60 years of ecumenical dialogue between Rome and Canterbury.

Today marks the 60th anniversary of the historic meeting between Pope Paul VI and Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey in Rome on 23 March 1966. A moment which deeply the renewed ecumenical journey taken by both the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

The meeting took place during the official visit of Archbishop Ramsey to Rome, within the context of the Second Vatican Council, which already opened the door for Christian dialogue. The meeting was marked by several symbolic moments. The two bishops prayed together at the basilica of Saint Paul outside the Walls in Rome, the burial site of the apostle Paul, a hint to the shared heritage of the early Church. They also met at the heart of the Vatican within the Sistine Chapel, where the pope presented the archbishop with his episcopal ring, an unprecented sign of soft diplomacy, showing both fraternity and recognition.

These encounters were not just ceremonial, but they expressed a true turning of hearts after over five hundred years of separation and the beginning of our ecumenical dialogue. The meeting culminated with the signing of a Common Declaration in which both leaders gave thanks for this new journey. It was rooted in Scripture and within the tradition of the early Church in which dialogue aimed at addressing the theological and ecclesiological obstacles, with the sustained hope of moving towards the unity which Christ preached.

The impact of the meeting was both immediate and lasting, later in the year, the Anglican Centre in Rome was founded, thanks to the generosity and support of the Doria-Pamphilj who opened the door of its palazzo to the new ecumenical endeavor. It supported the work of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) which encouraged theological exchanged as well as providing a place of both prayer, study, and spirituality. The centre continues in this mission to this day.

As the Anglican Centre marks the 60th anniversary of this historic meeting, they stand as a living legacy as the embassy of the Canterbury Church in the very heart of Rome. Inspired by the spirit of the Second Vatican Council, grounded in a shared desire of unity, inspired by Pope Paul VI and Michael Ramsey, this mission continues to guide and challenge the two Christian Churches. In a divided world, this witness we mark today reminds us of the hope of charity as reminded by Christ’s own prayer: “that they all may be one”.