Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea Diocese of Port Moresby

It was a great privilege for me to be with the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church of Papua New Guinea the day that the new Pope, Benedict 16, was named. My presence was a mark of the very special relationship that exists between the Roman Catholics and my own Church, the Anglican Church, in Papua New Guinea. Because of the relationship between us I was able to share the joy of my brother bishops.

We Anglicans do not have a pope, of course; that is not the way we work. Nonetheless, we are waiting and watching Pope Benedict with great interest because his decisions will have a direct effect on all of us. We have been told that he is very “conservative”. How will he see issues such as the HIV and AIDS epidemic that trouble us so much in Papua New Guinea?

We know he cares about the problem but will he make it permissible for the faithful husband or wife of an HIV-Positive person to use a condom as protection from the disease? It would be a tremendous help to many of the Roman Catholics working in the HIV/AIDS field if they could offer this kind of protection to the partners of infected people within marriage at least. The case could be made that using the condom to protect against infection with a deadly disease should be permitted even if its use as a contraceptive is not. However, Pope Benedict 16 is unlikely to change his Church’s position on this, and that means the Roman Catholics will have to persevere in offering abstinence to the married couple living with HIV and AIDS as their only option.

Familiar issues of ordination of women, which many Roman Catholics would welcome, permission for some priests to be married (as St. Peter was) and intercommunion with other churches are not likely to get much consideration from Benedict 16, he has made his views known before.

We Anglicans have longed for the day when the Roman Catholic Church would give recognition to our Eucharist in the same way that we give recognition to theirs. We know Pope Benedict is keen to support the continuation of Anglican/Roman Catholic Dialogue, but sadly it must remain an unequal dialogue while Anglicans give the sacraments within Catholicism recognition but have the validity of their own sacraments denied. There is only one person who can “equalise” that dialogue, and that is the Pope. Will he do so? Sadly, it is extremely unlikely that reunion of Roman and Anglican Catholics will come during the new Pope’s time. Friendship and mutual respect may be the best we can hope for, but these are not gifts to be despised.

All of us, as Christian people can give thanks that whether we agree with him or not, whether he makes the changes that we feel are so necessary or not, whether he has our allegiance or not, in Benedict 16, there is a Christian leader of integrity, courage and faithfulness. He is someone we can all call our friend, even if the day has not yet dawned that we can call him “Boss”.

 

Bishop of Port Moresby.