THE CEREMONY, WITH SPEECHES IN BOTH ENGLISH AND LATIN (SOF)



TRANSCRIPT: "AT THE CONCLUSION OF THEIR MEETING, THEY GIVE THANKS TO ALMIGHTY GOD WHO BY THE ACTION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS IN THESE LATTER YEARS CREATED A NEW ATMOSPHERE OF CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP BETWEEN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE CHURCHES OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION. THIS ENCOUNTER OF THE 23RD OF MARCH 1966 MARKS A NEW STAGE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF FRATERNAL RELATIONS BASED UPON CHRISTIAN CHARITY AND ON SINCERE EFFORTS TO REMOVE THE CAUSES OF CONFLICT AND TO RE-ESTABLISH UNITY. IN WILLING OBEDIENT TO THE COMMAND OF CHRIST WHO BADE HIS DECIPLES TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER, THEY DECLARED THAT WITH HIS HELP THEY WISHED TO LEAVE IN THE HANDS OF GOD OF ALL MERCY ALL THAT IN THE PAST HAS BEEN OPPOSED TO THIS PRECEPT OF CHARITY."



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Initials RM3EURO-TELE/JF/SA


(EDITORS: NO MORE THAN 3 MINS OF THIS FILM MAY BE USED IN ANY ONE SCHEDULED NEWS PROGRAMME)

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Background: THE PRIMATE OF THE ANGLICAN CHURCH, DR. MICHAEL RAMSEY, ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY, AND POPE PAUL OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH TODAY (THURSDAY) SIGNED A JOINT DECLARATION IN ROME PLEDGING THE WORLD'S TWO BIGGEST CHRISTIAN GROUPS TO BEGIN TALKS ON THEOLOGICAL AND PRACTICAL WAYS OF ACHIEVING UNITY. THE CEREMONY TOOK PLACE BEFORE SOME 10,000 PEOPLE IN THE BASILICA OF ST. PAUL WITHOUT THE WALLS, JUST OUTSIDE ROME, AND INCLUDED A JOINT ACT OF WORSHIP.

THE CEREMONY, WHICH ENDED THE ARCHBISHOP'S THREE-DAY VISIT, WAS ATTENDED BY 26 CARDINALS IN ADDITION TO OTHER ROMAN CATHOLIC AND ANGLICAN CHURCHMEN, REPRESENTATIVES OF OTHER RELIGIONS, ROMANS, AND TOURISTS THE ACT OF WORSHIP WAS CONDUCTED IN ENGLISH, LATIN AND ITALIAN, WITH BOTH THE POPE AND THE ARCHBISHOP RECITING A PRAYER.

THE SERVICE STARTED WITH THE SINGING IN LATIN OF THE HYMN "VENI, CREATOR SPIRITUS", WHICH IS COMMON TO BOTH CHURCHES, AND ENDED WITH THE RECITAL OF THE "LORD'S PRAYER" BY THE CONGREGATION - EACH MEMBERS SPEAKING THE WORDS IN HIS OR HER OWN LANGUAGE AT THE SPECIAL REQUEST OF THE POPE. A ROMAN CATHOLIC BISHOP ADDRESSED THE CONGREGATION IN LATIN (SOF). THEN AN ANGLICAN BISHOP, RALPH DEAN OF CANADA, SPOKE ABOUT THE POPE AND PRIMATE IN ENGLISH......
THE POPE AND PRIMATE, WHO HAD EACH SIGNED THE PARCHMENT COPIES OF THEIR JOINT DECLARATION, EACH RECEIVED A COPY AND - IN AN UNREHEARSED GESTURE - POPE PAUL PRESENTED ARCHBISHOP RAMSEY WITH THE FOUNTAIN PEN WITH WHICH HE HAD SIGNED HIS COPY. THE TWO THEN EXCHANGED THE SYMBOLIC "KISS OF PEACE" AND SHOOK HANDS.

THE DECLARATION MARKS A RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE TWO CHRISTIAN CHURCHES AFTER FOUR CENTURIES OF DISCORD, DURING WHICH MARTYRS ON BOTH SIDES SUFFERED TORTURE AND DEATH AT THE HANDS OF SUPPORTERS OF THE OTHER. UNITY HAS BEEN THE DOMINANT THEME OF THE PRIMATE'S VISIT, BUT BOTH PRIMATE AND POPE HAVE STRESSED THAT THE ROAD TO UNITY WAS EXPECTED TO BE ALONG ONE.

THE ARCHBISHOP IS FLYING TODAY TO GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, WHERE HE WILL ATTEND THE WORLD COUNCIL OF CHURCHES.