Archbishop David Moxon writes a farewell message on the Anglican Centre in Rome’s website:
I have the privilege of sharing some thoughts with you for the last time, as Director to the readers of the ACR blog on our website. I have now completed my term as ACR director and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Representative to the Holy See. Looking back, I can honestly say that it has all been an immense privilege. We are so blessed to be witnessing a friendship between Pope Francis and Archbishop Justin at this time, as Christian brothers and global leaders who are seeking the common good together. I leave Rome with a full and thankful heart, that notwithstanding the difficulties and frailties of human beings we are being guided, by an invisible hand that has a nail hole in the centre of it, but also shines with a light that the darkness cannot overcome.
I had an emotional farewell with the Holy Father on Friday which I will always remember as long as I live. We talked about the progress being made by the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission stage three, following the recent meeting in Erfurt, Germany, where Martin Luther was an Augustinian monk and teacher; ARCIC III has just produced a draft text on shared ecclesiology principles. We talked of the hopes that there are in Christ between us, for a deeper re-integrated diversity as we look to a church fully reconciled in God’s good time. I said that I had received so much from my time in Rome from his example and courage, his vision and creativity. The church is on the move because of prophetic, servant, leadership like his and Archbishop Justin’s. Then Pope Francis met my family and the staff and friends of the Anglican Centre and led us all in the Lord’s Prayer.
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Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi, Archbishop Moxon’s successor, writes about an inaugural visit to Rome:
At the invitation of Archbishop David Moxon, I have spent ten days in Rome and participated in his everyday activities as an orientation programme. First I attended and participated in a course on the work of ARCIC III — the third round of conversations of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission — which produced a book, Toward a Church Fully Reconciled, which we were studying. I was very impressed by the content of that book and the participation of those who took part in that course. However, I realised that most of the time we get these books and do not read and digest the content of those reports for the benefit of our two Communions.
The moment which really captured my mind was the audience with the Pope on Wednesday morning, where the group that was on that course attended that weekly audience with the Pope, where people from all over the world come and have a public audience with the Holy Father. It was not planned, but we were called to be among the group of people whom he greeted. He told us that he knew that I had been appointed to this position and was looking forward to welcoming me, officially, in October.
Related
Listen to Archbishop Ntahoturi’s first interview with Vatican Radio.
