Last week the Most Rev Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, travelled to Bose, a monastery in northern Italy, for the first meeting of ARCIC III (Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission).
Bishop Longley is co-chairman of ARCIC III and describes it as the third phase of the international dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.
“Ecumenical dialogue has been going through a difficult period but this new beginning for ARCIC indicates the steadfast commitment of the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion to searching for deeper and fuller communion in response to the prayer of our Lord that they all may be one, “ said Bishop Longley in a statement before departing for the meeting.
“The Holy Father's visit to us last September, his beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman, and the time that he spent with Archbishop Rowan Williams, were an enormous encouragement as we undertake this new phase of ARCIC's work.”
ARCIC originally began in response to the Second Vatican Council and as a result of the visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Michael Ramsey, to Pope Paul VI in 1966. They issued a joint statement at that time speaking of "a new stage in the development of fraternal relations" and this vision has been a characteristic of the ARCIC dialogue ever since.
During ARCIC I and ARCIC II there were high hopes for full, visible, unity between the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion one day. Since the Anglican Communion has ordained women as priests and bishops, this has been seen by some as a new obstacle to unity.
“The ultimate aim must remain the same. Both the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion are committed to working and praying for the full, visible, unity of the Church and we see ARCIC as contributing to that end,” said Bishop Longley.
“Of course, we must face the obstacles that make that journey much more difficult. This phase of ARCIC will recognise the impact of the actions of some Anglican Provinces, which have raised the issue of the nature of communion within the Church. We hope ARCIC III can make a contribution to resolving some of the issues that seem so intractable a present.”
ARCIC III takes as its mandate the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop Rowan Williams in 2006 and they have asked ARCIC III to reflect on the nature of the Church as understood by Anglicans and Catholics and to consider the way that the Church arrives at authoritative teaching, especially about moral issues.
This first meeting of ARCIC III lasts for ten days and since it is the first time that this particular group of bishops and theologians is meeting, their first task is to come to know each other and to spend time together in prayer and reflection on the Scriptures.
Bose monastery is the ideal setting for this as the monks there come from a variety of Christian traditions, and live and pray for Christian unity.
There will be interim reports on the work at this meeting and others that follow.
As the first two phases of ARCIC stretched over more than a decade each it is impossible to suggest when the work will be complete.
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