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Religious leaders say closer ties a problem
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published November 24, 2006
VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI and Anglican leader Rowan Williams acknowledged there were "serious obstacles" to closer ties between their churches, a blunt reference to Vatican disapproval of gay bishops, women priests and blessings of same-sex unions in the Anglican church. Benedict and the archbishop of Canterbury, talking privately in the papal library and then praying together in a chapel, came together Thursday to celebrate 40 years of dialogue aimed at uniting the churches. But their frank assessment of where relations stand now underscored the challenges. In a joint statement, they expressed gratitude for the efforts at unity and pledged to pursue the path of continuing dialogue. "At the same time, our long journey together makes it necessary to acknowledge publicly the challenge represented by new developments which, beside being divisive for Anglicans, present serious obstacles to our ecumenical progress," Benedict and Williams said. Williams told Vatican Radio that, despite efforts at understanding, expectations by some over the last decades for "visible unity in our lifetime" were likely "too high."
[Last modified November 24, 2006, 01:21:39]
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