Archbishops call on Queen to repent of being Supreme Governor of the Church of England

Jan 18, 2017 by Jill

from Archbishop Cranmer:

In this 500th anniversary year of an obscure monk called Martin Luther banging his 95 Theses onto the door of Castle Church in Wittenburg, the event which history marks as the beginning of the Reformation, the archbishops of Canterbury and York have issued a joint statement which coincides with the 2017 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Acknowledging that the Reformation “was a process of both renewal and division amongst Christians in Europe”, they note that many Christians “will want to give thanks for the great blessings they have received to which the Reformation directly contributed. Amongst much else these would include clear proclamation of the gospel of grace, the availability of the Bible to all in their own language and the recognition of the calling of lay people to serve God in the world and in the church.”

They might have mentioned justification by faith, since that sola was (and remains) fairly central to Protestant theology and its understanding of salvation, but we’ll assume it’s parked in “amongst much else”. Rather than rejoice in the light from old times, Justin Welby and John Sentamu seek to highlight a different righteousness:

Many will also remember the lasting damage done five centuries ago to the unity of the Church, in defiance of the clear command of Jesus Christ to unity in love. Those turbulent years saw Christian people pitted against each other, such that many suffered persecution and even death at the hands of others claiming to know the same Lord…

Remembering the Reformation should also lead us to repent of our part in perpetuating divisions…

Read here

Read: Reformation Anniversary: Statement from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York