RADIO VATICANA REPORT: Pope Benedict received in
audience on Saturday morning the Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the
worldwide Anglican Communion, Dr Rowan Williams, at the start of his 3 day visit
to Italy. According to the Anglican leader, the discussions focused on "a shared
sense of deep anxiety" about the situation of Christians in the Middle East and
a look ahead at the theological reflections that Dr Williams will be offering
the Synod of Bishops next October. They also talked "quite animatedly" about a
recent lecture the Archbishop gave in Geneva on how to connect Christian
theology with human rights.After the audience Philippa Hitchen sat down with the Anglican leader to talk about their meeting, about current concerns in the Church of England, including the Anglican covenant, legislation on women bishops and the forthcoming diamond jubilee of Queen Elisabeth, as well as about the concept of monastic values as a key to ecumenical progress.....
Asked about Saturday afternoon's celebration of Vespers with the Pope in the church of San Greglorio al Celio, Dr Williams says "The fact that 3 successive archbishops have been to San Gregorio is an acknowledgement of historical fact, that the mission to England began here and it's good to touch the soil on which you are nurtured, to honour the memory of St Gregory and St Augustine of Canterbury...and by going back to our common roots to affirm a communion that is still in us......."
"A monastic community is a community assembled around the word of God, that identifies together with the prayer of Christ...that says something about the deepest roots of ecumenism ...but also about mission and I'll be speaking on Monday in Montecassino more specifically about the mission dimension of monastic life...."
SHARED FROM: http://www.radiovaticana.org/en1/Articolo.asp?c=570305
Comments