Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold predicted that the Seattle Document: Mary, Grace and Hope in Christ, the agreed statement of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), will prove to be a reconciling ecumenical statement of importance to Anglicans, Roman Catholics, the Orthodox and protestants alike.

Delegates at the recent Anglican Consultative Council in Nottingham, England, welcomed the ARCIC report on June 25 and asked the Archbishop of Canterbury and Pope Benedict XVI to commission a third round of theological dialogue between the two churches “in pursuit of the full visible unity of Christ’s body here on earth.”

While the vote to endorse the Seattle Document was unanimous, several delegates voiced concerns from both liberal and traditionalist positions that the document favored Roman dogma over traditional Anglican teachings.

In an interview with The Living Church on June 14 in Louisville, Ky., Bishop Griswold said he too had initial doubts about how Roman Catholic dogma on the mother of Jesus could be reconciled with Anglican teachings. The breakthrough in his own understanding came when he saw her in the context of baptism.

“When we looked at the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption within the context of baptism, it was easy to see that the fruits of baptism were realized in her,” he said.

Bishop Griswold predicted that General Convention will commend the document for study by local congregations in 2006, and said taking time to build trust among those who undertake study will be critical to a full appreciation.

The circumstances under which the ARCIC group worked were ideal conditions, Bishop Griswold explained.

“We got to know each other over a period of years," he said. "There is an incredible amount of friendship and understanding behind it that my not come through in the document.”

He also cautioned against attaching too much significance to the document. Roman Catholics have acknowledged different ways of understanding Christ and not every Anglican agrees on every doctrine. The ARCIC document should be considered within the same broader context, he suggested.

To find more news, feature articles, and commentary not available online, we invite you to subscribe to The Living Church magazine. To learn more, click here.