Continuing the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) dialogue, 26 Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops from 13 countries met in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, May 15-19. By the end of their meeting, the bishops had decided to establish a joint commission to explore the possibility of moving closer to full communion.

"We felt it was the logical outcome of this meeting," said Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPCU) and co-chair of the meeting. "By the end of the year we hope to be set up and running."

The Most Rev. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, also co-chaired the meeting.

The bishops heard a letter from Pope John Paul II, read by Cardinal Cassidy. The pope addressed the more than 30 years Anglican and Roman Catholics have worked together. He wrote, "... ARCIC has given real signs of hope that in the end our journey will not be in vain, even though new and serious obstacles have slowed our progress."

The bishops issued a 14-point statement titled Communion in Mission as well as an action plan.

Members of the commission will be primarily bishops appointed by the PCPCU and the Anglican Communion office. It will report to the PCPCU and to the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations. In part, the commission will:

• oversee the preparation of a joint declaration of agreement which would formally indicate the accord that currently exists between Anglicans and Roman Catholics, and plan for its signing and celebration;
• invite one or two Anglican-Roman Catholic (ARC) dialogue groups to study the implication of the sacrament of baptism on the roles of women and men in the church and to share the results of that study with all levels of the churches;
• examine ways to ensure formal consultation prior to either church making decision on matters of faith and morals which would affect the other church, keeping in view the statement of ARCIC; and
• plan a future consultation in five years.

The Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, Presiding Bishop, said the dialogue has entered "a new stage — one that needs to be marked in some public way."

Anglican Communion News Service and Episcopal News Service contributed to this article.