Many readers may not be aware of the fact that for nearly 50 years there has been an ongoing dialogue between the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. It formally began in 1960 when the 100th archbishop of Canterbury , Geoffrey Fisher, visited Pope John XXIII in Rome . These two church leaders committed to a serious dialogue in the hope that it would eventually lead to real church unity.

Published last summer, the last formal document (titled Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ) actually stated that "the Roman Catholic Church teaching on the immaculate conception and the assumption of Mary were consonant with Anglican reading of the Bible." Also, according to The Times, there are "increasing numbers of Anglican and Catholic parishes that share church buildings and non-eucharistic services," particularly in England .

The original split with the Roman Catholic Church occurred during the days of King Henry VIII in the 16th century, principally over the validity of divorcing his first wife Catherine of Aragon and then marrying Anne Boleyn. Only in the last half of the 20th century has there been a serious ecumenical movement between the two church bodies. Rome has warned Canterbury that a major impediment to full unity would be the Anglican ordination of women to the office of bishop.

Notwithstanding, arrangements are being made for Dr. Rowan Williams, current archbishop of Canterbury, to visit the new pope this year in yet another attempt to make major progress in healing centuries-old rifts. Biblical prophecy shows that religion will play an essential role in end-time events in Europe directly preceding the second coming of Christ. To understand more, request or download our free booklet The Book of Revelation Unveiled. (Source: The Times [London].)