The Church and Anglicanism

Dr Rowan Williams will in February officially begin his mission as the new Archbishop of Canterbury, following the recent retirement of Dr George Carey, an event which has deep significance for each and every one of the 70 million faithful who make up the Anglican community worldwide.

However, even for us and for our Church, this change of office holds much interest and should not be allowed to pass unnoticed.

The Catholic Archbishop of Westminster, Mgr Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, did not lose any time in congratulating Dr Williams when his appointment was announced last July, describing him as "a theologian of distinction, a man of deep spirituality and a gifted communicator".

In his message to the Archbishop-elect, the Pope pointed out that two of Dr Williams' predecessors - Dr Robert Runcie and Dr Carey - had been influential figures in the "shared task of promoting understanding between the Anglican Community and the Church". And he went on to say: "I am confident that with God's help we can make progress along the path towards unity in order to experience anew how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity."

We should all share the Pope's wish and anticipation of the moment when unity is finally achieved between our Church and the Anglican community. However, this target is unattainable unless we know each other better and are ready for closer collaboration between the two communities.

There are obviously a number of differences and similarities between Catholicism and Anglicanism.

The historical difference when it comes to Communion has centred mainly on the Eucharist, on the meaning and function of the ordained ministry and on the nature and exercise of authority in the Church. Consensus is also lacking in the Sacramental Theology of the two denominations.

However, many bonds still unite us: we confess the same faith in one God, we have received the same Spirit, we have been baptised in the same way and we preach the same Christ.

Theological dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans began as a result of Vatican II and has since made good progress. This dialogue has brought about considerable growth in mutual trust and understanding between the theologians of the two communions. It is no exaggeration to say that because of this exercise, it has become possible to discuss doctrinal points which were hitherto regarded as closed.

In l982, the first Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) presented a report entitled 'Salvation and the Church', which was not received without some reservations on the part of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, whose prefect is Cardinal Ratzinger. In 1991, ARCIC presented another report entitled 'Church as Communion'.

The second meeting of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) is being held this week in Malta, at Mount St Joseph Retreat House in Mosta, and we eagerly await its outcome.

Besides this dialogue at international level, the Anglican Communion is engaged in various multilateral and national discussions all searching for new areas of agreement.

No one denies that the efforts of theologians in the doctrinal dialogue to reach conclusions that are acceptable to both parties are essential.

But the improvement of relations between the Anglican and Catholic Communions is not the business of the theologians alone. The members of both denominations also have a important role to play.

In fact, Vatican II reminds us that public and private prayer for the unity of the Christians - provided it is accompanied by a change of heart and holiness of life - is the soul of the whole ecumenical movement.

Let us hope that the dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans will continue to improve and grow steadily in future, possibly at a faster pace, so that we may all reap its benefits in our lifetime.