Churches join to celebrate ecumenism anniversary

Pairs of Catholic and Anglican bishops from around the world are to be given a special commission next week to work together in a joint mission of witness to the Gospel, as part of a series of events to mark 50 years of official Anglican-Catholic dialogue and the opening of the Anglican Centre.

The 19 pairs, including the Bishop of Plymouth, Mark O’Toole, and the Anglican Bishop of Truro, Tim Thornton, will be among hundreds of Catholic and Anglican representatives gathering in Rome next week to celebrate the anniversary. There will also be a meeting between Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, and a service with the two leaders at the church of San Gregorio al Celio.

The commissioning of the bishops reflects a focus on action and joint witness as part of ecumenism, rather than concentrating solely on theological dialogue which has proved difficult in recent years. The stumbling blocks include the ordination of women, but also attitudes to gay people and same-sex marriages which has led to divisions within the Anglican Communion. Archbishop Bernard Longley, who is joint chairman of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and will be attending events in Rome, said: “We realise that the goal of unity seems to us to be further away than it was to those who started the dialogue 50 years ago”.

But Archbishop Longley said that the commitment was still there: “It is not just me being optimistic. The goal before us is still visible unity”.