456 Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale

V

Ad sodales Consilii Internationalis Anglicani-Catholici.*

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

1. It is a pleasure to be with you, the members of the Anglican-Roman

Catholic International Commission. In these days you are gathered for a new

session of your dialogue, which is now studying the relationship between

the universal Church and the local Church, with particular reference to

processes for discussions and decision making regarding moral and ethical

questions. I cordially welcome you and wish you a successful meeting.

Your dialogue is the result of the historic meeting in 1966 between

Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Ramsey, which gave rise to the first Angli-

can-Roman Catholic International Commission. On that occasion, they both

prayed with hope for « a serious dialogue which, founded on the Gospels

and on the ancient common traditions, [would] lead to that unity in truth

for which Christ prayed ».1

We have not yet reached that goal, but we are convinced that the Holy

Spirit continues to move us in that direction, notwithstanding new difficul-

ties and challenges. Your presence here today is an indication of how the

shared tradition of faith and history between Anglicans and Catholics can

inspire and sustain our efforts to overcome the obstacles to full commun-

ion. Though we are fully aware of the seriousness of the challenges ahead,

we can still realistically trust that together great progress will be made.

2. Shortly you will publish five jointly agreed statements of the second

phase of the Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue, with commentaries and

responses. I offer my congratulations for this work. This reminds us that

ecumenical relations and dialogue are not secondary elements of the life

of the Churches. The cause of unity is not an optional undertaking and

the differences which divide us must not be seen as inevitable. Some wish

that, after fifty years, greater progress towards unity would have been

* Die 30 Aprilis 2015. 1 The Common Declaration by Pope Paul VI and the Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Michael Ramsey,

Rome, 24 March 1966.