The meeting, which marked the Anglican primates' first pilgrimage to Rome, focused on shared missions and discussions on differences within the church.

Pope Francis began his address by thanking Archbishop Justin Welby for his presence, noting that he "began his service as Archbishop of Canterbury around the same time that I began mine as Bishop of Rome".

"Since then" the Pope added, "we have had many occasions to meet, to pray together and to testify to our faith in the Lord. Dear brother Justin, thank you for this fraternal cooperation on behalf of the Gospel!"

Embrace disagreements

During the meeting, the pope emphasised the significance of mutual understanding and prayer. He urged believers to discern whether the Holy Spirit or personal preferences guided them.

"I realise" the Pope said "that the role of the Bishop of Rome is still a controversial and divisive issue among Christians."

Quoting Pope Gregory the Great, he described the Bishop of Rome as the "servant of the servants of God", emphasising the humility required of papal authority.

"For this reason" Francis stressed, "it is necessary to engage in ‘a patient and fraternal dialogue on this subject, a dialogue which, leaving useless controversies behind', strives to understand how the Petrine ministry can develop as a service of love for all."

Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, told reporters that the pope set aside time to respond to the primates' questions. These, she said, allowed the pope to talk about "his own passions in ministry, unity in diversity, and harmony. He said in several ways that 'war is always, always, always a defeat'."

The meeting concluded with a reaffirmation of the importance of prayerful discernment for unity and dialogue in fostering greater communion among Christians.

The Anglican primates' visit included pilgrimages to significant sites in Rome including St Peter's Basilica and the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls.

Sources

America Magazine

Vatican News

Katholisch

CathNews New Zealand

As announced by the Anglican Church in Canterbury, a meeting with Pope Francis is also planned at the Primates' Meeting next week (29 April to 3 May). A meeting with the Secretary General of the Catholic World Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech, is also on the programme.

The aim is to discuss the importance and possibilities of synodality, i.e. joint co-operation, for the entire Church. The Primates want to discuss the structure and decision-making in the Anglican Communion among themselves.

The Primates' Meeting is designed as a pilgrimage with joint prayer and Bible study, visits to holy sites and discussions on the mission of the Church in the world.

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The Growing Together summit, known as the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), was held from 22-29 January in Rome and Canterbury.

Anglican Bishop Ross Bay and Catholic Bishop Michael Gielen represented New Zealand at the gathering.

Bay attended the last IARCCUM summit in 2016.

He said walking alongside Bishop Gielen, with whom he serves as a co-chair of the local New Zealand Anglican-Catholic dialogue, has opened up opportunities.

"As a result of being together here, I hope that we will grow in our commitment to express our unity in more tangible ways through our common mission."

Gielen says the rich history of IARCCUM inspires him.

"It has been a deep privilege to join with fellow bishops of our respective churches from around the world, hearing their stories and, in many cases, their profound challenges, while continuing to celebrate the Good News of Jesus Christ we share."

The event culminated in a joint statement, Our Common Witness, Calling and Commitment.

The statement is a powerful call for unity and a joint mission, saying the churches need to emphasise the need to "walk together, pray together and seek justice together."

The bishops' statement reflects on the journey towards reconciliation that began almost six decades ago, acknowledging the Holy Spirit's role in bridging centuries of separation and conflict.

It highlights the progress made through theological dialogue and shared prayer, leading to a deep and profound connection, albeit not yet full communion.

The document outlines a vision for the future, urging both churches to explore further possibilities for collaboration, particularly in witness, friendship, mission, synodality and the prioritising of fraternity over structures.

The bishops place significant focus on mission with a call to address the needs of Indigenous Peoples, descendants of enslaved persons and those affected by colonisation and assimilation.

The environmental crisis was a key topic, with bishops from Amazonia sharing their experiences. The statement aligns with Pope Francis's Encyclical on the Environment, Laudato Si', and the Lambeth Call on the Environment advocating for the care of our common home.

This summit marks a pivotal moment in the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church, and serves as a beacon of unity in a divided world.

