Has anybody else read this article from today’s (27/1/08) Sun Herald?
Churches unite in leap of faith

Would any of our brothers & sisters from Newcastle Diocese like to comment, particularly those of an Evangelical background? What does it mean in practical terms, and what are the risks that the gospel will be compromised?

Newcastle being a Liberal-Catholic Diocese, this strengthened relationship shouldn’t surprise me, but I find the news sad. As Ray Galea’s Nothing in my hand I bring points out, there’s still too much doctrinally wrong with the Roman Catholic church to warrant a strengthened relationship like this.

I’m all in favour of strengthening relationships with Catholics. However given significant theological differences over the doctrine of the Mass, justification, etc, sharing pulpits is unwise.

I actually met and talked with Bishop Putney this afternoon at the opening of a colloquium on bioethics in Melbourne organised by the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family.  He was speaking on how best to pursue pro life issues today - it was an excellent speech in which inter alia he spoke in favour of Catholic evangelical cooperation on pro life issue.

Frankly, when it comes to ethical issues, I find I have more in common with conservative/traditional Catholics then with most of my other Protestant colleague, and I include the official voice of Melbourne Anglicans in that comment.

I was once Rector of a church that shared pulpits annually with the Catholics down the road. In my first year there, the swap fizzled… I am not sure why, but I think it was due to the moving of the Catholic priest to another church after 7 days notice.
In my current parish, I am chairman of the ministers’ fraternal. The Catholics have been part of our fraternal, and being part of the Broken Bay Diocese, they too have been encouraging us to enter into a covenant with them. The push for this dried up when (a) the other churches were reticent and (b) both priests were moved on (one is comingback after a 3 year stint in the outback).