The Anglican Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, was in Rome this week. It is his first official visit to the Anglican Centre and the Holy See.
Cottrell said he felt encouraged to have met people within the Roman Catholic Church leadership after meeting Pope Francis at the Anglican Centre on Monday.
His audience with Francis “further consolidated the strong bonds of friendship between our two World Communions,” he said.
“We are now looking forward to further co-operation between the Dicasteries of the Vatican and the Anglican Centre in Rome.”
These meetings focussed on evangelisation and ecumenism-building interfaith connections.
To this end, the Anglican archbishop met with the Vatican’s Dicasteries for Evangelisation, Promoting Christian Unity, Interreligious Dialogue and Promoting Integral Human Development.
“My prayer is that Christians of all denominations can work together more and be united in our desire to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, as we look to share the love of God as seen in Jesus with the many in our world who long for hope and meaning in their lives,” he said.
On Wednesday, Cottrell met Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Dicastery for Evangelisation. Their discussion, entitled “The Ecumenical Impact on Evangelisation”, was live-streamed from the Anglican Centre.
Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Director of the Anglican Centre and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See organised his visit.
The Anglican Centre is a vital link between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. They work on shared projects and offer opportunities for study, hospitality and encounter.
Ernst said Cottrell’s visit “comes as an affirmation of the longing of the Anglican Communion to diligently and constantly work for the visible unity of Christians.
“The personal commitment of Archbishop Stephen, in the different callings he has exercised, to encourage a collaborative spirit amongst different groups of people, in spite of cultural, denominational and religious differences, inspires and encourages us to carry forward with love the mission entrusted to the Anglican Centre in Rome.”
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