[Washington • USCCB] Representatives of the U.S. Bishops and two Orthodox Jewish associations examined the recent Note on Covenant and Mission from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop (USCCB) during a June 25 meeting in New York. The discussion was part of the regular consultation of the USCCB-Rabbinical Council of America/Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

The bishops issued A Note on Ambiguities Contained in Reflections on Covenant and Mission, June 18, to clarify aspects of a 2002 statement by a group of Catholic and Jewish scholars associated with a standing dialogue between the USCCB and the National Council of Synagogues. Some Catholic leaders had felt the efforts in "Reflections" to recognize the validity of the Jewish covenant appeared to undercut Catholic responsibility to witness to the entirety of the Christian faith.

At the June 25 meeting, David Berger, Ph.D., head of the Jewish Studies Department at Yeshiva College, New York City, cited "grave" concerns of some in the Jewish community about the Note, which was prepared by the USCCB's Committee on Doctrine and Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

Orthodox Jews can tolerate any Christian view on the necessity of faith in Jesus Christ as savior of all, but they cannot agree to participate in an interfaith dialogue that is a cover for proselytism, Berger said.

The Note, which was issued at the request of USCCB President Cardinal Francis George, affirmed that interreligious dialogue involves "a mutually enriching sharing of gifts," but also asserted that giving witness to the following of Christ is implicit in every faithful encounter with persons of other religious convictions.

Berger and the other Jewish participants asked if the "implicit witnessing to Christ" means, in effect, a subtle attempt to convert Jews to Christianity, which would render interreligious dialogue with Catholics illegitimate and "dangerous" from an Orthodox Jewish standpoint. "We take apostasy very seriously," he said, referring to the abandonment of Judaism for another religion.

Father James Massa, Executive Director for the Secretariat of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs at the USCCB, assured participants that interreligious dialogue for the Catholic bishops is never about proselytism or any coercive methods that would lead a person to abandon his or her religious convictions.

"The important term in this discussion is 'witness,'" Father Massa said. "As Catholics involved in a dialogue of truth, we cannot help but give witness to Christ, who, for us, is synonymous with truth. Without acknowledging our indebtedness to God's revelation in Christ, we cannot sit at the table and speak as Christians about how we arrive at notions of justice, compassion and building up the common good—the very values our interreligious dialogues seek to foster."

The consultation is co-chaired by Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre, New York, and Rabbi Fabian Schoenfeld of Young Israel Synagogue in Kew Gardens Hills, New York. The members also discussed local state issues of concern to both communities.

James Cultrara, Director for Education of the New York State Catholic Conference, updated members on efforts to expand tax credits for parents who send their children to private schools in New York. The issue of school choice brought the Orthodox Jewish and Catholic communities together in 2006, when the New York State Assembly passed a limited bill that provided tax relief for lower income families with children in private schools.

Participants also discussed state legislation that would have rolled back the statutes of limitation on civil lawsuits that could be brought for alleged sexual abuse of minors, regardless of how long ago the alleged abuse occurred. The "Child Victims Act," sponsored by Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (D-Maspeth), had the support of the Rabbinical Council of America, but was strongly opposed by the Catholic Church in New York for targeting private institutions.

Thomas Renker, General Counsel for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, reported that the State Catholic Conference endorsed an alternative proposal by Vito Lopez (D-Brooklyn) that would have included public schools, where cases of abuse of minors far exceed those in religious-based institutions. When the New York Assembly concluded its session on June 22, neither bill was put before the body.

Bishop Murphy said the Catholic Church has worked diligently in the past seven years to create safe environments for children and requires all church workers and volunteers to undergo training on how to detect signs of sexual abuse of minors. Eileen Puglisi, Rockville Centre's Diocesan Director of the Office for the Protection of Children and Young People, distributed literature on the Rockville Centre Review Board and counseling opportunities for victims of abuse. She also fielded questions from the participants.

Co-founded in 1998, by the late Cardinal John O'Connor, the consultation meets to discuss moral and cultural issues that impact Catholic and Jewish life in the nation. Previous meetings have addressed anti-religious bias in the media and peace initiatives to resolve the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Other Catholic members of the dialogue included Jesuit Father Drew Christiansen, Father Lawrence Frizzell, Seton Hall University; Father Lee Descoteaux, Diocese of Rockville Centre's liaison to the Jewish community; and Father Dennis McManus, Georgetown University and Consultant to the USCCB on Jewish Affairs.

