“The Lord calls each one of us to be a builder of unity, and even if we are not yet alone, our imperfect communion should not become an obstacle to walking together,” the pope said, addressing Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and bishops of the Anglican Commonwealth on May 2. They have chosen Rome as their meeting place for this year. The Anglican Communion includes about 450 dioceses in 160 countries.
Inese Steinert – Vatican
This year, celebrating Vespers together on the Feast of the Return of St. Paul, Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin Welby gave a mandate to some couples of Catholic and Anglican bishops to work together to “accelerate the reconciliation of all Christians in the world in the bosom of one and united Church of Christ”. The Holy Father thanked Archbishop Welby for this fraternal cooperation for the sake of the Gospel. He also recalled the joint visit of the two to South Sudan and mentioned that it is the country where the wife of the Anglican archbishop works. The Pope also praised the work done over the past 50 years by the International Anglican-Catholic Commission, which works to overcome various obstacles to unity.
“Brothers and sisters,” Francis said to members of the delegation, “the season of Easter forces us to return to the beginning through the readings from the Acts of the Apostles.” The author does not hide moments of tension and misunderstanding, which often arose due to the fragility of the disciples, or due to different interpretations of past traditions. But the whole story shows that the main role belongs to the Holy Spirit. The apostles come to conclusions and solutions by obeying Him. The Pope called not to be afraid of discussions, but to live, leaving the first place to the Paraclete, to pray and listen, trying to understand the other and asking ourselves whether we have obeyed the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, or whether we have submitted to our personal or group views.
The Pope asserted that the divine perspective will never be a division, never a rupture of dialogue. “The way of God leads to ever closer adherence to the Lord Jesus, because only in communion with Him will we find complete unity with each other,” said Francis, addressing the leaders of the Anglican Church.
The Bishop of Rome noted that today’s torn world needs to know Christ. There is no lack of suffering either in war- and poverty-stricken countries, or in those that enjoy peace and prosperity. The poor are everywhere. In such circumstances, what can Christians offer, if not Jesus the Savior? “It is our mission to introduce him,” said the Holy Father.
“Dear primates of the Anglican Commonwealth,” the Pope addressed the audience, “thank you for choosing to meet this year in the city of the apostles Peter and Paul. To feel close to the communities you represent is a gift to me. I know that the role of the bishop of Rome is still a controversial and divisive issue among Christians. However, according to the beautiful expression of Pope Gregory the Great, who sent St. Augustine on a mission to England, the bishop of Rome is “servus servorum Dei” – “servant of God’s servants”. Francis expressed satisfaction that positive results have been achieved in several ecumenical dialogues regarding the papal primacy as a “gift to be shared”.
At the end of the address, the Holy Father noted that the Catholic Church is currently involved in the synodal process. He expressed his pleasure that several delegates from the Church of England, including one Commonwealth bishop, attended the first session of the General Assembly last year. The Pope assured that he expects ecumenical participation also in the session, which will be held in the fall of this year. “I pray that a better understanding of the role of the Bishop of Rome will be one of the fruits of the Synod,” said Francis.
Tags: Francis meets bishops Anglican Commonwealth
