The Pope visited Lambeth Palace and addressed a joint meeting of diocesan bishops from the Church of England and the RC Church in England & Wales.
Documents:
PDF file of the proceedings
The Archbishop of Canterbury’s remarks (start below the press release) are at The Fraternal Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Archbishop Rowan Williams.
The Pope’s remarks are here (very strangely, the Vatican website has relocated Lambeth Palace to the London Borough of Richmond).
The Joint Communique issued immediately after the event is below the fold.
JOINT COMMUNIQUÉ CONCERNING THE MEETING BETWEEN THE HOLY FATHER AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
Friday 17 September, Lambeth Palace
Fifty years after the first meeting of a Pope and an Archbishop of Canterbury in modern times – that of Pope John XXIII and Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher, in December 1960 – Pope Benedict XVI paid a fraternal visit to Archbishop Rowan Williams.
In the first part of their meeting they both addressed the Anglican and Roman Catholic Diocesan Bishops of England, Scotland and Wales, in the Great Hall of the Archbishop’s Library, before moving to a private meeting.
In the course of their private conversation, they addressed many of the issues of mutual concern to Anglicans and Roman Catholics. They affirmed the need to proclaim the Gospel message of salvation in Jesus Christ, both in a reasoned and convincing way in the contemporary context of profound cultural and social transformation, and in lives of holiness and transparency to God. They agreed on the importance of improving ecumenical relations and continuing theological dialogue in the face of new challenges to unity from within the Christian community and beyond it.
The Holy Father and the Archbishop reaffirmed the importance of continuing theological dialogue on the notion of the Church as communion, local and universal, and the implications of this concept for the discernment of ethical teaching.
They reflected together on the serious and difficult situation of Christians in the Middle East, and called upon all Christians to pray for their brothers and sisters and support their continued peaceful witness in the Holy Land. In the light of their recent public interventions, they also discussed the need to promote a courageous and generous engagement in the field of justice and peace, especially the needs of the poor, urging international leadership to fight hunger and disease.
Following their meeting they travelled together to the Palace of Westminster and to Evening Prayer at Westminster Abbey.
ENDS
My initial response is that I am delighted to see the term Roman Catholic used consistently throughout.
The printed Order of Service also looks quite thoughtful and imaginative.
John XX111 is acknowledged as having started it all (with the unlikely figure imo of Geoffrey Fisher).
“The Holy Father and the Archbishop reaffirmed the importance of continuing theological dialogue on the notion of the Church as communion, local and universal, and the implications of this concept for the discernment of ethical teaching.”
That folks is Vaticanese, for stop the gay and women issue.
You know , I prefer the more honest and direct approach of the Russian Orthodox Church.
“My initial response is that I am delighted to see the term Roman Catholic used consistently throughout” – Laurence Roberts – That is an essential part of the Papacy that needs to be properly understood – that the Roman Curia still has the upper hand in the day to day administration; if one can believe in Hans Kung’s description of how the Curia has maintained its hold on the papal Magisterium (and I do) – ever since their control of the agenda of the second half of Vatican II – it becomes clear how the infallibility of the Pope is… Read more »
Simon, what’s the significance of putting “diocesan” in bold type?
“The Holy Father and the Archbishop reaffirmed the importance of continuing theological dialogue on the notion of the Church as communion, local and universal, and the implications of this concept for the discernment of ethical teaching.” – Joint Communique from Benedict and Rowan – The notion of the Church as ‘communion, local and universal’ sounds all very cosy and apostolic. However, Rome herself has problems with accepting the local Church’s equal jurisdiction in the universality of the Church Catholic. Some new understanding has to be reached – in both Roman and Anglican Communions – of the practical necessity to harness… Read more »
I see again how close and fond buds Rowan and Benny are … faced with believer differences, and above all faced with relentless inquiry and scientific-humanities discovery all flooding out … the preferred church life solution for both being (A) a unified church – decode: conformity, forced if/when needed to be so; plus (B) a nice thoaty foamy taste for harder right positions in every global instance where it matters at all. Both Rowan and Benny would burn somebody at the stake, regardless if either man thought he could get away with it, and if either man could take occasion… Read more »