Sources

• IARRCUM
• Supplied

Dr. Williams grew up in Wales during the 1950s where "you still couldn't quite avoid the sense that Catholics were exotic and a bit frightening."

He attended an Anglican parish church in his early teens, and "a new world of Christian imagination opened. It was a moderately Anglo-Catholic church where the liturgy was celebrated with unfussy dignity and care."

Williams continued, "But the real blessing was a parish priest of extraordinary gifts - a man with a profound and informed enthusiasm for theology, poetry and drama, whose sermons I still recall as models of what preaching should be, and whose pastoral generosity was limitless."

Williams' interest in the roots of Catholic spirituality stirred during his mid-teens. A visit by Franciscans "was perhaps the first time I thought about the religious life, and whether my exploration of vocation ought to take stock of this."

He attended Cambridge University where he wrestled with questions. "Was there a clear call to the religious life, and if so did that entail becoming a Roman Catholic?"

"Looking back now, what comes most clearly into focus is that the Roman Catholics with whom I discussed this never exerted the least pressure. I think of them as setting out to help me be a better Christian rather than to secure a convert," writes Williams.

Fr Joseph Warrilow became Williams' spiritual director for many years "up to and beyond my ordination in the Church of England, and my debt to him is beyond calculation."

"The Anglican I am today is who he is because of those uncomfortable years of exploration and because of the sensitivity of the Catholic guides who so generously accompanied, encouraged, warned and inspired," Williams finished.

Sources

Catholic Herald

Almost immediately after the fire, two Anglican inner-city churches - All Saints' Dunedin North and St Matthew's - reached out with offers for St Paul's to join them for worship last Sunday morning.

But the new Level 2 restrictions on gatherings of no more than 100 meant the Cathedral congregation couldn't take up either offer.

So a new offer from Monsignor John Harrison and Bishop Michael Dooley was accepted.

The St Joseph's congregation had space free for St Paul's to use the downtown St Joseph's Cathedral building on Sunday afternoon.

"We were overjoyed that St Joseph's reached out to us with such generosity," said the Very Rev Dr Tony Curtis of St Paul's.

He said the Anglicans and Catholics like to work together closely anyway, "we're all good friends, and it's a really lovely gesture."

The blaze broke out in the newly restored apse - the rounded section at the rear of the Octagon-based church - about 3.30 am on Tuesday 11 August.

The ceiling and roof of the building were fire-damaged, the crypt and part of the church were extensively water damaged.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand fire risk management officer Scott Lanauze has confirmed the cause was an unspecified electrical event.

The cost of the damage was still being assessed by insurers; however, Curtis said the crypt had suffered extensive water damage, and the roof above the altar would likely need replacing.

"What the fire hasn't got, water has."

"We'll probably try to close off the far end and put a tent over it, then gradually deconstruct the roof and put a new one on."

The organ was also partly water damaged and much of the building's electrics were no longer usable.

Source

• odt.co.nz
• odt.co.nz
• rnz.co.n
• stuff.co.nz
• anglicantaonga.org.nz
• Image: anglicantaonga.org.nz

In an interview on Vatican Radio he said Anglican and Catholic parishes in New Zealand are already working together in many practical ways including support for refugees coming into the country.

At the recent IARCCUM meeting pairs of Anglican and Catholic bishops were sent out on mission together by the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Dew asked whether bishops in each diocese could be encouraged to adopt this model, followed by Catholic and Anglican priests with their local communities.

Reflecting on the Pope's description of families in ‘Amoris Laetitia', where he pointed out that "no family drops down from heaven perfectly formed", Dew asked if we can apply this concept to the Christian family too.

Another area of discussion at the plenary has been what the cardinal calls the ‘ecumenism of humiliation' for churches dealing with the effects of clerical abuse scandals.

By facing such difficulties together and being "united in the cross", he says, we ask how it can enable us to journey more closely together?

Dew was being interviewed at the end of The plenary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity that concluded on Friday.

Source

• en.radiovaticana.va
• Image: anglicantaonga.org