Bishops Launch ‘Communion and Catholicity in the Church of England: A Statement of Principles’

The Council of Bishops of The Society has published a teaching document entitled ‘Communion and Catholicity in the Church of England: A Statement of Principles’. It appears in the September issue of New Directions and is also available on the Society website here.

The statement explains

• the nature of communion;
• The Society’s aspiration to be an expression of full, visible communion;
• the communion that the parishes and people of The Society continue to share with other members of the Church of England.

It reflects on the vocation of catholic Christians in the Church of England.

The Chairman of the Council of Bishops, the Rt Revd Tony Robinson (Bishop of Wakefield), has commented:

“This teaching document is our contribution to shaping understanding and custom that will engender greater trust in our position. We believe, humbly and with hope and trust for the future, that the tradition of Anglican identity exemplified by The Society has a distinctive contribution to make to our common life in the Church of England and to its mission.”

This statement will be accompanied by a second statement focusing on the practical application of these principles, which will be published in the October issue of New Directions.