Jewish members included Howard Beigelman, Deputy Director of Public Policy, Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; Rabbi Basil Herring, Executive Vice President of the Rabbinical Council of America; Rabbi Yonatan Kaganoff, Rabbinical Council of America; Rabbi Tzvi Hersh Weinreb, Executive Vice President of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; and Betty Ehrenberg, Director of International and Communal Affairs for the Institute for Public Affairs (IPA) of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

[ACNS 4638] The Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion have announced the membership of an important new commission, following extensive consultation with the Provinces of the Communion around the world. The Chair is the Most Revd Bernard Ntahoturi, Primate of the Anglican Church of Burundi.

IASCUFO will oversee the ecumenical life of the Anglican Communion, and will:

• promote the deepening of Communion between the Anglican Communion and other Christian Churches and traditions;
• advise the Provinces, the Primates, the Anglican Consultative Council, and the Archbishop of Canterbury, on all questions of ecumenical engagement, as well as on questions of Anglican Faith and Order;
• review developments in the areas of Faith, Order and Unity in the Anglican Communion and among ecumenical partners, and give advice upon them to the Churches of the Anglican Communion and to the Instruments of Communion;
• assist any Province with the assessment of new proposals in the areas of Unity, Faith and Order as requested.

The Inter-Anglican Standing Commission for Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO) will start its work in December 2009 in Canterbury, England.

IASCUFO will take forward the work of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Ecumenical Relations (IASCER), and the Inter-Anglican Theological and Doctrinal Commission (IATDC).

Members of the Commission

The Most Revd Bernard Ntahoturi, Burundi (Chair)
The Rt Revd Dr George Titre Ande, Congo
The Ven Professor Dapo Asaju, Lagos State University, Nigeria
The Revd Canon Dr Paul Avis, England
The Rt Revd Philip D Baji, Bishop of Tanga, Tanzania
The Revd Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Canada
The Revd Canon Dr John Gibaut, WCC Commission on Faith and Order
The Rt Revd Howard Gregory, Bishop of Montego Bay, West Indies
The Revd Dr Katherine Grieb, Virginia Theological Seminary, The Episcopal Church
The Revd Canon Clement Janda, Sudan
The Revd Dr Edison Muhindo Kalengyo, Uganda Christian University, Uganda
The Rt Revd Victoria Matthews, Bishop of Christchurch, Aotearoa, New Zealand & Polynesia
The Revd Canon Dr Charlotte Methuen, Oxford University, England
The Revd Dr Simon Oliver, University of Nottingham, England
The Rt Revd Professor Stephen Pickard, Assistant Bishop of Adelaide, Australia
Dr Andrew Pierce, Irish School of Ecumenics, Ireland
The Revd Canon Dr Michael Nai Chiu Poon, Trinity Theological College, Singapore, South East Asia
The Revd Sarah Rowland Jones, Southern Africa
The Revd Dr Jeremiah Yang, Sheng Gong Hui (Anglican) University, Korea
The Rt Revd Tito Zavala, Bishop of Chile, Southern Cone

The Secretary to the Commission will be the Director for Unity, Faith and Order, Anglican Communion Office.

UPDATE: The Rev'd Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan has been appointed as the first director for Unity, Faith and Order in the Anglican Communion Office. (Aug 14, 2009)

[Ottawa • CCCB] Pope Benedict XVI today named Most Reverend Albert LeGatt as Archbishop of Saint-Boniface. At the time of his appointment, he was Bishop of Saskatoon.

The Holy Father also accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Émilius Goulet, P.S.S., in accordance with the Code of Canon Law which sets the mandatory age of retirement for bishops at 75. Archbishop Goulet, who turned 76 last May, has served the diocese of Saint-Boniface for a little more than a year past his 75th birthday. He had been appointed Archbishop of Saint-Boniface in [June] 2001.

Born on May 6 1953, in Melfort, Saskatchewan, Bishop LeGatt was ordained a priest on 19 June 1983 for the Diocese of Prince Albert. Before his appointment as Bishop of Saskatoon, in July 2001, he had served in several parishes and had held the office of Diocesan Consultor, Director of Vocations and Coordinator of the Diocesan Commission for Liturgy.

