Pope Benedict XVI and ecumenism

Last updated
Pope Benedict XVI in October 2008 Benedict XVI Blessing-1.jpg
Pope Benedict XVI in October 2008

Pope Benedict XVI, who led the Roman Catholic Church as Pope from 2005 to 2013, continued manouevring the Church through the dynamics of modernity, which the Church had begun engaging in with the Second Vatican Council. Because the question of religious pluralism is a key issue raised by modernity, ecumenism, the establishment of harmony and dialogue between the different Christian denominations, is a significant concern of a post Second Vatican Council Church. Pope Benedict XVI's approach has been characterised as leaning toward the conservative while still being expansive and engaged, involving the full breadth of Christendom, including the Orthodox Churches and Protestant churches, as well as freshly engaging with other Christian bodies considered by Roman Catholics to be more heterodox, such as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Contents

Ecumenical theology

One of the more delicate ecumenical questions addressed during the pontificate of Benedict XVI relates to an ambiguous phrase in the Vatican II decree on the Church. Traditionally the Catholic Church had taught that "the Mystical Body of Christ and the Roman Catholic Church are one and the same thing," as Pope Pius XII put it in 1950 (encyclical 'Humani generis', par. 27). Because the Vatican II document "Lumen Gentium" did not use this expression but said that the Church of Christ "subsists in" the Catholic Church, some commentators believed this reflected a change in doctrine; the implication of this would be that the mystical Church is represented not exclusively in the Catholic Church but in other Christian denominations, giving recognition to them. [1] To resolve this confusion, Pope Benedict XVI directed the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to issue a clarification, issued on 29 June 2007 and stating that "the Second Vatican Council neither changed nor intended to change" the Catholic doctrine of the Church. A similar explanation had already been given by the same Congregation in 1985. The June 2007 clarification, approved by the Pope, restated the Catholic Church's position that because their hierarchies represent a break in the historic episcopate (called the "apostolic succession"), Protestant denominations "are not true Churches" and are instead termed 'ecclesial communities', as contrasted with Orthodox communities, which have bishops in the apostolic line and are therefore considered true, if deficient, churches. [2] Pope Benedict has also reiterated his church's view about the supposed invalidity of Anglican orders.[ citation needed ]

The clarification was met with protest by a number of Christian denominations which regarded it as damaging to their ecumenical efforts. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark spoke of a "destructive effect on ecumenical relations if one church deprives another church of the right to be called a church." [3] The content of the clarification was dismissed by Seventh-day Adventists as "nothing more than tradition". [4] The World Alliance of Reformed Churches commented that the document "makes us question the seriousness with which the Roman Catholic Church takes its dialogues with the Reformed family and other families of the church." [5] The leading Lutheran cleric in Germany Bishop Wolfgang Huber criticised the letter for its undiplomatic language rather than its theological content, saying "it would also be completely sufficient if it were to be said that the reforming churches are 'not churches in the sense required here' or that they are 'churches of another type'—but none of these bridges is used" in the Vatican document." [6]

Others, such as Rev. Sara MacVane, of the Anglican Centre in Rome, saw it as in line with the previous position of the Church but questioned the timing of its release, saying "I don't know what motivated it at this time." The Russian Orthodox Church, however, called the document "honest", noting that it contains nothing new and was conducive to "an honest theological dialogue." [7] The issuing of this document and the recent allowance made by Benedict XVI for more widespread use of the traditional Tridentine Mass were seen by some of his critics as a move towards conservatism and some "raised questions about Benedict’s commitment to the changes made during the Second Vatican Council", which had set the direction of the Catholic Church's ecumenical initiatives. [8] Benedict XVI himself, however, has presented such moves as an effort to preserve the legacy of Vatican II by implementing an authoritative interpretation of the Council through a "hermeneutic of continuity" which locates it in the context of the Church tradition.

