Anglican/Roman Catholic Covenants Reported
Episcopal News Service. May 3, 1979 [79138]
Rev. Canon Harold Hultgren
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Two ecumenical groups representing the national diocesan ecumenical officers from around the United States have issued a joint study report. The Episcopal Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (EDEO) and the Roman Catholic Church's National Association of Diocesan Ecumenical Officers (NADEO) had commissioned in April of 1978 a joint task force to study "covenants" between Episcopal and Roman Catholic parishes in the United States. This task came from a suggested outreach contained in U. S. Anglican/Roman Catholic consultation's 12 year report.
The official title of this study document is: The Lived Experience: A Survey of United States ARC Covenants.
Jointly the Rev. William Lawson, President of EDEO and Fr. Alex Brunett, President of NADEO, announced in Birmingham at their annual national meetings this published study on covenants.
In making this study public, Fr. Lawson stated, "I am more than pleased at the outstanding job done by the joint task force. They have set a high standard for us all to follow in the future. "
Fr. Brunett declared, "This study has given all of us a clear vision of the present status of covenants between Episcopal and Roman Catholic parishes. It has helped us focus on the problems arising from these covenant relationships and to project what future steps need to be taken to strengthen the deepening bonds of unity between Episcopal and Roman Catholic parishes."
The study is but a beginning in the exploration of covenants. The Rev. Canon Harold Hultgren of Los Angeles, co-chairman of the task force developing the reports, comments, "These are lived experiences pointing to some almost touching areas and many with much growth needed as artistically represented on the cover. The report does help us to map our way forward in this significant local ecumenical expression."
The Rev. Royale M. Vadakin, the other co-chairman, reflected, "This study is an attempt to reach both formal and informal covenants. It in no way claims to have reached all covenant relations, but the 234 locations (117 covenants) questioned and the 120 responses provide a significant sampling of the lived experience of covenants in the United States."
The Rev. Herbert J. Ryan, S.J., and the Rev. J. Robert Wright have written theological responses to the study report and these comments are included in the book.
The task force is recommending to EDEO/NADEO the continued study of this material. The results of this more specific study will be presented to EDEO/NADEO jointly at their next meeting next March in Seattle, Wash.
Copies of the study report are available at $1. 50 per copy from EDEO/NADEO Committee, 4112 West Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles, California 90018.