ecumenism" "
The next plenary session of the “International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission” (IARCCUM), and the task assigned to it of preparing the publication of a common document on faith, will be deferred due to the problems recently raised in the USA by the consecration of a gay bishop. But in spite of the difficulties the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church are maintaining “their commitment to continue the dialogue”. The two Churches make this pledge in a communiqué published both by the Holy See and by the Anglican news service (ACNS) immediately after the meeting held in Rome on 25 November between Cardinal Walter Kasper, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity, and Canon John L. Peterson, general secretary of the Anglican Advisory Council. In the course of their meeting, Kasper and Peterson discussed the future of Catholic-Anglican dialogue, “especially on the basis of the recent developments in the life of the Anglican Communion”. Cardinal Kasper accepted the request made by the archbishop of Canterbury to identify “the appropriate means with a view to reflecting together on the ecclesiological questions deriving from the recent developments in the sphere of the Anglican Communion”. An ad hoc sub-committee of IARCCUM will be established to this end. In a communiqué issued by the English Bishops’ Conference, Msgr. Crispian Hollis, member of IARCCUM and chairman of the English episcopate’s office for ecumenism, speaks of “a moment of genuine ecumenical sadness”. From an Anglican source, it has been announced that, again due to the consecration of Bishop Robinson, US Episcopalian Bishop Frank Griswold has submitted his resignation as co-moderator of ARCIC (Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission) to the archbishop of Canterbury. “I do so says the bishop in his letter of resignation not without regret, but in the interest of not squandering the present and future work of the Commission of which I have had the privilege to be a member”.
