USCC News article: Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation Notes Progress, Seeks Further Mandate (1977)

U.S. Catholic Conference news article: Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation Notes Progress, Seeks Further Mandate by Russell Shaw, December 23, 1977

Washington- - Describing their denominations as "sister Churches," participants in the official Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue in the U.S. have asked their respective sponsoring bodies for specific directives concerning future joint study and action.

In a report summarizing 12 years of dialogue and looking to the future, they expressed belief that they have "discovered a significant and substantial unity of faith between the two Churches, a unity which demands visible expression and testimony now."

But they also acknowledged "differences which continue to separate the two Churches" and appealed to their sponsoring bodies for "direction and a continuing mandate...for the pursuit of the unity God wills for his church."

For the Episcopalian participants the sponsoring body is the Episcopal Church's Joint Commission on Ecumenical Relations. For the Roman Catholics it is the National Conference of Catholic Bishops through its Committee for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. 

Entitled "Where We Are: A Challenge for the Future," the 16-page report is signed by the 19 members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Consultation (ARC) in the U.S.A. Its co-chairmen are the Rt. Rev. Arthur A. Vogel, Episcopal Bishop of West Missouri, and the Most Rev. Raymond W. Lessard, Roman Catholic Bishop of Savannah, Ga. 

The document reviews progress achieved in 19 official consultations by the group since 1965. While significant agreement has been achieved in a number of areas, it says, significant questions remain in many of the same areas. Topics covered in the report include the two Churches' understanding of worship, scripture, the "articulation of the faith," the role of bishops, ethical questions, and "personal life in Christ."

Anglican-Roman-Catholic-Consultation-Notes-Progress-Seeks-Further-Mandate.pdf