“I am deeply touched by my last meeting with His Holiness John Paul II. The force of his words, and the authority with which he pronounced them, give me great hope for the continuation of the ecumenical process to which we are both very committed”. That’s how the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, commented on his meeting with the Pope in Rome on Friday 21 June. “I’m grateful to God added Carey who will resign as head of the Anglican Communion at the end of this year for the ecumenical progress achieved in the period in which I was archbishop”. In greeting the Pope, Carey recalled the invitation made by John Paul II for the leaders of the Churches and the theologians to begin “a patient and brotherly dialogue on the petrine ministry” The archbishop then made a reference to the “pact” of unity recently signed by the Christian Churches in England and to the work of theological elucidation performed by the mixed Commission. “Although we are not yet in full communion Carey added the shared baptismal faith and the growth of brotherhood between our two Churches are a motive for joy”.
