The Roman Catholic Archbishop of Birmingham was made an honorary canon of Worcester Cathedral in a special service last weekend.Archbishop Bernard Longley becomes an ecumenical member of the Cathedral Foundation, appointed to the College of Canons to visibly represent the commitment of Worcester Cathedral and Worcester Diocese to Christian unity.
Worcestershire and Dudley fall within Archbishop Longley's Archdiocese and he is co-chair of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission.
He joins the Reverend Canon Keith Judson, regional minister of the Heart of England Baptist Church, who was appointed as an ecumenical member of Worcester Cathedral's Foundation in 2011.
Anglican Bishop of Worcester, the Right Reverend John Inge said he was "delighted" the Archbishop had accepted the diocese's invitation to become an honorary canon of the cathedral.
"His installation at Evensong was a joyful and moving experience – a wonderful symbol of our commitment to work together for unity in order that God's love may be more effectively proclaimed," said Bishop Inge.
Archbishop Longley was installed on the same day as the Big Bible Study event, in which he, Bishop Inge and Canon Judson led people from all Christian traditions in a corporate meditation on Scripture in the Cathedral.
Archbishop Longley said of his appointment, "I was honoured and delighted to be made an honorary ecumenical canon of Worcester Cathedral following our shared Bible study day. It is above all a tribute to the warm and fruitful relations between Catholics and Anglicans in and around Worcester that have been fostered by Fr Brian McGinley of St George's RC parish in Worcester, and his fellow clergy over many years. May St Wulstan's prayers draw us closer to the oneness for which Christ prayed."