Anglican-Catholic unity advances in Malta

A draft Common Declaration on religious beliefs shared by Roman Catholics and Anglicans could emerge by 2005 for subsequent formal endorsement and signature by the two Churches, according to Bishop David Beetge of the Highveldt, South Africa.

Bishop Beetge is the Anglican co-chairman of the 12-bishop International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), established in 2000, which met at Mount St Joseph last week.

The meeting was also attended by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. A public ecumenical evensong last Wednesday at St Paul's Anglican Pro-Cathedral in Valletta involving all IARCCUM participants, was attended by President Guido de Marco, Archbishop Joseph Mercieca and senior clergy, the diplomatic corps and a broad range of civic leaders.

In an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times, Bishop Beetge explained that the Declaration "will not be just another theological document - although it will encapsulate not only theology, spirituality, liturgy, offices common to both churches but new points of agreement contained in texts issued by the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission since 1970.

"The Declaration will be part of a broader movement and must be supported by an ever deepening relationship between our two churches - extending our common worship, reflection and action.

"The draft Declaration will first have to be discussed by the Anglican Communion's 38 provincial synods (comprising bishops, clergy and laity). I am confident that this process can end before the next 10 yearly Lambeth Conference of 2008, bringing together the Communion's 800 bishops. Endorsement by this conference and by the Vatican would then lead to formal signature.

"Meanwhile, our two churches must start to speak with a common voice on major global issues, such as hunger, AIDS, poverty, debt, globalisation.

"We should develop a mechanism for such joint advocacy and action. We also need to develop regional exchanges and co-operation between our bishops as we are doing in Africa."

The universal primacy of the Bishop of Rome, the Pope, within the context of unity, or prior to unity was being actively discussed, he continued. "In Rome last week, we were given copies of responses from numerous Christian churches to the encyclical Ut Unum Sint (1995).

"The Anglican Communion accepted this principle of primacy long ago, but how that office would be exercised remains to be resolved. I hope that the churches will look at things in terms of function, rather than of hierarchies rooted in the past, and examine new models of authority to include greater consultation at all levels of the laity and clergy."

Assessing the meeting's outcome, the two co-secretaries, Bishop John Baycroft (Anglican Communion office) and Fr Donald Bolen, Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, both described the search for unity like working on a jigsaw puzzle.

"We cannot visualise the final picture, but must work to fit one piece at a time, while encouraging Anglicans and Roman Catholics to talk, meet and work together at parish level."

Bishop Baycroft also hoped that a future Vatican III could include all Christian churches and ecclesial communities as active participants.

Travelling for sightseeing in Valletta on the no. 49 bus yesterday and dressed in casual non-clerical clothes, the Catholic bishops of Portsmouth (UK) and Down and Connor (Northern Ireland) both told The Sunday Times that "the process towards unity is now unstoppable, but we should also involve the Protestant churches as observers".

IARCCUM reconvenes in Belfast (June, 2003) and Hong Kong (February, 2004). The communiqué issued yesterday stated that the main focus would be understanding and study rather than formal responses to ARCIC documents. A video and a Website might also be developed for information of the public.