VATICAN CITY (CNS): Pope John Paul II sent a bishop’s pectoral cross and a message pledging continued work toward full Church unity to newly enthroned Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury.
The cross and message were delivered by the Pope’s top ecumenical official, Cardinal Walter Kasper, who met Archbishop Williams on February 28, one day after his ceremonial enthronement as the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury.
In the message, the Pope told the new head of the 70 million-member Anglican Communion that he wanted to continue on the path to full Anglican-Catholic communion begun by their predecessors.
Archbishop Williams, a 53 year-old Welshman and former professor of divinity at England’s respected Oxford and Cambridge universities, was enthroned on February 27 at a Canterbury Cathedral celebration attended by more than 2000 people.
In his enthronement homily, Archbishop Williams said the Anglican Church would be effective in the future only “if it is concerned first with gratitude and joy”.
Among the guests at the enthronement was Archbishop John Bathersby of Brisbane.
