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ACNS 3065 - ACO - 17 July 2002

The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission

COMMUNIQUI

The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) met from 10 to
18 July at the Focolare centre Am Spiegeln in Vienna, Austria, under the
co-chairmanship of the Most Reverend Alexander J Brunett, Archbishop of
Seattle, USA, and the Most Reverend Frank T Griswold, the Presiding Bishop
of the Episcopal Church, USA. The Reverend Charles Morerod OP joined the
Commission as a new member from the Roman Catholic Church. Fr Morerod is a
Swiss national who teaches at the Angelicum in Rome. The Revd Jonathan Gough
also joined the Commission as an observer from the office of the Archbishop
of Canterbury. Fr Gough is the Archbishops Officer for Ecumenism, based at
Lambeth Palace, London.

The main focus of study continues to be the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary
in the life and doctrine of the Church. The Commission first considered some
new material from Anglican authors of the 17th century which completed its
comprehensive survey of matters related to Mary in the Scriptures, Patristic
thought, Medieval, Reformation and post-Reformation periods. It then
proceeded to discuss in detail a preliminary draft of an agreed statement,
which had been prepared earlier in the year. Work in small groups produced a
more mature stage of a draft, which will be further refined over the next
year.

A report on the first meeting of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic
Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) was received. IARCCUM was
established after the historic meeting of Anglican and Roman Catholic
Primates and Bishops in Mississauga Canada in 2000, and complements the work
of ARCIC by promoting ways of deepening our communion in life and mission.

The Commissions work in the service of unity is set in the context of
worship and prayer. Morning and Evening Prayer were celebrated daily, along
with the Holy Eucharist, alternating the Roman Catholic and Anglican rites,
and respecting the discipline of both traditions.

The Commission noted with sadness the death of the Revd Canon Professor
Eugene Fairweather in April of this year. Professor Fairweather, a Canadian,
had been a member of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Preparatory Commission and
ARCIC I. His outstanding contributions to the dialogue were recalled and he
was commemorated at one of the daily Eucharists.

During its plenary meeting the members of the Commission were honoured to be
invited to a reception hosted by His Eminence Cardinal Christoph Schvnborn,
the Archbishop of Vienna. The reception was preceded by a service of
Evensong in the Cardinals chapel led by the Revd Canon Patrick Curran, the
chaplain of the Church of England congregation in Vienna. Also in attendance
at the reception was Sister Christine Gleixner, the president of the
Ecumenical Council of Austria. The Commission also received the generous
hospitality of the Abbot and Canons of the Augustinian Abbey of
Klosterneuburg, which included a tour of the treasury of the Abbey Church of
the Nativity of Our Lady, dating from the 12th century.

The Commission expressed its gratitude to Luisa Sello and the members of the
Focolare Community and staff at Am Spiegeln whose warm hospitality and
assistance contributed so greatly to the success of the meeting.

ARCIC will next meet in the USA from 10 to 18 July 2003.

Vienna
18 July 2002

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