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Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor seeks to unite churches
Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor
Anti-gay Catholic priest calls for 'closer relationship' with Church of England
"O' Connor attempted to close Catholic adoption agencies instead of considering gay couples as adoptive parents, as the law states"
Roman Catholic Cardinal Murphy O'Connor has called for the Catholic Church in England and Wales and the Church of England to have greater union in the future.
The Cardinal, who has been vocal against gay adoption and same-sex marriage, addressed the General Synod of the Church of England with his proposition. He said that his “ultimate goal” was to reunite the Church of England back into full communion with Rome.
Writing on his website the O’ Connor said:
"The current difficulties in the Anglican Communion are a source of concern for all”
"Divisions within any Church or Ecclesial Community impoverish the communion of the whole Church.
"We Roman Catholics cannot be indifferent to what is happening to our friends in the Anglican Communion and, in particular, in the Church of England."
Anglicans are largely seen as more liberal than their Catholic counterparts, with the appointment of female priests and their slightly more favourable attitude towards equality for gay people.
In 2005, the Church of England’s House of Bishops decided that clergy may enter into civil partnerships as long as they remain celibate.
Last year’s Lambeth Conference – which is a meeting between leaders of the Church from around the world, held once every decade – saw more than 200 bishops boycotted the event over the acceptance of gay clergy.
The General Synod is expected to ignore the gay topics raised by a closer relationship with the Church of England, but it will consider whether to ordain women bishops.
Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor has been known to criticise ‘gay lifestyle’, and has linked homosexuals intrinsically to drug and alcohol abuse.
He is also staunchly against gay adoption, and even attempted to close Catholic adoption agencies instead of considering gay couples as adoptive parents, as the law states.
