The archbishop of Canterbury strongly suggested Monday that apologies from the U.S. Episcopal Church for creating a controversy by ordaining a gay bishop had not gone far enough to heal a breach in the worldwide Anglican Communion, and called on the American church to repent.

The spiritual head of Anglicanism also appeared to direct criticism at conservative bishops in Africa and South America who violated church laws by claiming jurisdiction over U.S. parishes that disagreed with their church’s stands on homosexuality. The Episcopal Church is the American wing of the Anglican Communion.

The Director of Ecumenical Affairs at the Anglican Communion Office (the Revd Canon Gregory K Cameron) last month reported to the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates and Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) that the current Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue had reached a significant milestone.

In a report to the Joint Standing Committee, which was held in Canterbury in March, Canon Gregory Cameron confirmed that the Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) had completed its work on a document “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ” setting out an agreed framework for the theological and devotional understanding of Mary in the Christian faith.

The Lambeth Commission today expressed its sadness over the “strident language” being used in the debate now besetting the Anglican Communion over the issues of openly gay clergy and same sex unions. In a statement following its first full plenary meeting under the chairmanship of the Most Revd Robin Eames, the Primate of all Ireland and Archbishop of Armagh, at St George’s House, Windsor, the commission sets out its work-plan for the next few months.

Due to report to the Most Revd Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in September 2004, the commission has organised small working groups to study and reflect on five key topics. The subject areas are:
Issues of process in the Anglican Communion; The nature and purposes of Communion; The obligations of Communion; Authority; The role of the instruments of unity in preserving fellowship

The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has agreed on a methodology based on Scripture and theological reflection in its attempt to fix a strategy to go behind what it describes as “entrenched positions” on the Virgin Mary.

The Commission has just concluded its week-long meeting in Seattle under the co-chairmanship of Australian Anglican Primate and Perth Archbishop Peter Carnley.

It completed work on the text of the Seattle Statement, Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ, which it is now submitting to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and to the Archbishop of Canterbury, together with the Anglican Consultative Council.

The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) met from 28 January – 3 February at the Palisades Retreat Centre, Seattle, under the co-chairmanship of the Most Rev Alexander J Brunett, Archbishop of Seattle, and the Most Rev Peter Carnley, Archbishop of Perth and Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia.

The Commission completed work on the text of the Seattle Statement, “Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ”, which it is now submitting to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and to the Archbishop of Canterbury together with the Anglican Consultative Council.

The 160th anniversary of the publication of “True Devotion to Mary” has given John Paul II the chance to recall the doctrine of its author, St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort. It is to the saint that the Pope owes his episcopal motto, “Totus Tuus,” an expression of his total belonging to Jesus through Mary. In his youth, Karol Wojtyla received “a great help” from the work.

“I found the answer to my perplexities due to the fear that the devotion to Mary, if excessive, might end by compromising the supremacy of the worship owed to Christ,” the Pope said in his message to the religious of the Montfort family, which the Vatican press office published today. “Under the wise guidance of St. Louis-Marie, I understood that, if one lives the mystery of Mary in Christ, such a risk does not exist,” the Pope said in his letter dated Dec. 8, solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.