ENGLAND: Roman Catholic, Anglican bishops gather for second bi-lateral meeting

November 17, 2008 [Church of England] The Church of England's House of Bishops and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales are holding a second bi-lateral meeting November 17, this time at Lambeth Palace, the Archbishop of Canterbury's London residence. In 2006, the bishops met together in Leeds for study and worship.

Chaired by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams and the Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, the meeting takes the form of a spiritual retreat, reflecting on the office and ministry of bishops as Christ's disciples, a news release from the Church of England said. "The day is based on prayer, discussion and a desire for further development of the churches' shared Christian witness. Scripture readings and addresses by Williams and Murphy-O'Connor will guide the bishops' reflections."

Williams and Murphy-O'Connor issued the following joint statement:

"Following the successful meeting and joint worship in Leeds in 2006, we have been looking forward to meeting again to reflect and pray together. We are sure the day will help develop our common Christian witness and the warm relations that exist between the Anglican and Catholic Bishops in England & Wales, both locally and on shared national projects.

"On our journey forward, though our communion remains imperfect, our partnership in mission and service to the people of our country is based on our Christian faith and rooted in our common baptism. Presenting our shared Christian witness to society, and working together to for the common good in society, continues to be crucially important for us."

The meeting is held in line with the mandate of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM), a joint commission of bishops, responsible to the Anglican Communion and the Holy See for finding practical ways to express the fruits of the dialogue between Anglicans and Roman Catholics.