Today, we recognize more than 50 years of bilateral dialogue with the Roman Catholic Church in Canada. The Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada (ARC Canada) began in 1971, and the ARC Bishops’ Dialogue was established in 1975. This work has addressed theological as well as pastoral questions.
Both dialogues are focused on helping Anglicans and Roman Catholics in Canada become more aware of the theological agreement shared between our churches, along with helping us to find ways to express that unity in mission together. Some expressions of that unity have included:
- Joint pastoral guidelines on intermarriage between Anglicans and Catholics (PDF)
- Guidelines for bishops who are receiving clergy from the other church (PDF)
- When Anglicans and Roman Catholics are at the Eucharist Together (PDF)
- Did You Ever Wonder? A Common Witness Project
- New Stories to Tell: Living Ecumenism Today
The dialogues have also contributed to the theological work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
Membership in the Canadian dialogues
The members of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada are:
Anglican/Lutheran
- Bishop Bruce Myers (co-chair)
- Bishop (retired) Cindy Halmarson (ELCIC)
- Rev. Dr. Iain Luke
- Rev. Paul Sartison (ELCIC)
- Rev. Canon Dr. Scott Sharman (staff)
Roman Catholic
- Archbishop Brian Dunn (co-chair)
- Adèle Brodeur
- Sr. Dr. Donna Geernaert, SC
- Nicholas Jesson
- Dr. Nicholas Olkovich
- Subdeacon Dr. Brian Butcher (staff)
The members of the ARC Bishops’ Dialogue are:
Anglican
- Bishop Nigel Shaw (co-chair)
- Bishop Mary Irwin-Gibson
- Bishop William Cliff
- Bishop Leslie Wheeler-Dame
- Bishop Kevin Robertson
- Rev. Canon Dr. Scott Sharman (staff)
Roman Catholic
- Bishop Gary Gordon (co-chair)
- Bishop Martin Laliberté
- Bishop Jose Kalluvelil
- Archbishop Albert LeGatt
- Mr. Kyle Ferguson (staff)
Additional resources
- IARCCUM.org — The most comprehensive collection of news and documents related to Anglican-Roman Catholic relations around the world, including Canada.
- Anglican Centre in Rome — Established in 1966, the Anglican Centre in Rome is the Anglican Communion’s permanent representation to the Holy See. A living symbol of our communion’s commitment to the full visible unity of the church, it offers courses of different kinds open to all, in which many Canadian Anglicans have participated.
- Anglicans and Catholics finding one voice — A communiqué from the May 2013 meeting of the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada
- Forty Years of Walking Together (2011) — An account of the fortieth anniversary celebrations of Anglican-Roman Catholic dialogue in Canada, and a discussion of the dialogue’s future directions.
- Growing Together in Unity and Mission (2007) — Theological reflection and practical suggestions on how Anglicans and Roman Catholics can give living expression to the unity we already share.
- On the Way Together: A People Created for the Common Good (1998) — A study guide prepared by the Anglican-Roman Catholic Dialogue of Canada on the two churches’ common moral tradition