The Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland, the Most Rev Dr John Neill, has described the Anglican-Roman Catholic statement on Mary the mother of Jesus, to be published today, as "one of the most significant ecumenical documents for some considerable time".
Prepared by Arcic, the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission, the official instrument of theological dialogue between both denominations, Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ was launched in the Catholic archdiocese of Seattle on Monday and will be published in London today.
Major divisions exist between Anglicans and Roman Catholics over the status of Mary, particularly over the Immaculate Conception and her Assumption.
For Roman Catholics both doctrines are taught as infallible dogma and are believed necessary for salvation.
Anglicans regard both as insufficiently grounded in scripture to be deemed necessary for salvation. In Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ, Arcic has found that both doctrines are "not incompatible" with scripture.
In a preliminary and personal response, Archbishop Neill said Arcic statement's "careful engagement with the scriptures and its emphasis on the importance of this basis for our common faith is to be warmly welcomed".
It was "clear from the study that issues surrounding the actual promulgation of the doctrines of the Immaculate Conception and of the Assumption have not been resolved, but that a greater understanding can be reached".