Bishop LeGatt studied at the College of Saint Boniface where he completed a Bachelor of Arts degree in philosophy. He has worked with Canadian University Students Overseas (CUSO) where he taught young people in Ghana for three years, before returning to Canada for his theological studies with the Grand Séminaire at Laval University, Quebec City.

As a member of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB), Archbishop-elect LeGatt has served on the Canadian Catholic Aboriginal Council (formerly the Council for Reconciliation, Solidarity and Communion with Aboriginal Peoples). He is currently the Chairman of the English Sector Commission for Liturgy and Sacraments.

The Diocese of Saint Boniface has a Catholic population of 113,495 in 103 parishes and missions, served by 75 diocesan priests, 36 religious order priests, 24 permanent deacons and 307 religious Sisters and Brothers.

by Ali Symons, Anglican Church of Canada

[ACC News] After six years of conversation, the Anglican-United Dialogue offers their churches "Drawing from the Same Well: the St. Brigid Report." Formatted for quick reference, the report describes where Anglican and United churches are working cooperatively, and outlines the differences between the denominations.

Thirty-four years ago, the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) and the United Church of Canada (UCC) were having a much different conversation; they were talking about becoming one church. From 1967 to 1975, the churches made steps towards this "organic union" until the Anglican House of Bishops quashed the idea, and the dialogue broke off.

Restarting the conversation in 2003 was "awkward," said the Rev. Dr. Bill Harrison, the dialogue's Anglican co-chair. "No one's quite certain why the union was stopped, to be honest. The House of Bishops did not explain in any depth its reasons."

When 12 Anglican and United representatives met in 2003, the first step was for Anglicans to listen to pain and anger from many UCC representatives.

"They felt rejected," explained Mr. Harrison. "Since then, of course, we have developed a very close relationship with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC), so there was a sense that we had jilted them and walked up the aisle with someone else."

In 2001, ACC entered into a full communion relationship with ELCIC. The Waterloo Declaration allowed Lutheran and Anglican clergy to minister at the others' churches and for baptisms to be mutually recognized.

Now the national Lutheran and Anglican leaders are moving the two churches towards working together both in management and at a grassroots level, where joint ministry in rural areas is often a necessity.

The St. Brigid Report describes similar Anglican and United cooperation, which has sprung up in recent decades. Anglican and United church members work together in chaplaincies, social justice coalitions, and theological colleges, often within a broader ecumenical context. (The Anglican-United dialogue has contributed to an Ecumenical Shared Ministries Handbook.)

Over their 13 meetings, Anglican-United dialogue members visited many of these cooperative ministries across Canada. They spoke with deacons in Halifax, professors in Winnipeg, and church members involved with Indigenous reconciliation work in Ottawa.

The St. Brigid Report, which marks a pause in the dialogue, includes chapters on Indigenous experiences, sacramental theology, and interfaith relations. Members recommend that the dialogue continue to consider topics like Christology in interfaith relations and the history of the churches' missions. The ACC and UCC will wait to gauge the report's reception before making a next move.

"Perhaps the most important thing that the dialogue has to say to both the Anglican and United churches is that we have a remarkable amount in common," said Mr. Harrison. "We also think that our differences are significant, but we don't want our differences to be allowed to overshadow the unity that we do share."

[Stephen Brown • Lyon, France • ENI] Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos I, a spiritual leader who represents Eastern Orthodox Christianity, has called for the creation of a churches' umbrella body in Europe to include Roman Catholics alongside Anglicans, Orthodox and Protestants.

"It is only by engaging in dialogue and by closely cooperating that the churches will prove capable of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the world in a convincing and effective way," the Orthodox leader said in a 19 July address in Lyon, France to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Conference of European Churches.

CEC now has about 120 member churches, principally Anglican, Orthodox and Protestant, but Bartholomeos said that Europe needs a grouping that includes the Catholic Church.

This would help to promote unity between churches and enable them to act jointly on issues in Europe such as secularisation, human rights violations, racism, the economic crisis, and threats to the environment.

"I am convinced that a conference of all the European churches, and I underline, all the European churches, working in harmony will be able to respond better to the sacred command to re-establish communion between the churches and to serve our contemporaries confronted as they are with so many complex problems," said Bartholomeos to applause.

