Anglicans and Old Catholics meet in Germany



The Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council (AOCICC) is the official organ for nurturing the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholics of the Union of Utrecht. Anglicans and Old Catholics have been in communion since 1931 through the Bonn Agreement, and in this Diocese in Europe the relationship of communion is much valued. The Council has just completed a further round of meetings in Beuggen, Germany. The Church pictured above is St Martin's Old Catholic Parish Church across the river in (Swiss) Rheinfelden, where we met for a service of Vespers before being the hosted by the Swiss Old Catholic Diocese and its Bishop Harald Rein for dinner.

The Diocese in Europe has two members on the Council: Mrs Maryon Jägers (above) from Holy Trinity Utrecht and myself. The Revd Carola von Wrangel, Rector of Christ the King Episcopal Church in Frankfurt serves as a Consultant from the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe. Schloss Beuggen where we met was founded in 1190 by the order of Teutonic Knights (Marienritter), who used to protect pilgrims travelling to the Holy Land. Carola, a descendant of one of these aristocratic families of knights, poses below with a relative.


Read the Communiqué by clicking on read more

The Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council
Internationaler Anglikanisch/Alt-Katholischer Koordinierender Rat

Communiqué
Beuggen (Germany), 12 November 2010

The Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council (AOCICC) met in Schloss Beuggen, Germany from 8 to 12 November 2010. The Council welcomed Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director for Unity Faith and Order at the Anglican Communion Office, as Anglican Co-Secretary.

In its most important piece of work, the Council finalized the text of a common statement on ecclesiology and mission ‘Belonging Together in Europe’. This version of the text will be the major focus of the International Old Catholic and Anglican Theological Conference to be held in Neustadt/W. (Germany) from August 29 to September 2, 2011.

The members received reports of developments in the Anglican Communion and in the Old Catholic churches of the Union of Utrecht, and reviewed present ecumenical dialogues in which our churches are engaged. A paper by Bishop Pierre Whalon of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, entitled “Should The Episcopal Church Create a Missionary Diocese in Europe?” sparked discussion by members of the Council of their churches’ mission perspectives.

The Council participated in daily prayer with the community in Schloss Beuggen and celebrated the Eucharist together. Bible study was led each morning by members of the Council. The Council attended Vespers presided at by Fr Peter Grüter at St Martin’s Old Catholic church in Rheinfelden, Switzerland, and enjoyed a dinner hosted by Bishop Harald Rein and the church council of the Old Catholic Church of Switzerland.

The next meeting of the Council will take place November 4-8, 2011 in York, England, and will include the annual celebration of the Feast of St Willibrord with the Society of St Willibrord.

For further information, please contact the Revd Professor Dr Angela Berlis, tel +41 (0)31 631 4193, email aocicc@alt-katholisch.de, or Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan at the Anglican Communion Office, tel +44 (0)20 7313 3930, email alyson.barnett-cowan@anglicancommunion.org. Websites: www.utrechterunion.org and http://www.anglicancommunion.org

Present at this meeting were:
Anglicans: The Rt Revd Jonathan Gledhill, Co-chair, Canon Dr Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Co-secretary, The Rt Revd David Hamid, Mrs Maryon Jägers, The Revd Carola von Wrangel, Consultant, Mr Neil Vigers, Anglican Communion Office

Old Catholics: The Rt Revd Joachim Vobbe, Co-chair, The Revd Professor Dr Angela Berlis, Co-secretary, The Revd Henriette Crüwell, The Revd Professor Dr David R Holeton, The Rt Revd Dr Dick Schoon, The Revd Lars Simpson, Administrative Support and Interpreter

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop.  Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months...   But now it is time to begin a new chapter.  O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word,  even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appointe
Read more

Advent in Helsinki: Mary, the Church's calling, and the One who brings us out of darkness to light

Image
Outside the Cathedral in Helsinki Yesterday, 8 December, was a very full Advent day, with activities redolent of the themes of the season. It was, of course, the Feast of the [Immaculate] Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary when we contemplate the mystery of the one who was prepared, through grace, to become the Mother of the Redeemer.  At the Vallila Help Centre (above, with Coordinator Eeva and Fr Tuomas) St Ambrose of Milan (whose feast we also celebrated this past week) was the first to refer to the Blessed Virgin as the Mother of the Church,  Mater Ecclesiae,  a title which helps us consider not only her role in giving birth to the Redeemer from whom the Church itself was born, but also how in her own life she responded to God's call in faith and love, as the Church today is also called to respond to the needs of the world.  It was with this in mind that I was so moved by a visit to the Ukraine Vallila Help Centre, a project supported by USPG and this diocese, which provides
Read more