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South Sydney's bishop greets the Pope
By Market-Place
July 18, 2008

From AAP and sources

South Sydney's Anglican Bishop Rob Forsyth has greeted Pope Benedict on behalf of Australian Anglicans.

Bishop Forsyth was among fifty Australian church leaders who met with the Pope 18 July during the only official ecumenical meeting staged during the Pope's World Youth Day visit to Australia.

The gathering in the crypt of Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral included leaders of the Anglican, Uniting, Catholic, Lutheran, Maronite, Assemblies of God and other churches.

Bishop Rob Forsyth was pleased to welcome the Pope.

"Following your own example we gladly greet you as our fellow Christian brother," Bishop Forsyth said.

"We welcome the leadership of the Roman Catholic Church on many issues," he said, "Your church has provided us with a rock in the rapids and a windbreak in this world to help us."

While Bishop Forsyth acknowledged there were still serious differences between the two churches, "that doesn't stop us loving each other and respecting each other and this kind of thing expresses physically the reality that we want to greet the other's fellow brother in Christ."

In a speech to the ecumenical meeting, Pope Benedict warned that efforts to promote unity between denominations are at a "critical juncture".

"Dear friends in Christ, I think you would agree that the ecumenical movement has reached a critical juncture," the pope said.

But, the pope went on to say that doctrine should not be seen as divisive.

"We must guard against any temptation to view doctrine as divisive and hence an impediment to the seemingly more pressing and immediate task of improving the world in which we live."

As well as Bishop Rob Forsyth, the two-person Anglican 'contingent' at the meeting also included a youth representative.

Nat Smith, 18, was one of more than 50 in the assembly to shake hands with the Pope at the end of the meeting.

"I said 'have a nice day and enjoy your time here'," Mr Smith told AAP.

"I think he is just a man, he's a very special man, he has his own country, which is pretty cool, but it was an honour to be able to represent Sydney Anglicans to him."

 

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