Cathedral Deans Meet in Rome
Diocesan Press Service. May 12, 1975 [75180]
WASHINGTON, D. C. -- The Very Rev. Francis B. Sayre Jr., dean of Washington Cathedral, recently returned (May 2) to Washington from an historic trip to Rome with thirty-eight Anglican cathedral deans from the United States and Canada. Archbishop William W. Baum of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington assisted in planning the trip and met with the deans in Rome.
While in Rome the deans were given an audience with Pope Paul VI and received his personal permission to concelebrate the Episcopal service of Holy Communion in the Church of San Stefano Degli Abissirli on Sunday, April 27.
The Church of San Stefano is an ancient structure located just behind St. Peter's in the Vatican grounds. Portions of it date from the 4th century and Charlemagne is said to have worshipped there.
The service was unprecedented in the history of the two branches of Christianity. Not since the separation of the Anglican Church from the Roman Catholic Church in the sixteenth century has a group of Anglicans celebrated the Eucharist according to their own rite in a Vatican church. Dean Sayre led the service in which all of the American and Canadian deans participated.
Pope Paul greeted the American deans during the audience, referring specifically to the "ministry of reconciliation" at the heart of the Holy Year. "We consider your presence with us of great importance in our common efforts to proclaim before the world . . . 'Jesus Christ is Lord," the Pope said.
The meeting in Rome was arranged with the help of Cardinal Johannes Willebrand, head of the Secretariat on Christian Unity. Cardinal Willebrand led the first ecumenical service held in St. Paul's Church (Anglican) in Rome on April 23 and the discussions on the promotion of Christian unity which followed the next day.
The deans also met with Cardinals Pignedoli and Knox to discuss liturgical matters and Christian concern in relations with other religions of the world. The Greymoor Franciscans, an American order, hosted the deans at an ecumenical service on Saturday at which Dean Perry Williams of Cleveland preached.
The conference closed with a two-day meeting in Assisi at the Cittadella Cristiana. The Rev. Canon Clement W. Welsh, warden of the College of Preachers at Washington Cathedral, who had accompanied the deans on their pilgrimage, led a discussion on the conference and on the future of the ecumenical movement.
[For list of participants, please contact the Archives. -- Ed.]