Covenants of fellowship pledging renewed bonds of Christian fraternity have been endorsed by the Church of New Zealand and the Methodist Church and the Diocese of Brisbane and the Roman Catholic Church.On May 29, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Brisbane and Roman Catholic Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane and Bishop William Morris of Toowomba will endorse a covenant of friendship and cooperation at an evensong service at St Stephen’s Cathedral.
The covenant document, entitled "A Celebration of Our Common Sesqui-Centenary and a Signing of the Anglican and Roman Catholic Covenant" marks the 25th anniversary of Brisbane’s first common declaration of cooperation between Anglicans and Roman Catholics.
The agreement commits the two churches to closer cooperation including an annual "Ecumenical Service of Reconciliation," a joint clergy retreat focusing on shared pastoral social and theological issues, and opens the door to possible cooperation in sharing church buildings and resources.
"Not all differences between Anglicans and Roman Catholics have been eradicated," Archbishop Aspinall wrote in a May 15 pastoral letter to his diocese. "The Covenant does not give permission for Anglicans and Roman Catholics to do everything together. Indeed it recognises that is still not possible."
"However, we can affirm the steps that have been taken over the years and embrace ways to work cooperatively in some areas of common mission. This is cause for celebration and to give thanks to God," he said.
On May 24 the Anglican Church of New Zealand and the Methodist Conference of New Zealand endorsed a covenant of friendship that organizers hope will be "a significant step in the healing of that 250-odd year breach between the two churches."
The Rev Diane Miller-Keeley, Anglican vicar of All Saints Church in Howick, East Auckland, and member of the Anglican-Methodist Covenant working group said the document accepts "where we are at the moment – which is that we have a broken relationship – and then, from there, trying to find ways to deepen that relationship."
"Our hope, in the long term, is that because we’ve entered into this committed relationship, we can chip away at the things that separate us," she said. The covenant gives the two churches a safe "ecumenical space" to discuss differences while working towards visible unity. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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