I går og i dag er 70 biskoper samlet til noe som visstnok (og utrolig nok) er det første offisielle møtet mellom anglikanske og katolske biskoper i England og Wales. Økende sekularisering er ett av temaene de her skal ta opp.
Dr Rowan Williams and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor were to issue a joint statement later today on the importance of working together and how to surmount the differences that remain between the two churches.
The 40 Anglican and 30 Catholic bishops began their unprecedented two-day meeting at Hinsley Hall at lunchtime. The bishops prayed and worshipped together and discussed how to heal the historic rift between them.
Senere i artikkelen står det også at erkebiskop Rowan Williams skal møte pave Benedikt XVI i Roma neste uke. Dette møtet er en markering av det første møtet mellom paven (Paul VI) og erkebiskopen av Canterbury (Michael Ramsey) for 40 år siden.
The 1966 meeting is regarded as an ecumenical milestone because it led to the setting up of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (Arcic) and to an era of unprecedentedly warm relations between Catholics and Anglicans.
Relationships have cooled recently because of the ordination of women priests and bishops in some parts of the Anglican Communion, and more recently the consecration in 2003 of an openly gay bishop in The Episcopal Church in the US. Advisers spoke openly of an «ecumenical winter».
But against some expectations, Pope Benedict XVI has shown himself to be an enthusiastic promoter of dialogue. It is hoped that his meeting with Dr Williams will lead to the setting up of the third round of talks under the Arcic umbrella, in which greater sharing of buildings and non-eucharistic services could be promoted.