Relations with traditionalist Catholics

Although the question of relations between the Holy See and disaffected traditionalist Catholics is more a question of internal Church discipline than of ecumenism in the strict sense, this issue reflects Benedict's larger concern for promoting Christian unity under the mantle of the papacy. On 29 August 2006, Pope Benedict XVI met with Bishop Bernard Fellay, superior general of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, an international society of traditionalist Roman Catholic priests, which since 1975 has existed in a state of dispute with the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church. Bishop Fellay had previously issued a statement welcoming the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope. Bishop Fellay and the three other bishops of the SSPX were declared to have been automatically excommunicated in 1988 when Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre consecrated them as bishops without the permission of the reigning pontiff John Paul II. Shortly before the illicit episcopal consecrations Cardinal Ratzinger and Archbishop Lefebvre had signed a protocol agreeing to study difficulties raised by the liturgical reform and the Second Vatican Council, but ultimately the accord came to nothing. As pope, Benedict XVI has made it a priority to heal the rift that was nearly avoided in 1988. To this end, in January 2009 the pontiff approved a decree lifting the excommunications on the leaders of the Society, making the possibility of unity between the wider Church and the SSPX more likely. [9] [10] On 10 March 2009, Pope Benedict wrote a letter to the bishops of the Catholic Church, saying that "an unforeseen mishap for me was the fact that the Williamson case came on top of the remission of the excommunication. The discreet gesture of mercy towards four Bishops ordained validly but not legitimately suddenly appeared as something completely different: as the repudiation of reconciliation between Christians and Jews ... Another mistake, which I deeply regret, is the fact that the extent and limits of the provision of 21 January 2009 were not clearly and adequately explained at the moment of its publication." [11]

Relations with other denominations

Eastern Orthodox

The bishops of the Ecumenical Eastern Orthodox Patriarchate of Constantinople have expressed concern over Pope Benedict XVI's decision to strike out "patriarch of the West" from his official titles in the Vatican yearbook. In an 8 June 2006 statement, the chief secretary of the Orthodox bishops' synod said dropping "patriarch of the West" while retaining the titles "vicar of Jesus Christ" and "supreme pontiff of the universal church" is "perceived as implying a universal jurisdiction of the bishop of Rome over the entire church, a claim that the Orthodox have never accepted." The statement was issued after synod members discussed the change during their early June meeting. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, said in a March statement that dropping the title of patriarch in reference to the pope does not minimize the importance of the patriarchal office, particularly in relation to the ancient Eastern churches. "Even less can this suppression be seen as implying new claims" of power or authority on the part of the Vatican, he said. However, members of the Orthodox synod disagreed. From their point of view, "the geographical limits of each ecclesiastical jurisdiction" have been a key part of the structure of the church from the earliest days of Christianity. The church as a whole is "a unity of full local churches" and not a monolith divided into local units simply for the sake of easier governance. The Orthodox synod's statement said that, with the international Catholic-Orthodox theological dialogue set to begin again in September with plans to deal with the "thorny problem" of papal primacy, it would have been better not to have removed the title without consultation. [12]

A leading Muscovite Orthodox spokesman has said that a visit to Ukraine by Pope Benedict XVI would be "untimely", according to the country's RISU news service. "If Pope Benedict is a moral and a spiritual person and wants only good for Ukraine and its people, he will never take such an unreasonable step," said Valentyn Lukianyk, the head of the Union of Orthodox Brotherhoods of Ukraine. He was responding to the news that Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko has invited the Pope to visit the country. After the collapse of the Soviet Union there have been numerous clashes between Orthodox and Catholic believers over the ownership of parish properties that were confiscated by the Communists and handed over to the Russian Orthodox Church. At the same time, Orthodox leaders have complained that Catholics are engaged in "proselytism", seeking converts among Orthodox believers. In his statement opposing a papal visit, Lukianyk said that relations between Catholics and Orthodox in Ukraine are now "warming." A visit by Pope Benedict, he said, would place an undue burden on those sensitive ties. [13]

Archbishop Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens, visited Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican on 13 December 2006. It was the first official visit by a Church of Greece leader to the Vatican. Archbishop Christodoulos was present for the funeral of Pope John Paul II. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, with other Orthodox prelates also were present for the funeral Mass, but did not participate liturgically.

"Inaugurating the year of St. Paul in 2008, Pope Benedict XVI met with Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople. Celebrating the Feast of Apostles Peter and Paul in St. Peter’s Basilica together, both pastors delivered homilies reflecting on the respective missions of Peter and Paul, whose relationship has always held so much significance for Catholic-Orthodox relations. Patriarch Bartholomew I, especially, stressed how Peter and Paul had become brothers in their martyrdom, and how in Orthodox icons they are often portrayed exchanging a “holy kiss.” The Orthodox patriarch reflected on how, in celebrating the Feast of the Apostles Peter and Paul, that holy kiss is shared once more as a witness to all people." [14]

Oriental Orthodox

Also in 2008, a diocese of the Assyrian Apostolic Church reunited with the Catholic Church, recognizing the authority of Benedict XVI. [15]

Protestants

In 2005, Pope Benedict sent a message to the national synod of the Reformed Church of France, the country’s main Protestant community, who thanked the Pontiff for this “gesture of consideration.”

