part of the new kingdom of Italy.

The papacy and the archbishopric represent two different models for organising a worldwide church: the Roman Catholic Church is a unitary body with the Pope, the Supreme Pontiff, the top of a hierarchy which extends from him to the humblest parish priest. The form the Anglican Communion takes is quite different: it is modelled on the Orthodox Churches. Both the Anglican and Orthodox churches take the form of a number of independent national churches (provinces). The Anglican Communion is largely based on the old British Empire with the inclusion of one or two places, such as the United States, which were not part of it. Although the Archbishop of Canterbury is regarded as head of the Anglican Communion he is not in a hierarchical position superior to the other Archbishops (the heads of the independent provinces) but is rather a primus inter pares (first among equals). In recent years this has created some tension when decisions taken by the Church of England (the Provinces of Canterbury and York) are not supported by all the other Provinces. In particular decisions on the proposals in Living in Love and Faith are not supported by other provinces, especially in Africa.

By contrast as the international power of the Pope was removed, the then Pope, Pius IX, convened the First Vatican Council which in 1870 ruled that when the Pope spoke by virtue of his authority (ex cathedra) on matters of faith or morals the Holy Spirit would preserve him from error. The Anglican understanding rejects papal infallibility and in its place teaches the doctrine of the indefectibility of the Church. This states that although the Church may fall into error the Holy Spirit will lead her back to the truth, so the Church cannot remain in error.  The doctrine of Papal Infallibility remains one of the greatest obstacles to unity between Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches. 

I was surprised at the amount of press and television coverage the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo received. The Pope is of course head of one the world’s major churches and a head of state we should pray the Holy Spirit will guide and direct him as he embarks on this stupendous ministry.

READINGS AND PRAYERS

18 MAY – THE FIFTH SUNDAY OF EASTER – John 13.31-35 – the new commandment – that all Christians my love one another

19 MAY – Dunstan, Archbishop of Canterbury, Restorer of Monastic Life, 988 – 2 Corinthians 5.1-10 – all involved in the appointment of the Archbishop of Canterbury

20 MAY – Alcuin of York, Deacon, Abbot of Tours,804 – John 4.19-24 – you must worship in spirit and in truth – members of religious communities

21 MAY – Helena, Protector of the Holy Places, 330 - Luke 14.27-33 – the peace of Jerusalem

22 MAY – Thursday – Acts 15.7-21 – the Council of Jerusalem - members of the General Synod

23 MAY  - Friday Acts 15.22-31 – the decision of the Council is delivered to the churches in Antioch – the members of local non-episcopal churches

24 MAY – John and Charles Wesley, Evangelists, Hymn Writers, 1791 and 1788 – Ephesians 5.15-20 – give thanks to God for everything – the Methodist church