"It will then be possible to promote more effectively the dialogue of the churches of Europe with the European institutions and the European Union," said the Patriarch, who is based in Istanbul, formerly Constantinople and one-time capital of the Byzantine Empire.

The Orthodox leader asked Cardinal Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, who was present in the audience, to transmit the proposal to "where it needs to go", in an apparent reference to the Vatican.

Bartholomeos warned that the failure of churches in Europe to match their statements about unity with specific actions calls into question their credibility.

"Procrastination cannot be justified," he said. "The future of the new Europe that is under construction is sombre and, indeed, uncertain, being built as it is without Christian spiritual values which touch on everything concerning the support and protection of human beings and their dignity."

The 50th anniversary celebrations for CEC came during the church grouping's once-every-six-years assembly being held from 15-21 July in Lyon. This has gathered 300 delegates from CEC member churches and 500 other participants.

Bartholomeos said there is an obligation to, "re-establish full communion between the Christian churches in Europe". Orthodox Christians and Catholics separated from one another several centuries before the 16th-century Reformation and the rise of Protestantism.

The Patriarch noted efforts made in recent decades to overcome divisions. These include the Charta Oecumenica, a document signed in Strasbourg in 2001 by CEC and the Council of European (Catholic) Bishops' Conferences, and intended to boost inter-church cooperation.

However, many of its proposals have not been implemented by churches, and many Christian faithful are unaware of its recommendations, said Bartholomeos.

"The result is that what we have said is not matched by our actions, which damages the credibility of our churches, and gives the impression … that we are incapable of finding solutions to current problems," the Patriarch stated.

In February 2008, the president of CEC, the Rev. Jean-Arnold de Clermont, proposed the creation of a Council of European Churches that would also include the Catholic Church.

Speaking to journalists at the start of the Lyon assembly, de Clermont, a French Protestant pastor, urged steps to increase collaboration with the Catholic Church as well as with Evangelical groups.

"There is already a structure for cooperation between CEC and the Roman Catholic Church but this is not enough," said de Clermont. "The world of today couldn't care less about our [Christian] disputes. We need to have a common voice of the Christian churches in Europe."

The history of CEC goes back to January 1959, when representatives from 45 Protestant and Orthodox churches in 20 countries in Eastern and Western Europe gathered in Nyborg, Denmark.

During the Cold War, CEC helped bridge the divide between East and West. In recent years, the church grouping has played an active role in representing churches to institutions such as the European Union, the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

[Stephen Brown • Lyon, France • ENI] Le patriarche œcuménique Bartholomée Ier, "premier parmi ses pairs" dans la hiérarchie de l'Eglise orthodoxe, a appelé de ses vœux la création d'une organisation rassemblant anglicans, orthodoxes, protestants et catholiques romains.

"C'est seulement en dialoguant et en coopérant étroitement que les Eglises seront en mesure de proclamer au monde l'Evangile du Christ de façon convaincante et efficace", a déclaré le leader orthodoxe dans une allocution prononcée le 19 juillet à Lyon pour marquer le 50e anniversaire de la fondation de la Conférence des Eglises européennes (KEK).

La KEK compte aujourd'hui environ 120 Eglises membres, principalement anglicanes, orthodoxes et protestantes, mais Bartholomée Ier affirme que l'Europe a besoin d'une organisation qui inclue aussi l'Eglise catholique.

Une telle démarche contribuerait à promouvoir l'unité entre les Eglises et leur permettrait d'agir en commun sur des questions qui touchent l'Europe, comme la sécularisation, les violations des droits de la personne, le racisme, la crise économique et les menaces qui pèsent sur l'environnement.

"Nous sommes convaincus qu'une Conférence de toutes les Eglises européennes - et nous soulignons, de toutes les Eglises européennes - peut, à l'unisson, répondre au mieux au commandement sacré du rétablissement de la communion ecclésiale et servir l'homme contemporain confronté à une multitude de problèmes complexes", a déclaré le patriarche Bartholomée Ier, suscitant des applaudissements.

