During this week of prayer for Christian unity, the different denominations present
here in Rome are hosting a full programme of liturgical and other events that can
foster greater understanding of the common values and unique heritages of each tradition.
On Thursday, Rome's Centro Pro Unione and Lay Centre are holding a lecture by
the editor of America Magazine, Jesuit Fr Drew Christiansen, followed by an ecumenical
Celebration of the Word presided over by the director of the Anglican Centre, Canon
David Richardson. The preacher at that service is Msgr Mark Langham, in charge of
relations with the Anglican and Methodist Churches at the Pontifical Council for Christian
Unity. Philippa Hitchen spoke with him about progress in these dialogues and about
the theme for this annual week of prayer........
Listen:
“It’s an extremely
appropriate theme for us in the Catholic Church this year because the Holy Father
has so underlined the importance of our faith in providing that ‘new look’ on the
world - how faith can provide us with a way of turning what seems to be frail and
weak and not going too well, into something that is wonderful and hopeful and glorious.
So with the Year of Faith that he’s announced it’s a wonderful way of leading into
that through this week of prayer for Christian unity…
We’re looking forward
to the Synod of Bishops on the new evangelisation and that has a particularly ecumenical
aspect because the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has been invited out
to speak at some length and lead a discussion during that synod…
Two (other)
things that immediately spring to mind, in March the 1000th anniversary
of the order of the Camaldolese means that the Archbishop of Canterbury will again
be visiting Rome, because their headquarters is San Gregorio Magno which is a very
significant church for the worldwide Anglican communion – it was from there of course
that Pope San Gregorio sent Saint Augustine of Canterbury to England to revive the
Catholic faith there ….
Perhaps even more wide-ranging and important will be
later in May when we have the second session of the latest round of ARCIC dialogue......
this is a time in all our dialogues when we’re not really looking to dive into the
most difficult problems, but we’re more thoughtfully going back to first principles,
re-examining the scriptures, the common tradition, the Councils, the Fathers of the
Church, the teachings of the Churches, to really re-assess where we begin, how much
we have in common and at what point we diverge…it’s important work for laying down
foundations and building up trust…”