In more general terms, Pope Benedict addressed Protestant churches in a speech during his trip to Cologne, Germany in 2005, discussing a "renewed sense of our brotherhood" and "a more open and trusting climate between Christians belonging to the various Churches and Ecclesial Communities." [16]

According to John L. Allen, Jr.'s Cardinal Ratzinger, the Pope, a German himself, feels a bond towards Lutherans and has Lutheran friends. Allen, in fact, compares the then Cardinal Ratzinger's feelings towards Lutherans to the feelings John Paul had for Orthodox Christians in that both men wanted a divided Christendom to be reunited. The Pope is said to be rather ambivalent towards Martin Luther.

In 2006 Pope Benedict met with Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. They issued a Common Declaration, highlighting the previous 40 years of dialogue between Catholics and Anglicans while also acknowledging "serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress." [17] In January 2008, he also met with John Sentamu, Archbishop of York. [18]

Ordinariates for former Anglicans

On 20 October 2009, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and Archbishop Joseph DiNoia, secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and formerly Under-Secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith held a press conference in which it was revealed that Pope Benedict was preparing to release an as yet unnamed apostolic constitution which would allow some Anglicans, both laity and those in holy orders. According to the statement detailing the plans, the unnamed constitution would see "pastoral oversight and guidance [being] provided for groups of former Anglicans through a Personal Ordinariate, whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy." [19]

It is envisaged that the ordination of married former Anglican clergy will not be a major issue due to the fact that it has become relatively commonplace since the Pastoral Provision was instituted in 1980. The Vatican note drew the line at the prospect of married bishops; "historical and ecumenical reasons preclude the ordination of married men as bishops in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches," the release said. "The Constitution therefore stipulates that the Ordinary can be either a priest or an unmarried bishop." During the conference Cardinal Levada aimed to compare the new ordinariates to the national diocesan structures overseeing a country's military forces. The de facto result of the move is an Anglican Rite within the Catholic Church. Like the military churches, however, the structures will ostensibly be nationwide, established after consultation with the episcopal conferences. A joint statement on the new protocol from Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster and the Anglican Communion's head, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, occurred at the same time in London. [20]

On 31 October 2009, the Holy See released a statement clarifying the rules of celibacy in the as yet unnamed constitution. The statement quoted sections of the apostolic constitution which said that:"Those who ministered as Anglican deacons, priests, or bishops, and who fulfill the requisites established by canon law and are not impeded by irregularities or other impediments may be accepted by the Ordinary as candidates for Holy Orders in the Catholic Church. In the case of married clergy, the norms established in the encyclical of Pope Paul VI, Sacerdotalis coelibatus (n. 42) and in the statement "In June" are to be observed. Unmarried clergy must submit to the norm of clerical celibacy of CIC can. 277, §1.

§2. The Ordinary, in full observance of the discipline of celibate clergy in the Latin Church, as a rule (pro regula) will admit only celibate men to the order of presbyter. He may also petition the Roman Pontiff, as a derogation from can. 277, §1, for the admission of married men to the order of presbyter on a case by case basis, according to objective criteria approved by the Holy See. See Personal ordinariate.

In October 2010 several Anglican bishops including John Broadhurst, the Bishop of Fulham, announced plans to become Roman Catholics under the new rules. An Anglican ordinariate in the U.S. was launched in January 2012. More than 1,300 Anglicans, including 100 Anglican priests, have applied to be part of the new body, essentially a non-geographical diocese. [21] In England, at least 20 clergy and several hundred of their parishioners from the Church of England are expected to join the ordinariate in 2012, following the 60 clergy and about 1,000 lay people who left in 2011. [22]

Latter-day Saints

During Pope Benedict's trip to the United States in 2008, representatives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were invited to attend an ecumenical prayer service with the pope for the first time. A representative for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops commented that there are a variety of ways the two religions can work together while acknowledging their theological differences. [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ultramontanism</span> Clerical political conception within the Catholic Church

Ultramontanism is a clerical political conception within the Catholic Church that places strong emphasis on the prerogatives and powers of the Pope. It contrasts with Gallicanism, the belief that popular civil authority—often represented by the monarch's or state's authority—over the Church is comparable to that of the Pope.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pope Benedict XVI</span> Head of the Catholic Church from 2005 to 2013

Pope Benedict XVI was the head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 19 April 2005 until his resignation on 28 February 2013. Benedict's election as pope occurred in the 2005 papal conclave that followed the death of Pope John Paul II. Benedict chose to be known by the title "pope emeritus" upon his resignation, and he retained this title until his death in 2022.

Full communion is a communion or relationship of full agreement among different Christian denominations that share certain essential principles of Christian theology. Views vary among denominations on exactly what constitutes full communion, but typically when two or more denominations are in full communion it enables services and celebrations, such as the Eucharist, to be shared among congregants or clergy of any of them with the full approval of each.