"Ainsi, il sera possible de promouvoir plus efficacement le dialogue des Eglises d'Europe avec les institutions européennes et l'Union européenne", a affirmé le patriarche œcuménique, dont le siège se trouve à Istanbul, l'ancienne Constantinople, jadis capitale de l'Empire byzantin.

Le leader orthodoxe a demandé au cardinal Philippe Barbarin de Lyon, présent dans l'assemblée, de transmettre la proposition "là où il faut", faisant manifestement allusion au Vatican.

Lors d'une conférence de presse, le 20 juillet, le pasteur Jean-Arnold de Clermont, président de la KEK, a qualifié l'interpellation du patriarche de "moment important dans la vie de la KEK". Il s'agit d'un "double défi", a affirmé le pasteur de Clermont. Selon lui, l'appel s'adresse non seulement à l'Eglise catholique romaine de la part du patriarche et de la KEK, mais aussi à la KEK elle-même, pour que celle-ci se montre capable de s'ouvrir "à cette collaboration avec l'Eglise catholique romaine".

Le pasteur de Clermont a affirmé que la KEK et le Conseil des Conférences épiscopales (catholiques) d'Europe (CCEE) devaient réfléchir ensemble à "comment dire oui à un tel défi".

Le président de la KEK a souligné que le patriarche avait insisté pour "élaborer et fournir une parole de tous les chrétiens dans la société européenne". Il est important de ne pas "piéger" l'Eglise catholique romaine "dans une situation théologique qui n'est pas acceptable", a-t-il affirmé.

Dans son discours à l'Assemblée de la KEK, le patriarche Bartholomée Ier a averti qu'en tenant des discours sur l'unité qui ne correspondent pas à leurs actes, les Eglises européennes perdent leur crédibilité.

"C'est pourquoi aucun ajournement ne saurait être justifié", a-t-il dit.

"L'avenir de la nouvelle Europe en construction, sans les valeurs spirituelles chrétiennes qui touchent tout ce qui concerne le soutien et la protection de la personne humaine et de sa dignité, est sombre, voire incertain", a ajouté le patriarche œcuménique.

Les célébrations du 50e anniversaire de la KEK ont eu lieu pendant l'Assemblée du rassemblement d'Eglises, qui se tient tout les six ans et qui se réunit cette année du 15 au 21 juillet à Lyon. Cet événement rassemble 300 délégués d'Eglises membres de la KEK et 500 participants supplémentaires.

Selon Bartholomée Ier, "le rétablissement de la communion chrétienne représente un devoir primordial et impératif qui nous incombe à tous". Les traditions orthodoxe et catholique se sont séparées plusieurs siècles avant la Réforme du XVIe siècle et l'avènement du protestantisme.

Le patriarche de Constantinople a souligné les efforts réalisés ces dernières décennies pour surmonter les divisions, notamment avec la Charta Oecumenica, un document signé à Strasbourg en 2001 par la KEK et le CCEE avec pour intention d'encourager la coopération inter-Eglises.

Toutefois, beaucoup de propositions exposées dans la Charta Oecumenica n'ont pas été appliquées par les Eglises et de nombreux fidèles ignorent ses recommandations, a affirmé Bartholomée Ier.

"Il en résulte que nos discours s'avèrent ne pas être en adéquation avec nos actes, ce qui entame la crédibilité de nos Eglises et donne l'impression, tant à l'intérieur qu'à l'extérieur, qu'elles sont incapables de trouver des solutions aux problèmes existants.

En février 2008, le pasteur de Clermont avait proposé la création d'un Conseil des Eglises européennes qui inclurait également l'Eglise catholique.

A l'ouverture de l'Assemblée, Jean-Arnold de Clermont, pasteur protestant français, a appelé à prendre des mesures pour intensifier la collaboration avec l'Eglise catholique et avec les groupes évangéliques.

"Il existe déjà un processus de travail entre la KEK et l'Eglise catholique romaine, mais il est insuffisant", selon le président de la KEK. "Le monde contemporain se moque de nos confrontations, il a besoin d'une parole commune des Eglises chrétiennes en Europe."

L'histoire de la KEK remonte à janvier 1959, lorsque les représentants de 45 Eglises protestantes et orthodoxes de 20 pays d'Europe orientale et occidentale se sont réunis à Nyborg, au Danemark.

