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IARCCUM co-chairs Bishop David Hamid, the Church of England's Suffragan bishop in Europe, and Archbishop Donald Bolen, archbishop of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Bishop pairs from 27 countries were commissioned by Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby at the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls on January 25, 2024
On recognition of ministries and the IARCCUM commissioning (14 Mar 2024)

Catholic Bishop Adrian Wilkinson and Anglican Bishop Niall Coll pictured with the Irish ambassador to the Holy See, Frances Collins, outside of the Basilica of St Paul Outside the Walls in Rome. The bishops, in Rome for the IARCCUM Summit, attended Vespers at the end of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and were commissioned by Pope Francis and Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby to return to Ireland and promote relations between the two churches
Kilkenny bishops reflect on special international Anglican-Roman Catholic summit (18 Feb 2024)

Bishop Peter Collins, Roman Catholic bishop of East Anglia (right) and Bishop Stephen Race, Anglican bishop of Beverley, reading an extract from the address of St. Gregory the Great sending St. Augustine on his mission to the Angles. The bishops were participating in Morning Prayer at San Gregoria al Celio, where St. Gregory commissioned St. Augustine in 596 AD
Bishop Peter Collins reflects on summit in Rome and Canterbury (15 Feb 2024)

IARCCUM bishops gathered with the Canterbury Cathedral clergy following the Sunday service during the IARCCUM Summit
Second IARCCUM Summit takes place in Rome and Canterbury (9 Feb 2024)

Rev. Dr. Iain Luke, principal of the College of Emmanuel & St. Chad in the Saskatoon Theological Union, and Archbishop Linda Nicholls, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada and a member of ARCIC III (the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission)
Roman Catholic document on blessings could bring new perspectives to Anglican same-sex marriage debate, leaders say (7 Feb 2024)

2012 ~ Anglican-Roman Catholic news & opinion

Archbishop of Canterbury names Abp David Moxon representative to the Holy See
4 December 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=4003
Archbishop David Moxon

Archbishop David Moxon is heading to Rome as the Anglican Communion’s chief representative to the Roman Catholic Church. This means he will step down in April as the Archbishop of the New Zealand dioceses, and thus as one of the three leaders of the Anglican Church in these islands. He will also resign as Bishop of Waikato. Archbishop David’s new role in Rome will be twofold: as the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See, and also as the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome. He expects to take up those responsibilities in May next year.

The representative role involves relating to the Vatican and the Pope on behalf of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Communion; while the Anglican Centre is an Anglican “embassy” in Rome which promotes Christian unity through hospitality, prayer and education – and which brokers new joint endeavours by the Catholic and Anglican churches. Archbishop David was asked to consider the role earlier this year. After months of prayer and consideration, he applied, and he was offered the post by Dr Rowan Williams – who says he is “personally delighted” that Archbishop David accepted.

New Archbishop of Canterbury: Justin Welby
9 November 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=4381
The Right Reverend Justin Welby, aged 56, is currently Bishop of Durham. He will be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral on 21st March 2013

The Queen has approved the nomination of the Right Reverend Justin Welby for election as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury. He will succeed Dr Rowan Williams who is retiring at the end of December after ten years as Archbishop. The Right Reverend Justin Welby, aged 56, is currently Bishop of Durham. He will be enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral on 21st March 2013.

He said today: “I don’t think anyone could be more surprised than me at the outcome of this process. It has been an experience, reading more about me than I knew myself. To be nominated to Canterbury is at the same time overwhelming and astonishing. It is overwhelming because of those I follow, and the responsibility it has. It is astonishing because it is something I never expected to happen.

Fully visible Anglican Catholic union not likely soon says Archbishop Moxon
15 May 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3787
The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) at the Mission to Seafarers in Kowloon, Hong Kong (3-10 May 2012)

New Zealand Anglican Archbishop, David Moxon, says there seem to be many obstacles to fully visible Anglican Catholic union and it is unlikely to be achieved in the near future. He is the co-chairperson of the Anglican-Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and was speaking at the Commission’s meeting in Hong Kong last week. “We can, however, do a lot of things together during this slow process,” he says.

