Anglican – Roman Catholic dialogue talks ecumenism
By Brent Mattson
The B.C. Catholic

VANCOUVER--Bishop Donald Bolen of Saskatoon had an experience at a U.K. airport that spoke to the general view of Anglican – Roman Catholic relations.

“The woman dealing with my passport asked, ‘What are you here for?’” the bishop recalled. “I said, ‘I’m going to an Anglican – Roman Catholic dialogue meeting,’ and she said, ‘You guys talk to each other?’”

Then she said something he felt summed up public sentiment: “Well, when you get it together, you tell me and I’ll start listening.”

Bishop Bolen was one of the speakers at an Anglican – Roman Catholic clergy day Nov. 30 at St. Helen’s Parish in Burnaby. Many clergy attended the event, which featured a number of guest speakers and small group discussions.

Dialogue between the two churches officially began in 1970 with the launching of the Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission.

Anglican Bishop Michael C. Ingham of New Westminster recently contacted Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, about setting up a dialogue for the region. The two sides discussed how best to pray and serve the community together.

During his talk Bishop Bolen discussed how the two churches can share witness, mission, and prayer.

“We live in a secular world where faith is challenged on all fronts,” Bishop Bolen said, pointing out that people such as author and noted atheist Christopher Hitchens see religion as dehumanizing and something to be mocked. This is why, he said, Christians must work together to give a common witness to God.

“It’s time where we move into the area where together we can give an account of the hope that is within us,” he said. “Most of our differences aren’t going to stop us from working together and being able to give a more articulate, intelligent, and passionate account of our Christian faith.”

Anglicans and Catholics both have a mission to serve God in the world. Bishop Bolen said parishes should always ask if particular missions they take on can be accomplished with a group from the other faith.

Bishop Bolen also mentioned the importance of Anglicans and Catholics praying together. “We know the pain of not being able to receive communion” together, he said, “but there are other ways of praying together.”

For example, Bishop Bolen said, the Catholic Archdiocese of Regina and the Anglican Diocese of Qu’Appelle signed a covenant committing themselves to annual joint prayer services at both cathedrals. They also agreed to regularly include neighbouring parishes of the opposite faith in their Prayers of Intention and Prayers of the Faithful.

The Reverend Gertrud Lebans, an Anglican minister, spoke in response to Bishop Bolen. She agreed with his points on ecumenism, but also stressed that dialogues between the two faiths should not be satisfied with superficial cooperation.

“We should not be satisfied with the easy relationships,” she said. “And we need to be prepared to struggle together to hear each other into new faith, to work together for liberation for all people.”