The dialogue between Anglicans and Catholics has been ongoing since the Second Vatican Council, but after it reached an impasse when Anglicans began ordaining women, bishops from both denominations realized they needed a new path forward.
In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell recap the recent Anglican-Catholic summit that took place in Rome and Canterbury, England. Gerry explains what he sees as the major shift in Anglican-Catholic dialogue, from theological discussion to concrete action under Pope Francis.
“[Pope Francis has] always said that we all have these different churches; they have theological problems. But if we wait for these theological problems to be solved, we will all be in the next world” before we can move forward, Gerry says on this week’s show.
In part two of the episode, Colleen and Gerry analyze a letter Pope Francis sent to Israeli Jews. Why did the pope choose to address a religious group within Israel, rather than the entire nation?
Gerry also gives an update on the Vatican’s work to bring children who need medical treatment out of Gaza to be treated in Italy. “Bringing these children out, it's a great gesture,” Gerry says, “but what's needed is a ceasefire, as the pope constantly says; as 153 countries of the world have called for.”
Links from the show:
- A short history of Catholic-Anglican relations—and the last roadblocks to unity
- Full text: A letter from Pope Francis to his ‘Jewish brothers and sisters in Israel’
- Pope Francis and cardinals discuss women in the church with female Anglican bishop
- Parish priests were missing at the Synod. Now 300 will meet at the Vatican.
- Vatican clarifies handling of cases of abuse of ‘vulnerable adults’
- Vatican to priests: Stick to the script for Sacraments
