Pope and Archbishop Williams discuss human rights, evangelisation and Middle East
Pope Benedict received in audience on Saturday morning the Archbishop of Canterbury
and leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, Dr Rowan Williams, at the start of
his 3 day visit to Italy. According to the Anglican leader, the discussions focused
on "a shared sense of deep anxiety" about the situation of Christians in the Middle
East and a look ahead at the theological reflections that Dr Williams will be offering
the Synod of Bishops next October. They also talked "quite animatedly" about a recent
lecture the Archbishop gave in Geneva on how to connect Christian theology with human
rights. After the audience Philippa Hitchen sat down with the Anglican leader to
talk about their meeting, about current concerns in the Church of England, including
the Anglican covenant, legislation on women bishops and the forthcoming diamond jubilee
of Queen Elisabeth, as well as about the concept of monastic values as a key to ecumenical
progress.....
Listen:
Asked about
Saturday afternoon's celebration of Vespers with the Pope in the church of San Greglorio
al Celio, Dr Williams says "The fact that 3 successive archbishops have been to San
Gregorio is an acknowledgement of historical fact, that the mission to England began
here and it's good to touch the soil on which you are nurtured, to honour the memory
of St Gregory and St Augustine of Canterbury...and by going back to our common roots
to affirm a communion that is still in us......."
"A monastic community is
a community assembled around the word of God, that identifies together with the prayer
of Christ...that says something about the deepest roots of ecumenism ...but also about
mission and I'll be speaking on Monday in Montecassino more specifically about the
mission dimension of monastic life...."