The infallibility of the Church is the belief that the Holy Spirit preserves the Christian Church from errors that would contradict its essential doctrines. It is related to, but not the same as, indefectibility, that is, "she remains and will remain the Institution of Salvation, founded by Christ, until the end of the world." The doctrine of infallibility is premised on the authority Jesus granted to the apostles to "bind and loose" and in particular the promises to Peter in regard to papal infallibility.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Kasper</span> Cardinal and bishop of the Catholic Church

Walter Kasper is a German Catholic cardinal and theologian. He is President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, having served as its president from 2001 to 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Tissier de Mallerais</span> French bishop

Bernard Tissier de Mallerais is a French Traditionalist bishop of the Society of Saint Pius X.

The Pastoral Provision is a set of practices and norms in the Catholic Church in the United States, by which bishops are authorized to provide spiritual care for Catholics converting from the Anglican tradition, by establishing parishes for them and ordaining priests from among them. The provision provides a way for individuals to become priests in territorial dioceses, even after Pope Benedict XVI's Anglicanorum Coetibus proclamation established the Personal Ordinariates, a non-diocesan mechanism for former Anglicans to join the Church.

The Pontifical Commission Ecclesia Dei was a commission of the Catholic Church established by Pope John Paul II's motu proprioEcclesia Dei of 2 July 1988 for the care of those former followers of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre who broke with him as a result of his consecration of four priests of his Society of St. Pius X as bishops on 30 June 1988, an act that the Holy See deemed illicit and a schismatic act. It was also tasked with trying to return to full communion with the Holy See those traditionalist Catholics who are in a state of separation, of whom the Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) is foremost, and of helping to satisfy just aspirations of people unconnected with these groups who want to keep alive the pre-1970 Roman Rite liturgy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Traditional Anglican Church</span> Continuing Anglican denomination

The Traditional Anglican Church (TAC), formerly the Traditional Anglican Communion, is an international church consisting of national provinces in the continuing Anglican movement, independent of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. The TAC upholds the theological doctrines of the Affirmation of St. Louis. Each of the respective jurisdictions utilizes a traditional Book of Common Prayer deemed to be free of theological deviation. Most parishioners of these churches would be described as being traditional Prayer Book Anglicans in their theology and liturgical practice. Some Anglo-Catholic parishes use the Anglican Missal in their liturgies. The TAC is governed by a college of bishops from across the church and headed by an elected primate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catholic Church and ecumenism</span>

The Catholic Church has engaged in the modern ecumenical movement especially since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the issuing of the decree Unitatis redintegratio and the declaration Dignitatis humanae. It was at the Council that the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity was created. Those outside of the Catholic Church were categorised as heretics or schismatics, but in many contexts today, in order to avoid offence, the euphemism "separated brethren" is used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joseph Ratzinger as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith</span>

Joseph Ratzinger (1927–2022) was named by Pope John Paul II on 25 November 1981 as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, formerly known as the Holy Office and, especially around the 16th century, as the Roman Inquisition.

The Écône consecrations were a set of episcopal consecrations that took place in Écône, Switzerland, on 30 June 1988. They were performed by Catholic Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre and Bishop Antonio de Castro Mayer, and the bishops who were consecrated were four priests of Lefebvre's Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX). The consecrations, performed against the explicit orders of Pope John Paul II, represented a milestone in the troubled relationship of Lefebvre and the SSPX with the Church leadership. The Holy See's Congregation for Bishops issued a decree signed by its Prefect Cardinal Bernardin Gantin declaring that Lefebvre had incurred automatic excommunication by consecrating the bishops without papal consent, thus putting himself and his followers in schism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Levada</span> American Catholic cardinal (1936–2019)

William Joseph Levada was an American cardinal of the Catholic Church. From May 2005 until June 2012, he served as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith under Pope Benedict XVI; he was the highest ranking American in the Roman Curia. He was previously the Archbishop of Portland in Oregon from 1986 to 1995, and then Archbishop of San Francisco from 1995 to 2005. While serving as archbishop, he was criticized for covering up sexual abuse by priests within his jurisdiction. Levada was created a cardinal in 2006 by Benedict XVI.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kurt Koch</span> Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church (born 1950)

Kurt Koch is a Swiss prelate of the Catholic Church. He has been a cardinal since November 2010 and president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity since 1 July 2010. He was the bishop of Basel from 1996 until 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Augustana Catholic Church</span>

The Augustana Catholic Church (ACC), formerly the Anglo-Lutheran Catholic Church (ALCC) and the Evangelical Community Church-Lutheran (ECCL), was an American church in the Lutheran Evangelical Catholic tradition.

