On Friday 14 September, the Anglican Communion Office and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity’s Information Service are releasing the definitive text of the report of the International Anglican Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM). The report, entitled Growing Together in the Unity and Mission, offers to the Anglican Communion and to the Roman Catholic Church a concise summary of 40 years of Anglican-Roman Catholic theological dialogue. It sets out both areas of convergence and agreement, as well as outstanding areas of difficulty and continuing dialogue. It then proceeds to explore how Anglicans and Roman Catholics can work ecumenically towards a shared vision of Christian unity and in service of the Gospel in practical and straightforward initiatives.
Accompanying the publication of the text are two commentaries. The Anglican Communion Office is publishing a commentary by Bishop Paul Richardson, Assistant Bishop in the Anglican Diocese of Newcastle, and the PCPCU’s Information Service, a commentary by Bishop Bernard Longley, Auxiliary Bishop in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Westminster. These commentaries aim to offer a first appraisal of the report from the perspectives of each of the traditions.
The report “Growing Together in Unity and Mission” has been written with the ecumenical ministry of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops around the world in mind. It will form a central text for consideration at next year’s Lambeth Conference. The electronic release of the text follows its publication in printed format by SPCK for Anglican audiences at the time of the Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam in February this year, but at this stage the report is commended for study by both the Anglican Consultative Council and the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
The Publication and accompanying commentaries are available here:
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