The Catholic co-chairperson, Archbishop Bernard Longley of Birmingham, speaking before the meeting said,”I do understand those doubts, misgivings, and sometimes frustrations and disappointments particularly on the part of those people who have committed many years to dialogue and who at the outset thought the prospects of unity were much more realistic than they are now. New challenges, new obstacles have come in the way in the path of unity.

Anglican-Roman Catholic meeting ponders ecumenical dialogue
11 May 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=1506
The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) at the Mission to Seafarers in Kowloon, Hong Kong (3-10 May 2012)

As the 4 to 10 May meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) drew to a close, participants emphasized the importance of social witness and openness in ecumenical dialogue.

“There seem to be many obstacles from a human point of view, and it does not seem likely to have fully visible unity in the near future,” New Zealand Anglican Archbishop David Moxon, the co-chairperson of the meeting, said on May 8. “We can, however, do a lot of things together during this slow process,” he added.

“As we discussed in the meeting, there can be more collaborations between us, such as (humanitarian agencies) Caritas International and the Global Anglican Relief and Development Alliance,” he said.

ARCIC III ponders ethical teaching
7 May 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3785
The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III) at the Mission to Seafarers in Kowloon, Hong Kong (3-10 May 2012)

Discernment of right ethical teaching was one of a number of issues on the table at the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission’s latest meeting in Hong Kong. The Commission is chaired by New Zealand’s Archbishop David Moxon and the Most Rev Bernard Longley (Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham), and comprises 19 theologians from across the world. They have been meeting at the Mission to Seafarers in Kowloon. The agenda covered the Church as Communion, local and universal, and how in communion the local and universal Church comes to discern right ethical teaching.

The Commission has also been asked to present the documents of ARCIC II for reception by the relevant authorities of both communions. At this latest meeting, running from May 3-10, the Commission built upon the framework it had prepared at its first meeting. This seeks to address the interrelated ecclesiological and ethical questions of its mandate under four headings: the identity and mission of the Church; the patterning of the Church’s life that undergirds local and universal communion; shortcomings in the churches which obscure the glory of God; and ethical discernment and teaching.

New start for the English Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee (English ARC)
26 March 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3170

The English group which works for unity between Anglicans and Roman Catholics has begun a new stage of its life. Meeting at Canterbury Cathedral from 23 to 24 March in a context of prayer and worship, the members of the newly configured English Anglican – Roman Catholic Committee set in train a programme of work for the next five years. Evangelization in the context of an increasingly secular society will be a key theme. How our two churches can bear joint witness in the area of public affairs (on issues such as the common good as well as other social and ethical questions) will also form part of the agenda.

Roman vespers unite Pope, Archbishop of Canterbury in prayer
12 March 2012 • Persistent link: iarccum.org/?p=3904
Pope Benedict XVI and Archbishop of Canterbury Williams prayed together and lit candles in the chapel of St. Gregory following a March 10 service at San Gregorio Magna al Celio in Rome to mark the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Italy's Camaldoli monastic community

Anglicans and Roman Catholics share a somewhat turbulent history, but differences were brushed aside March 10 when Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict XVI prayed together during an ecumenical vespers service at San Gregorio Magna al Celio in Rome.

The service marked the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Italy’s Camaldoli monastic community, which includes a presence at San Gregorio, a site of major significance to the origins of the Church of England.

Both Christian leaders, who held a private meeting earlier in the day to discuss human rights issues and concerns for the Holy Land, delivered a homily during the vespers and lit candles together in the chapel of St. Gregory.

Echoing the words of his two predecessors, Williams described the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church as “certain yet imperfect” during a sermon that extolled St. Gregory’s virtues of humility and prophecy.

“‘Certain’ because of the shared ecclesial vision to which both our communions are committed … a vision of the restoration of full sacramental communion,” he said. “And ‘yet imperfect’ because of the limit of our vision, a deficit in the depth of our hope and patience.” [The full text of the archbishop’s homily is available here.]

The pope, according to a Vatican Radio translation of his address, which was delivered in Italian, expressed hope that “the sign of our presence here together in front of the holy altar, where Gregory himself celebrated the eucharistic sacrifice, will remain not only as a reminder of our fraternal encounter, but also as a stimulus for all the faithful – both Catholic and Anglican – encouraging them … to renew their commitment to pray constantly and to work for unity. …” [The full text of the pope’s homily is available here.]