Highlights of the meeting of the 2007 ARC-Canada Bishops’ Dialogue

Highlights of the meeting of the 2007 ARC-Canada Bishops’ Dialogue

A meeting of representatives of the Canadian Anglican House of Bishops and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops took place at the Manoir d’Youville in Châteauguay, Québec, November 28-30, 2007.

In Canada, Anglican and Roman Catholic and Eastern Rite Catholic bishops have met, usually annually, since 1975. The meeting is an occasion for prayer, worship, Bible study, and discussion of issues of mutual concern. The bishops’ meetings are often informed by, and contribute to, an Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue composed of theologians, pastors, laity and bishops which meets more frequently.

The dialogue shared in morning and evening prayer, and in daily eucharist, to the degree possible, with a Roman Catholic presiding one day while an Anglican preached, and vice versa the next day.

On this occasion, bishops discussed:

• Preparation for the Eucharistic Congress in Québec in June 2008 and for the World Youth Day in Australia in the summer of 2008
• Preparation for the Synod on the Word of God to be held in Rome in October, 2008
• Preparation for the Lambeth Conference to be held in Canterbury in the summer of 2008 with a theme of the five marks of mission
• Issues arising from the Anglican General Synod in June, 2007
• Environmental issues as fundamental to the sustainability of creation and what churches can do practically
• Pastoral practice when Anglicans and Roman Catholics are at the eucharist together
• Capital punishment
• Work of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission

Specifically the bishops revised the title of a document which has been in preparation for several years and asked the authorities in both churches to allow the dialogue to issue a “Summary of Pastoral Practice: When Anglicans and Roman Catholics are at the Eucharist Together“.

The bishops requested that each of their churches, and the churches together, write to the federal government expressing concern that the government has chosen not to take action to protect a Canadian facing capital punishment in the United States. Both churches have a strong policy base against the death penalty and are encouraged to speak publicly on this matter, with other ecumenical partners if possible.

The bishops discussed the work of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, which was brought into being following the Anglican-Roman Catholic leaders’ meeting of 2000 in Mississauga, and agreed to the following recommendation by consensus:

“The Anglican-Roman Catholic Bishops’ Dialogue, meeting in Châteauguay, Québec, November 28-30, 2007, was briefed by Bishop John Baycroft on the history and context of the agreed statement of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, Growing Together in Unity and Mission, and spent time discussing the exciting possibilities for working together which it offers. This document is the product of 40 years of collaboration and theological dialogue between our communions.

We invite our colleagues in episcopal ministry in the Anglican Church of Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to study the document with a view to entering into local dialogue with each other and taking concrete practical actions together, as recommended by the agreed statement.”

Members of the dialogue this year are:

Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops
Mgr Émilius Goulet, Co-Chair
Mgr Pierre-André Fournier
Most Rev. Gary Gordon
Mgr François Lapierre
Most Rev. John Pazak

Mr. Jonas Abromaitis, Staff

Anglican House of Bishops
Most Rev’d Fred Hiltz, Co-Chair
Rt. Rev’d George Bruce
Rt. Rev’d Barry Clarke
Rt. Rev’d Michael Ingham

Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Staff