wfn.org | Episcopalians: Vatican official greets new archbishop of Canterbury as a 'builder of bridges

[dmack@episcopalchurch.org]

March 3, 2003

2003-046

Episcopalians: Vatican official greets new archbishop of 
Canterbury as a 'builder of bridges'

by James Solheim

(ENS) At a banquet following the February 27 enthronement of 
Rowan Williams as the 104th archbishop of Canterbury, Cardinal 
Walter Kasper, president of the Vatican's Council for Promoting 
Christian Unity, described the ecumenical task in terms of 
building bridges.

On his historic visit to Rome in March of 1966, Pope Paul VI 
told Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey that he was 
"rebuilding a bridge which for centuries had lain fallen between 
the Church of Rome and the Church of Canterbury--a bridge of 
respect, of esteem and of charity."

The pope characterized that bridge as yet unstable and "still 
under construction," Kasper said. "In the intervening years it 
has grown much more stable. While it is still very much under 
construction, it has carried me here today without a wobble," he 
added.

A bridge is a much better metaphor for the relationship between 
Rome and Canterbury, Kasper argued. While the Chunnel under the 
English Channel may be convenient, "I don't know what a 
spiritual chunnel would look like and besides, we don't want to 
meet in the dark; it's better to keep building bridges, in the 
light."

Addressing Williams and his "forthcoming ministry," Kasper said 
that he saw three types of bridge-building in the future--the 
bridge across the separation of the ages which links us to our 
ancient common traditions and gives us our bearings; the bridges 
of unity, within the Anglican Communion and with ecumenical 
partners; and bridges between the Christian faith and 
present-day cultures, "our contemporary world with its joys and 
hopes, its grief and anguish."

Kasper said that for Roman Catholics the "common traditions 
include not only the Scriptures and foundational doctrines of 
the first Councils, but shared spiritual and liturgical 
traditions, the monastic life, the role of the bishop as a 
guardian of unity and much more. Together with our ecumenical 
partners, we know that this ancient heritage is not something 
that belongs in your British Museum. It is not dry bones but 
something ever enlivened by the Holy Spirit."

"The Christian churches," he added, "have been walking the road 
of dialogue, and must continue on this road. But a bridge in 
constant need of attention is the one which takes us from 
dialogue to common mission and back. Our world would greatly 
benefit from our common witness and joint mission on many 
fronts."

The cardinal welcomed the gifts of the new archbishop of 
Canterbury in addressing cultural issues. "You are a theologian 
with keen perception in reading the signs of the times; a 
scholar with an ear bent to the ground; a poet, with a deep 
sensitivity to language. All of these talents will be well put 
to use, for the task at hand is not simply to build bridges but, 
by the grace of God, to become a bridge, so that talk about God, 
about a boundless mercy, about the crucified and risen Lord, and 
the hope and treasure we carry within us, spans the distance 
between the Gospels and the farthest reaches of our contemporary 
world."

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(Text of the cardinal's address is available on the Web site of 
the Anglican Communion News Service.)

--James Solheim is director of Episcopal News Service.