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Catholic critic of Chesterton is prominent member of Anglican-Catholic dialogue November 03, 2009

Meeting the week after the Vatican announced Pope Benedict’s forthcoming apostolic constitution on the reception of Anglican communities into the Catholic Church, the Anglican-Roman Catholic Theological Consultation deferred comment on the document until its publication. At the same time, it welcomed, in the words of a US bishops’ conference press release, “the Catholic Church’s acknowledgement of a substantial overlap in faith and the legitimacy of many Anglican traditions.”

The dialogue was devoted to immigration and Pope John Paul II’s encyclical on moral theology, Veritatis Splendor, with participants finding much agreement on the former and some disagreement on the latter.

One of the most prominent Catholic participants in the dialogue was Father Thomas Rausch, SJ, a critic of the works of G. K. Chesterton, Msgr. Ronald Knox, and Thomas Howard, all of them prominent Anglican converts to Catholicism.

Source(s): these links will take you to other sites, in a new window.

• Anglican-Catholic Theological Consultation Looks at Immigration, New Vatican Statement (USCCB)
• Bad Apples, From Chesterton To Keating (1997) (San Diego News Notes)

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• Posted by: dancingcrane - Nov. 04, 2009 1:15 AM ET USA

  As a former Anglican, I can attest that I left that church to get away from people like Fr. Rausch, and am sad that he is applauded at Catholic venues, and that he is allowed to be a part of this dialogue. However, we would do well to pay attention to people like him. By condemning openly, he gives us the names that we need to look to. I rather hope that he expands his list, so that I know who else my friends are!

• Posted by: Alcuin - Nov. 03, 2009 10:51 AM ET USA

  The "Bad Apples..." link is astonishing. We can all hope to be condemned by the likes of Father Rausch.