The Statements by the ARCIC and BEM on Eucharist Essay

The Statements by the ARCIC and BEM on Eucharist - Essay Example Such changes can be indentified in the subsequent revisions of the order of masses, the change in common catholic and Anglican traditional and custom practices as well as the liberty and freedom of religion and worship that has changed over time (Miller, 2002). It is through such changes that the common doctrines have changed and so the connection and relationship of the conventional catholic and Anglican Church to the original church that was left when Christ ascended have changed too (Jeanes, 2008). Following the consecration of one Robison, a homosexual by the Anglican Church as a bishop, and the ordination of women as to participate in Anglican Communion, the sexuality issue became a significant point of contention between the two churches (Miller, 2002 p302). Whether the sacrifice of Eucharist should be administered to the dead was another point of disagreement (WCC, 1982). While according to the historical traditions of the Catholic Church, it can be administered while the Angl ican Church held a different viewpoint. Adoration of the Eucharist by Christians as a custom of the Catholic Church seemed unpopular with the Anglican Church (Dennis, 1998). ... The statements served to clear and iron out these differences and create a commonality on the religious ground of the two churches. The doctrines and practices observed by the two churches have ever since the provision of these statements changed. The doctrines and practices that were harmonised include the art of baptism, the relevance of Holy Mary in the lives of individual Christians and the art of administration of the Eucharist and the Holy Communion (Miller, 2002 p121). This has seen many changes being effected to accommodate the practices of the Anglican Church in Catholicism. A good illustration being the proposal that the Anglican church can rejoin and get united with the Catholic church, while preserving their structures (Bradshaw, 2004). The Anglican Church priests were allowed to join the Catholic Church and still maintain their marriage status, very contrary to the Catholic doctrines that requires that priests should observe the fundamental principle of celibacy. Another way in which the provision of these statements transformed the history of theology is the observance of the conversion of bread and wine as a symbolic representation of the body of Jesus Christ (Jeanes, 2008 p32). This is because, the Anglican Church used to administer the Eucharist but not observe the bread and wine as the body and blood of Jesus. While the Anglican doctrines did not recognize the role of the pope, the provision of the statements through agreements by both churches, causing the call for a reunion of the churches means that that the Anglican Church has to recognize the pope as the head of the Church. The Anglicans theological history was changed to accommodate the role of mother Mary in the prayer life of the Christians (Miller, 2002 p315). On the side of the Catholic