Changes in religious leadership in Rome, Canterbury and New Jersey have taken place quickly and almost simultaneously.
– On Jan. 10, 2013, Bishop Justin Welby was elected Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury.
– On Jan. 18, 2013, Bishop Dennis Sullivan was named Bishop of Camden by Pope Benedict.
– On Feb. 11, 2013 Pope Benedict announces his retirement.
– On Feb. 12, 2013, Bishop Sullivan is installed Bishop of Camden.
– On Feb. 28, 2013, Pope Benedict steps down from the papacy.
– On March 13, 2013, Pope Francis is elected Bishop of Rome.
– On March 19, 2013, Pope Francis’ inaugural Mass was celebrated.
– On March 21, 2013, Archbishop Welby was installed Archbishop of Canterbury.
– On May 4, 2013, the Rev. William “Chip” Stokes was elected Episcopal Bishop of New Jersey. He will be consecrated and installed on Nov. 2, 2013. Many changes at the top for local Catholics and Episcopalians.
Last month Archbishop Welby of Canterbury visited Pope Francis in Rome. They met at the Vatican on June 14, beginning with prayer in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel, and shared lunch together. They both made reference to the fact that they were installed to their positions of leadership just two days apart.
“Since we began our respective ministries within days of each other, I think we will always have a particular reason to support one another in prayer,” said Pope Francis. The pope also thanked the archbishop for publically praying for him at his installation ceremony in Canterbury, England.
Archbishop Welby added, “I pray that the nearness of our two inaugurations may serve the reconciliation of the world and the church.”
They each took turns delivering speeches to the more than 100 Catholics and Anglicans gathered for this historic meeting.
“The history of relations between the Church of England and the Catholic Church is long and complex and not without pain,” the pope said, but adding that “firm bonds of friendship have enabled us to remain on course even when difficulties have arisen in our theological dialogue that were greater than we could have foreseen at the start of our journey.”
Pope Francis concluded by saying, “The unity we so earnestly long for is a gift that comes from above and it is rooted in our communion of love with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As Christ himself promised, ‘where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them’ (Mt. 18:20). Let us travel the path towards unity, fraternally united in charity and with Jesus Christ as our constant point of reference. In our worship of Jesus Christ we will find the foundation and raison d’être of our journey. May the merciful Father hear and grant the prayers that we make to him together. Let us place all our hope in him who ‘is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think'” (Eph. 3:20).
Some of the more vexing issues that have challenged Anglican-Catholic dialogue since the Second Vatican Council are the ordination of women as priests and bishops, the blessings of gay unions and the controversy regarding the ordination of openly gay bishops in some Anglican communions. The Roman Catholic Church responded to those Anglicans who became dissatisfied with those controversies when Pope Benedict allowed those who wanted to join the Catholic Church to establish Anglican Ordinariates, similar to dioceses, that retain their Anglican spiritual and liturgical heritage.
Pope Francis thanked Archbishop Welby and the Anglican Communion for their understanding stance to the Ordinariates and added that they “will enable the spiritual, liturgical and pastoral traditions that form the Anglican patrimony to be better known and appreciated in the Catholic world.”
Archbishop Welby told the pope that for many years he has “found inspiration in the great corpus of Catholic social teaching and worked on its implications with Catholic groups.” He added that this ecumenical journey “is testing and we cannot be unaware that differences exist about how we bring the Christian faith to bear on the challenges thrown up by modern society.” He also explained that honest, friendly dialogue about these differences allows us “to be open to sharing the discernment of a way forward that is faithful to the mind of Christ.”
May the new leaders in the Catholic and Anglican churches in Rome, Canterbury and New Jersey lead us to a closer walk together in Christ.
Father Joseph D. Wallace is coordinator, Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, Diocese of Camden.
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