Speaking to French newspaper La Vie, Welby shared that, during a 2023 visit to South Sudan with the pope and the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, Francis was acknowledged as "first among equals".

"But there was also no doubt that we would work together, not on a hierarchical basis, but collaboratively with him as the first among equals, the eldest among equals" said Welby, who as Archbishop of Canterbury is Primate of the worldwide Anglican Communion.

Unity is not unanimity

Welby emphasised that unity among Christians is a fundamental, albeit challenging, goal. He highlighted the importance of preserving relationships across denominations.

"However, unity is not unanimity: the greatest spiritual challenge is to love one another in our diversity. We must not believe that our own witness is the only one that counts and risk breaking with the other" explained the Archbishop.

Pope's role redefined

In recent months, the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity has taken steps to redefine the Pope's role within ecumenism.

The new document, The Bishop of Rome, outlines perspectives that promote cooperative efforts across Christian denominations. Ecumenical communities have received it well for its openness to reinterpreting the papal office, formally established as a dogma during the First Vatican Council (1869-1870).

Earlier this year, senior Anglican bishops made their first pilgrimage to Rome. During a meeting with Pope Francis, the group discussed shared missions and differences within the church.

During the meeting, the pope emphasised the significance of mutual understanding and prayer.

"I realise" the Pope said, "that the role of the Bishop of Rome is still a controversial and divisive issue among Christians."

Francis described the Bishop of Rome as the "servant of the servants of God", emphasising the humility required of the Pope's primacy.

Sources

English Katholisch

CathNews New Zealand

Cottrell said he felt encouraged to have met people within the Roman Catholic Church leadership after meeting Pope Francis at the Anglican Centre on Monday.

His audience with Francis "further consolidated the strong bonds of friendship between our two World Communions," he said.

"We are now looking forward to further co-operation between the Dicasteries of the Vatican and the Anglican Centre in Rome."

These meetings focussed on evangelisation and ecumenism-building interfaith connections.

To this end, the Anglican archbishop met with the Vatican's Dicasteries for Evangelisation, Promoting Christian Unity, Interreligious Dialogue and Promoting Integral Human Development.

"My prayer is that Christians of all denominations can work together more and be united in our desire to follow the prompting of the Holy Spirit, as we look to share the love of God as seen in Jesus with the many in our world who long for hope and meaning in their lives," he said.

On Wednesday, Cottrell met Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle from the Dicastery for Evangelisation. Their discussion, entitled "The Ecumenical Impact on Evangelisation", was live-streamed from the Anglican Centre.

Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Director of the Anglican Centre and the Archbishop of Canterbury's Representative to the Holy See organised his visit.

The Anglican Centre is a vital link between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church. They work on shared projects and offer opportunities for study, hospitality and encounter.

Ernst said Cottrell's visit "comes as an affirmation of the longing of the Anglican Communion to diligently and constantly work for the visible unity of Christians.

"The personal commitment of Archbishop Stephen, in the different callings he has exercised, to encourage a collaborative spirit amongst different groups of people, in spite of cultural, denominational and religious differences, inspires and encourages us to carry forward with love the mission entrusted to the Anglican Centre in Rome."

Source

• Church Times
• Independent Catholic News