Pendant la guerre froide, la KEK s'est efforcée de combler le fossé entre l'Est et l'Ouest. Ces dernières années, le rassemblement d'Eglises joue un rôle actif en représentant les Eglises auprès d'institutions telles que l'Union européenne, le Conseil de l'Europe et l'Organisation pour la sécurité et la coopération en Europe.

[Cindy Wooden • Vatican City • CNS] Vatican concerns about how some recent decisions of the U.S. Episcopal Church will impact the search for full Anglican-Roman Catholic unity are echoed in a reflection by Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, the head of the Anglican Communion.

Writing July 27 about the Episcopal Church's recent general convention, Archbishop Williams repeatedly referred to the need to keep in mind the ecumenical implications of local church decisions in addition to their impact on the unity of the Anglican Communion as a whole.

Archbishop Williams' reflection, titled "Communion, Covenant and Our Anglican Future," was published on the archbishop's Web site at http://www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2502.

In a statement July 29, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity noted Archbishop Williams' concern for maintaining the unity of the Anglican Communion through common faith and practice based on Scripture and tradition.

The Vatican office "supports the archbishop in his desire to strengthen these bonds of communion, and to articulate more fully the relationship between the local and the universal within the church," the statement said.

"It is our prayer that the Anglican Communion, even in this difficult situation, may find a way to maintain its unity and its witness to Christ as a worldwide communion," it added.

The Episcopal Church's general convention adopted two resolutions that may further strain relations within the Anglican Communion and with the Catholic Church: One affirmed that all ordained ministries, including the office of bishop, are open to all the baptized, including gays and lesbians; the other called for the collection and development of theological resources for the blessing of same-sex unions.

Last year the Lambeth Conference, a gathering of leaders from around the Anglican Communion, strongly urged all members of the communion to respect moratoriums on ordaining openly gay bishops and on blessing same-sex unions.

After their general convention, the leaders of the Episcopal Church wrote to Archbishop Williams, saying that their resolutions do not signal the end of the moratoriums, but rather describe the position of the U.S. church.

Pope Benedict XVI and his top ecumenical officer have said the Episcopal Church's position on homosexuality and its ordination of women as priests and bishops make full Anglican-Roman Catholic unity appear impossible.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, told the Lambeth Conference last year that what is at stake "is nothing other than our faithfulness to Christ himself."

While recognizing the Episcopalians' desire to respond to what they see as a pastoral need, he said the Catholic Church is convinced that its teaching that homosexual activity is sinful "is well-founded in the Old and in the New Testament" as well as in Christian tradition.

And, the cardinal said, the Catholic Church also believes the fact that Christ chose only men to be his apostles means the church is not authorized to ordain women.

Responding to challenges posed by modern sensitivities requires solutions that are clearly in line with the teaching of the Gospel and of Christian tradition, recognized not only by Roman Catholics, but also by the Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox, Cardinal Kasper had said.

In his reflection July 27, Archbishop Williams said the Anglican Communion clearly opposes prejudice against homosexual people and denounces any attempt to limit their civil liberties.

But, the archbishop said, "if society changes its attitudes, that change does not of itself count as a reason for the church to change its discipline."

"In the light of the way in which the church has consistently read the Bible for the last 2,000 years," he said, any major change in church practice must have "a strong level of consensus and solid theological grounding," as well as take into account "the teachings of ecumenical partners."

Recognizing the authority of and particular circumstances faced by local churches, the archbishop still insisted that a local church needs "some way of including in its discernment the judgment of the wider church. Without this, it risks becoming unrecognizable to other local churches, pressing ahead with changes that render it strange to Christian sisters and brothers across the globe."

Accepting major changes to church discipline and practice without the consensus of the entire communion, he said, "would be to re-conceive the Anglican Communion as essentially a loose federation of local bodies with a cultural history in common, rather than a theologically coherent 'community of Christian communities.'"

Archbishop Williams' reflection theorized that the future of the Anglican Communion may involve two styles of relationships: one that fully shares "a vision of how the church should be and behave," and another less formal style of associated churches that work together in areas of common agreement.

Anglican Communion representatives to ecumenical and interfaith dialogues would be drawn only from members who fully share the communion's vision and teachings so that the Anglicans' ecumenical partners would know who they are talking to at the dialogue meetings, he said.