Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope Benedict discuss ecumenical, Muslim-Christian relations
Episcopal News Service. May 6, 2008 [050608-01]
Matthew Davies
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI held a private meeting with Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams at the Vatican May 5 to discuss ecumenical and Muslim-Christian relations.
During the 20-minute meeting, the Pope also talked about his recent visit to the United States, during which he celebrated a Mass attended by approximately 60,000 people at New York's Yankee Stadium. Williams described the meeting as "friendly and informal."
Accompanied by Roman Catholic Bishop Brian Farrell, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, Williams presented the Pope with several books, including "Loves' Redeeming Work: The Anglican Quest for Holiness."
The Rev. David Richardson, the Archbishop of Canterbury's new Representative to the Holy See and director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, was introduced to the Pope for the first time. Williams will preach and preside at a May 7 service for Richardson's inauguration.
During the visit to the Vatican, it was announced that India-born Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, would be among the plenary speakers at this summer's Lambeth Conference of bishops.
Williams previously met with Pope Benedict in November 2006, when the two religious leaders issued a Common Declaration recognizing 40 years of cooperation and dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the churches of the Anglican Communion. The Declaration renewed the historic commitment to the goal of "full visible communion in the truth of Christ," but acknowledged difficulties and obstacles to this goal caused by new developments within the Anglican Communion.
In January 2008, the Pope also met with Archbishop of York John Sentamu.
While in Rome, Williams is also convening the 7th Building Bridges Seminar, a unique annual series which brings together a range of internationally recognized Christian and Muslim scholars for an intensive study of relevant Biblical and Qur'anic texts.
The May 6-8 seminar, "Communicating the Word: Revelation, Translation and Interpretation in Christianity and Islam," is organized in partnership with Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It builds on similar events in London, Doha, Sarajevo, Washington, D.C., and Singapore.