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Skriven 2006-11-23 22:36:36 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
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                               VIS-Press releases

DECLARATION OF POPE AND ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2006 (VIS) - Following their private meeting this
morning, the Pope and the archbishop of Canterbury signed a Common Declaration
in the presence of members of the Anglican delegation accompanying the
archbishop, and of Catholic representatives led by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-
O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster.

In their English-language declaration, Benedict XVI and Archbishop Williams
note that 40 years ago their predecessors, Paul VI and Archbishop Michael
Ramsey, undertook "to establish a dialogue in which matters which had been
divisive in the past might be addressed from a fresh perspective with truth and
love."

"True ecumenism," they write, "goes beyond theological dialogue; it touches our
spiritual lives and our common witness. As our dialogue has developed, many
Catholics and Anglicans have found in each other a love for Christ which
invites us into practical cooperation and service."

"The International Anglican - Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission
(IARCCUM) has been engaged in an exploration of the appropriate ways in which
our shared mission to proclaim new life in Christ to the world can be advanced
and nurtured. Their report ... has recently been completed and submitted for
review to the Anglican Communion Office and the Pontifical Council for
Promoting Christian Unity, and we express our gratitude for their work."

They continue: "In this fraternal visit, we celebrate the good which has come
from these four decades of dialogue. We are grateful to God for the gifts of
grace which have accompanied them. At the same time, our long journey together
makes it necessary to acknowledge publicly the challenge represented by new
developments which, besides being divisive for Anglicans, present serious
obstacles to our ecumenical progress. It is a matter of urgency, therefore,
that in renewing our commitment to pursue the path towards full visible
communion in the truth and love of Christ, we also commit ourselves in our
continuing dialogue to address the important issues involved in the emerging
ecclesiological and ethical factors making that journey more difficult and
arduous.

"As Christian leaders facing the challenges of the new millennium, we affirm
again our public commitment to the revelation of divine life uniquely set forth
by God in the divinity and humanity of Our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that
it is through Christ and the means of salvation found in Him that healing and
reconciliation are offered to us and to the world."

The Holy Father and the primate of the Anglican Communion recognize that "there
are many areas of witness and service in which we can stand together, and which
indeed call for closer cooperation between us: the pursuit of peace in the Holy
Land and in other parts of the world marred by conflict and the threat of
terrorism; promoting respect for life from conception until natural death;
protecting the sanctity of marriage and the well-being of children in the
context of healthy family life; outreach to the poor, oppressed and the most
vulnerable, especially those who are persecuted for their faith; addressing the
negative effects of materialism; and care for creation and for our environment.
We also commit ourselves to inter-religious dialogue through which we can
jointly reach out to our non-Christian brothers and sisters."

Following the signing ceremony, the Holy Father and the archbishop of
Canterbury went to the Vatican's "Redemptoris Mater" Chapel where together they
prayed the "Hora media" in the presence of the Anglican and Catholic
delegations.
AC/COMMON DECLARATION/WILLIAMS VIS 061123 (580)

SUMMARY

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