Fort Worth, Texas, Aug 15, 2008 / 08:07 am
Responding to recent reports regarding ongoing conversations between the Episcopal and the Catholic dioceses of Fort Worth (Texas), the Episcopal bishop, Rt. Rev. Jack Leo Iker issued a statement this week explaining that the short-term goal is not aimed at bringing Episcopalians into the Catholic Church.
Reports from earlier this summer stated that four Episcopal priests had been in conversation with Bishop Kevin Vann of the Fort Worth Catholic Diocese. According to those reports, the Episcopal priests were seeking guidance on how the diocese might come into "full communion" with the Catholic church.
In his statement, Bishop Iker expressed that he is aware of the meeting held on June 16, 2008.
“After a year of studying various agreed statements that have come out of ecumenical dialogues between Anglicans and Roman Catholics on the national and international level, these (Episcopal) clergy expressed an interest in having a dialogue on the local level and asked my permission to make an appointment to talk with Bishop Vann. The stated goal of these official Anglican/Roman Catholic dialogues (which have been going on for over 40 years) has been full, visible unity between the two communions,” the statement says.