Catholicity, sometimes also called ecumenism, is not an extra. It is the centre of the gospel. It is an evangelical imperative. Without reconciliation with the rest of the Church, there is no salvation for us. If the Church of England, and its Synod, does not feel the absolute priority of ecumenical reconciliation with all other churches, this is not merely negligence, it is culpable, it is sin. But we may not forget that we are sinners forgiven, and so in humility we must consider these others better than ourselves. We are the bloody-minded, schismatic, divisive ones, now brought by baptism into the Body of Christ and so calmed and reconciled. Our reconciliation, and our reception of our reconciliation, is our being reconciled to all others. But if we are still holding out against other Christian churches, through ignorance or indolence or because we don’t care, we are pushing that the reconciliation and forgiveness away. We are pushing our Lord away, and with him our salvation
