THE Archbishop of Canterbury will be the first spiritual leader of the Church of England to attend the inauguration of a pope.

In visiting Rome for the Mass in St Peter’s on Sunday, Dr Rowan Williams is indicating a willingess to build ecumenical bridges with Pope Benedict XVI. Anglican officials, heartened by the new Pope’s references to ecumenism in his first homily, are expected to use the visit to explore the possibility of a formal meeting between the two.

The election of a hardline conservative as leader of the Roman Catholic Church comes at a delicate time for relations with Anglicans. Hopes of unity became very bleak towards the end of the papacy of Pope John Paul II.

Official talks between Anglicans and Roman Catholics stalled and were then put on ice under the last Pope who was dismayed by the decision of the Church of England to ordain women priests.

Vatican officials also viewed with concern the progress of the liberal gay lobby in North America’s Anglican churches.

Conducted under the umbrella of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, formal talks between the two churches over areas of doctrinal agreement stalled after Frank Griswold, US Primate and the commission’s co- chairman, resigned because of the controversy over homosexuals in his church.

Archbishop Peter Carnley of Australia was appointed co-chair in his place. One remaining document, on Mary, the mother of Jesus, is expected in the next few weeks.

But an annual round of informal talks, under the auspices of the Anglican Communion and the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, has continued. Relations between the two churches here are understood to be “cordial”.

Pope Benedict XVI has taken a keen interest in recent controversies in the Anglican Church. As the last Pope’s doctrinal enforcer, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger sent a personal letter of support to traditionalist Anglicans opposing the consecration as Bishop of New Hampshire of Gene Robinson, who is gay.

The Pope is certain to be aware that Dr Williams, although having previously been supportive of the gay lobby, now takes an orthodox line for the sake of church unity.

Dr Williams will be aware that the Pope’s most recent pronouncement on the status of Protestant churches, in the document Dominus Iesus produced in 2000 by his Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, dismissed them as defective and not “proper” churches.

This week Dr Williams offered his best wishes and prayers for the new Pope. “We wish Pope Benedict XVI every blessing in the immense responsibilities he is about to assume on behalf of Roman Catholics round the world,” he said.

“His election is also of great significance to Christians everywhere. I look forward to meeting him and working together to build on the legacy of his predecessor, as we seek to promote shared understanding between our churches in the service of the Gospel and the goal of Christian unity.” Dr Williams accepted the invitation to the inauguration as the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI has chosen Cardinal Angelo Sodano as his Secretary of State, his first appointment since becoming pontiff.

Cardinal Sodano served in this role under Pope John Paul II and, although his removal was unlikely, the speed and nature of this announcement — which also confirmed other officials in their jobs — sends a message of continuity of reign.

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