Archbishop and Pope hold cordial talks

|PIC1|The Archbishop of Canterbury met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican today to discuss relations between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches.

Dr Rowan Williams and Pope Benedict XVI met in private for 20 minutes, the first time they have come together since the Vatican announced a new structure to accommodate disillusioned Anglicans within the Catholic fold.

The Vatican said in a statement after the meeting that discussions between the two leaders had been “cordial” as they “turned to the challenges facing all Christian communities; and the need to promote forms of collaboration and shared witness in facing these challenges”.

The talks reflected “the shared will to continue and to consolidate the ecumenical relationship between Catholics and Anglicans”, the statement added.

The Pope gave Dr Williams a gold pectoral cross, the large cross worn around the neck by bishops.

The two churches have been dialoguing on unity for decades but relations became strained after Anglican provinces began to ordain women.

The Pope last month approved a new structure making it possible for Anglicans upset over the ordination of women to join the Roman Catholic Church whilst retaining some of their Anglican traditions.

The new structure will be headed by former Anglican prelates who will provide spiritual care for Anglicans who want to convert to Catholicism. Former Anglican clergy who are married may be ordained as Catholic priests but not bishops.

Dr Williams said at the time that he did not perceive the Vatican's move as "a commentary on Anglican problems" and believed that it would have "no negative impact" on relations between the Anglican Communion and Catholic Church.

He made it clear in a speech at the Gregorian Pontifical University on Thursday that there would be no going back for Anglicans on the decision to ordain women. He said the prohibition on women clergy in the Roman Catholic Church had become a “clear obstacle” to unity between the two Churches and claimed that provinces that accepted the ordination of women had not lost their holiness or ability to serve one another.

The need for Christian unity in the face of growing secularism and the Pope’s visit to the UK next year also were also mentioned during today’s meeting. It would be the first papal trip to the UK since Pope Benedict’s predecessor John Paul II made a pastoral visit in 1982.