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November 2006

Communications Update – 24 November 2006

Monthly news bulletin from the Communications Office, Church House, London.

Feel free to forward this to others, or to use in diocesan or parish newsletters or magazines.

Archbishop of Canterbury's visit to Rome

The Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Benedict XVI held their first meeting since the two met briefly following the Pope’s Inauguration Mass in 2005. The private Papal Audience, on Thursday 23rd November, was the centrepiece of Dr Williams’ visit to Rome, which ran from 21st-26th November. The visit coincided with the 40th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop Michael Ramsey in 1966.

Other highlights of the trip included two keynote lectures; the first was given at St Anselmo in Rome - 'Benedict and the future of Europe' - in which the Archbishop said that modern civilisation needs to discover a proper sense of the values of time, authority and participation if it is to renew its sense of purpose and enable communities to cope with modern pressures. The second lecture was given at the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, entitled 'Secularity, Freedom and Faith'.

Both lectures can be read here

Archbishops criticise British Airways’ cross decision

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has questioned British Airways’ decision to refuse the appeal of Nadia Eweida, an employee who has not been permitted to openly wear a cross necklace at work at Heathrow. “I regard it as absolutely basic that people of any faith should have the right to display the signs of their faith commitment in public,” said the Archbishop at a press conference during his visit to Rome.

The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, has referred to the “flawed reasoning” of BA’s decision, which allows male Sikh staff to wear turbans and female Muslim staff to wear hijabs. The Archbishop also suggested, as Britain’s national airline, the company ought to consider the place of the Christian values represented by the Cross.

Read the Archbishop of Canterbury’s comments

Read the Archbishop of York’s full statement

Archbishop dismisses newspaper reports on his views on the ordination of women as 'wilful misinterpretation'

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, dismissed as 'wilfully misleading' newspaper reports that he is doubtful over the ordination of women to the priesthood: "I made it clear [in the interview reported] and will continue to do so that I see no theological justificaton for any revisiting of this question and indicated in the interview three times that I had no wish to reopen it, whatever technical possibilities might theoretically exist."

Read the Archbishop’s full statement

Joint comment by the Bishop of Southwark and the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Cardiff on the Nuffield Council's report

Responding to the Nuffield Council’s report on critical care decisions in fetal and neonatal medicine, the Bishop of Southwark and the Archbishop of Cardiff welcomed the clear recommendation that “the active ending of life of newborn babies should not be allowed, no matter how serious their condition.”

“There is a clear distinction between interventions which are deliberately aimed at killing, and decisions to withhold or withdraw medical treatment when it is judged to be futile or unduly burdensome,” the bishops commented.

Read the full joint statement, issued during the bi-lateral meeting of bishops (see following item)

Statement issued at the bi-lateral meeting between the Catholic Bishops' Conference and the Church of England House of Bishops

The Church of England House of Bishops and the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales met for a bi-lateral meeting at Hinsley Hall, Leeds, in November.

The meeting, fraternal in character, was based on shared prayer, discussion and a desire for further development of their shared Christian witness. Their reflections were resourced by the work of the International Anglican – Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission, whose report is expected to be published in 2007.