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Cardinal Jorge Bergolio, the then President of the Argentine Bishops Conference told Bishop Gregory Venables the Anglican Bishop of Argentina, Primate of the Province of the Southern Cone, ‘that the Anglican Church was important to Christian Unity - and that the Church needs us’. Whilst this was said in the context of a private conversation (but leaked and then published in The Tablet 23.3.2013) the Cardinal was saying quite honestly “we want you to be you” and “I (the Cardinal) personally appreciate Anglicans as you are. I see no need for you to stop being Anglicans.” Bishop Venables has said that Cardinal Bergolio would be an ecumenical and pastoral Pope as he had been during his ministry in Argentina.
The Anglican Roman Catholic Committee (formerly the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC)) has recently met at Canterbury Cathedral in a context of prayer and worship.
The members set in train a programme of work for the next five years in which evangelisation in the context of an increasingly secular society was the key theme. How our two churches can bear joint witness in the area of public affairs (on issues such as the common good as well as other social and ethical questions) will also form part of the agenda.
In addition, English ARC will seek to inform members of both churches about ecumenical progress already made over the last fifty years, emphasising what our churches have in common, and to encourage spiritual ecumenism, which involves joint prayer and worship (liturgies of the word).
ARCIC and its successor ARC strive to find ways for our churches to be united in the historic faith of the Church so fulfilling the prayer of Jesus that we might all be one as he and the Father are one.