SEATTLE, Washington, FEB. 6, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission has produced a new document on the Blessed Virgin Mary that it hopes will advance the cause of communion.
ARCIC made the announcement Tuesday at the end of a weeklong meeting held here under the co-chairmanship of Archbishop Alexander Brunett of Seattle and Anglican Archbishop Peter Carnley of Perth, Australia.
The document entitled «Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ» will be submitted to the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and to the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury together with the Anglican Consultative Council. The commission hopes that the sponsoring bodies will be able to move toward the publication of the document in due course.
The Catholic Church’s understanding of Mary has been a subject of deep controversy between Anglicans and Catholics, the commission explained in a statement.
Publication of «Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ» will bring to completion the second phase of work of the ARCIC, which was mandated in 1982 by Pope John Paul II and Anglican Archbishop Robert Runcie.
ARCIC is the main instrument of theological dialogue between the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.
Following the controversial ordination of an active homosexual bishop in the Anglican Communion last November, it was agreed that the current ARCIC work should proceed until the completion of the current phase in 2004, after which the next phase of theological dialogue will be discussed.
