THE International Anglican – Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM) will resume its annual meetings this year after a COVID-19 hiatus.
This was confirmed to Solomon Star yesterday by the Archbishop of the Honiara Catholic Diocese Most Reverend Bishop Chris Cardone.
Archbishop Cardone said this year, the IARCCUM meetings will be held from January 22 to 26 at the Vatican City and from January 27 to 31 in Canterbury in the United Kingdom.
He said 27 Bishops from the Anglican Church worldwide and also 27 Bishops from the Catholic Church worldwide will be attending this year’s meeting and that the head of the Catholic Church Pope Francis and the Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury will both be present at the meetings.
Archbishop Cardone said representing the Solomon Islands will be himself and the Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Melanesia (ACOM) The Most Reverend Leonard Dawea.
IARCCUM is a commission established in 2001 by the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church as an official joint commission. It exists in parallel with its theological counterpart Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission.
The purpose of the (IARCCUM) is:
- To facilitate the development of strategies for translating the degrees of spiritual communion that has been achieved into visible and practical outcomes;
- To promote and monitor the formal response and reception of the agreed statements of Anglican – Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC);
- To strengthen relations between ARCIC and national Anglican Roman – Catholic Commissions (ARCs), and between different national ARCs, providing support and resources in order to foster an exchange of information and practice;
- To encourage Anglican Provinces and Roman Episcopal conferences to establish ARC dialogues where they do not exist; and
- To encourage Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops to develop projects and programmes of joint witness and mission in the world.
By IAN LADDS
Solomon Star, Honiara