After the Second Vatican Council Pope Paul VI contributed in two ways to the continued growth of ecumenism and inter-Christian dialogue. The separated brothers and sisters, as he called them, were not able to contribute to the Second Vatican Council as invited observers. After the Council, many of them took initiative to seek out their Catholic counterparts and the Pope in Rome, who welcomed such visits.

Anglican–Roman Catholic dialogue is the historical communication between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church, through their ecumenical relations. These were notably shaped subsequent to the Second Vatican Council (1962–1965).

Sister churches was a term used in 20th-century ecclesiology to describe ecumenical relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Churches, and more rarely and unofficially, between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican communion. The Catholic Church has since called on theologians to avoid the term, clarifying that "one cannot properly say that the Catholic Church is 'sister' of a particular Church or group of Churches. This is not merely a question of terminology, but above all of respecting a basic truth of the Catholic faith: that of the unicity [uniqueness] of the [Catholic Church]." The term is also currently used among Protestants to refer to different denominations of the same religious tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christianity in the 21st century</span> Christianity-related events during the 21st century

Christianity in the 21st century is characterized by the pursuit of Church unity and the continued resistance to persecution and secularization.

A personal ordinariate for former Anglicans, shortened as personal ordinariate or Anglican ordinariate, is an ordinariate, a canonical structure within the Catholic Church established in order to enable "groups of Anglicans" and Methodists to join the Catholic Church while preserving elements of their liturgical and spiritual patrimony.

References

  1. ↑ Ocáriz, Fernando (2005-12-21). "Christ's Church Subsists in the Catholic Church". L'Osservatore Romano. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  2. ↑ Catholic Church alone is one, true church, says Vatican congregation Archived 2009-01-26 at the Wayback Machine , Catholic Online, 10 July 2007. Accessed 13 May 2008.
  3. ↑ Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark's reply to the Roman Catholic Church Archived 2009-01-14 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Oliver, Ansel. Adventists Call Catholic Claim Nothing More Than Tradition, Adventist News Network, 11 July 2007. Accessed 13 May 2008. See also: Seventh-day Adventist interfaith relations
  5. ↑ Agnew, Paddy (2007-07-11). "Pope says other churches not churches 'in proper sense'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  6. ↑ di Cadore, Lorenzo (2007-07-10). "Pope: Other Christian Denominations Not True Churches". Fox News. Associated Press. Retrieved 2018-07-21.
  7. ↑ "Vatican's honest position furthers dialogue — Metropolitan Kirill".
  8. ↑ IAN FISHER (11 July 2007). "Pope, Restating 2000 Document, Cites 'Defects' of Other Faiths". The New York Times.
  9. ↑ SSPX PRESS COMMUNIQUÉ: On the election of Pope Benedict XVI Archived 2009-02-08 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ↑ https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iQIJoUn9PMoY__fvU-gHPiR4Ku0QD95TLKTG1 [ dead link ]
  11. ↑ Letter of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the Bishops of the Catholic Church concerning the remission of the excommunication of the four Bishops consecrated by Archbishop Lefebvre
  12. ↑ Orthodox express concern about 'patriarch of the West' title Archived 2006-06-13 at the Library of Congress Web Archives
  13. ↑ Ukrainian Orthodox spokesman opposes papal visit
  14. ↑ C.C. Pecknold, Christianity and Politics: A Brief Guide to the History (Cascade, 2010), pg 168.
  15. ↑ "California Chaldeans receive 3,000 Assyrian Christians into Catholic communion". Catholic News Agency. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  16. ↑ APOSTOLIC JOURNEY TO COLOGNE ON THE OCCASION OF THE XX WORLD YOUTH DAY ECUMENICAL MEETING ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI
  17. ↑ COMMON DECLARATION OF POPE BENEDICT XVI AND THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY HIS GRACE ROWAN WILLIAMS
  18. ↑ Butt, Riazat (29 January 2008). "Sentamu stands the Pope a beer". The Guardian . London. Retrieved 2008-03-19.
  19. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-10-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  20. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2009-10-25. Retrieved 2009-10-31.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ↑ Boorstein, Michelle (2012-01-01). "Some Anglicans apply to join the Catholic Church". Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  22. ↑ Beckford, Martin (2011-12-28). "Hundreds more Church of England defections expected". The Telegraph. Retrieved 2012-01-19.
  23. ↑ Griffin, Beth. Ecumenical meeting marks first time Mormons join in papal gathering, Catholic News Service, 19 April 2008. Accessed 13 May 2008.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.