The sun shone brightly, the temperature climbed above freezing, to
which Qu'Appelle Anglican Bishop Gregory Kerr-Wilson said that it was a
sign that God was blessing what "we are doing here today."
January 23, 2011, will go down in Saskatchewan religious history as
the day Bishop Kerr-Wilson and Regina Archbishop Daniel Bohan signed a
covenant committing the Roman Catholic and Anglican dioceses to an
unprecedented level of joint services and co-operation.
The covenant was signed by the two bishops during an ecumenical
prayer service that featured participants from St. Paul's and Holy
Rosary Cathedrals in Regina.
The covenant is not a formal union, as Archbishop Bohan pointed out at the beginning of his homily.
"We are coming together to celebrate what we believe in common as Christian churches, and to celebrate what we have achieved in our ongoing search for deeper union," he said.
"We are coming together to celebrate what we believe in common as Christian churches, and to celebrate what we have achieved in our ongoing search for deeper union," he said.
"We are going to commit to do
certain things together as disciples of Christ."
In the covenant the two have commited to five activities:
-To a joint prayer service with the bishops, ideally during Easter season and alternating between the two cathedrals.
-To remember each other in the Sunday service intercessions.
-To work together on justice issues in the developing world.
-To hold joint meetings with First Nations elders to promote reconciliation and healing.
-To maintain communications between the two churches when an issue
arises in one church that has implications or challenges for the other.
It also encourages 14 other activities, including common services
during Lent and Advent, common study sessions, common programs, youth
leadership, regular meetings of those with similar ministries, social
occasions to promote fellowship and speaking out together on areas of
common concern.
The covenant also encourages neighbouring Anglican and Roman Catholic
parishes to explore a similar covenant, and other Christian churches
were invited to share in the proposed activities and initiatives, where
possible.
"The basis of our coming together is our faith in Jesus Christ," said
Bishop Kerr-Wilson.
"There is one Lord, one baptism and one faith."
Archbishop Bohan's homily shared a similar theme. He quoted Pope
Benedict from a visit to Westminster Abbey last year: "What we share in
Christ is greater than what divides us."
The service began with the two bishops presiding over the blessing of
new water in the baptismal font, emphasizing the one baptism they
share.
The bishops then circled the church, blessing everyone with the
new water.
There were Readings from Isaiah, Galatians and the Gospel of John,
followed by a complete reading of the covenant.
Members of the
ecumenical committee that authored the document -- Father James Merrett,
rector of St. Paul's and dean of the Qu'Appelle Diocese, Anglican
Deacon Michael Jackson, and Joan Galvin from Holy Rosary Cathedral --
alternated in the reading of the covenant.
The original signed copies of the covenant will reside in the
chancery offices and copies will be sent to all Anglican and Roman
Catholic parishes.