Roman Catholics and Anglicans Release Statement on Authority
Episcopal News Service. May 7, 1999 [99-069]
The ecumenical offices for the Episcopal Church and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops announce that The Gift of Authority, an agreed statement of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, will be issued May 12. This is the fourth statement on authority prepared by the official international dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.
In 1976, the first phase of this dialogue, ARCIC-I, issued Authority in the Church I. In 1981, the same commission issued an Elucidation of its first statement on authority and a second text, Authority in the Church II. With the appearance of these last two texts, the Final Report of ARCIC-I was complete, which also included agreed statements on the Eucharist and ministry and ordination. Numerous responses were received on the work of ARCIC-I, including a resolution with explanatory note at the 1988 Lambeth Conference of Anglican Communion bishops and an Official Response by the Holy See's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity in 1991.
The second phase of the international dialogue began after the completion of the Final Report. The current text, the Gift of Authority, is the fourth agreed statement by ARCIC-II.
The published record of this international dialogue illustrates how the joint study of authority in the church has been an ongoing discussion between Catholics and Anglicans. Both the Final Report and the responses of the churches to it indicate that, despite the considerable progress achieved in agreement, some issues remain to be resolved. In addition, a report was prepared for 1998 Lambeth Conference to assist Anglicans in a study of authority in the Anglican Communion. The reader of the Gift of Authority will note how the international dialogue took account this internal study of authority in the Anglican Communion.
The two members of ARCIC-II are from the United States:
Dr. E. Rozanne Elder, Western Michigan University, 616 387-8920
Sr. Sara Butler, University of St. Mary of the Lake, 847 970-4868
Representatives for Ecumenical Relations of the Episcopal Church and the National Conference of Catholic Bishops are:
The Rev. Canon David Perry, The Episcopal Church Center, 212 716-6127
The Rev. John F. Hotchkin, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 202 541-3020
Dr. John Borelli, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, 202 541-3020