Editorial

In the course of their recent encounter, Pope Benedict XVI and the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams spoke on the challenges facing all Christian communities at the beginning of this millennium and the need to promote forms of collaboration and shared witness in facing such battles.

The discussions, described by the Holy See as "cordial" and by Archbishop Williams as "friendly", also focused on recent events affecting relations between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, namely the publication of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus, providing for personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church. Certain sectors saw this as an effort to ease the way for disaffected Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while the Holy See maintained that the document does not represent any change in its attitude to the Anglican Communion as such.

Considering the kind of controversy that materialised following the publication of the Catholic document, many were happy to learn that the exchanges between the two Christian religious leaders have, nonetheless, reiterated what a Holy See Press Office statement described as "the shared will to continue and to consolidate the ecumenical relationship between Catholics and Anglicans and recalling how, over the coming days, the commission entrusted with preparing the third phase of international theological dialogue between the parties (ARCIC) is due to meet".

Catholic exponents have been explaining that the personal ordinariates for Anglicans offered by the Holy Father can be seen not in any way unecumenical but, rather, as a generous response to people who have been knocking at the door for a long time.

Many people continue to hope that the great emphasis, which has long been evident in the Catholic Church on uniting professing Christians of all denominations and beliefs, remains truly irreversible and continues to give permanent validity to the choice for ecumenism the Church made 45 years ago.

In his first message at the end of the Eucharist Celebration with the members of the College of Cardinals on April 20 2005, Pope Benedict XVI declared that the new Successor of Peter "is prepared to do everything in his power to promote the fundamental cause of ecumenism. Following the example of his predecessors, he is fully determined to encourage every initiative that seems appropriate for promoting contacts and understanding with the representatives of the different Churches and Ecclesial Communities".

Of course, the ecumenical situation has a combination of shifting lights and shadows. For instance, through the dialogue that has taken place at international, regional and local levels, many misunderstandings and prejudices have been eliminated, past differences have been overcome and religious representatives have managed to forge various enriched joint gatherings in the faith while making many new friendships. On the other hand, ecumenism at times appears to fall prey to superficial activism or is a matter of purely formal relations of courtesy, diplomacy or even bureaucracy. Nonetheless, the positive results achieved so far should serve as an encouragement to face the remaining challenges with confidence.

The choice for ecumenism, which also corresponds very much with the signs of the times, has already borne much good fruit. The positive results achieved so far should, in themselves, inspire all those involved to forge ahead and to persevere in their ecumenical commitment.