Side by side: The Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury to pray together...
A Vatican expert on Catholic-Anglican relations says the sight of the Pope praying
side by side with the Archbishop of Canterbury in Westminster Abbey will be a powerful
symbol of shared faith in Britain today. Msgr Mark Langham, from the Pontifical
Council for Christian Unity, notes that, unlike the trip of his predecessor in 1982,
Pope Benedict’s visit to the United Kingdom is at the invitation of the Queen and
the government. In general terms therefore, the head of the Roman Catholic Church
is bringing a message of the contribution that faith can make to British society.
At a specifically ecumenical level, the Pope will meet the Archbishop of Canterbury
several times, providing opportunities for both personal and public declarations of
the intent of both Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches to continue their journey
towards full and visible union.
“I think the meeting at Westminster Abbey
will be very powerful indeed. As in 1982, the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury
will pray together, side by side, at the shrine of a saint recognised by both communities
and this will be a powerful symbol of the shared traditions and shared qualities of
both faiths. That meeting will also give a religious dimension to the theme of the
visit as a whole – that faith has a contribution to make to our British society -
and what he’s really saying at Westminster Abbey is that we make that contribution
together, Catholics, Anglicans and members of other traditions as well.”
Msgr
Langham also welcomes the focus on Cardinal Newman at the heart of the Pope’s visit
to Britain. “He moved from being prominent Anglican theologian and clergyman to Roman
Catholic and cardinal” thus creating “a link and a bridge between the two communions”.
He says Newman and his companions had a very important role in reviving the Catholic
wing of the Church of England, shaping the way it is today and in many ways helping
the dialogue of recent decades to take place.