Our Catholic Diocese does not worship and witness in East Anglia in isolation, but in degrees of communion with other Christian communities in our area. Growing together in unity, and working together for the proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, is essential our way forward.

See below for a series of useful ecumenical contacts and websites.


Our Diocese of East Anglia launched in 2003 a wide-ranging process of review entitled 'Forward and Outward Together in Christ.' The word 'Together' is a vital one! It is not only as individual parish communities, clusters of parishes, deaneries or even as a diocesan family within the Roman Catholic Communion that we move forward and outward. It is with all other Christians.

Yes, Christians are still visibly divided in many ways. In some ways, theological disagreements have increased rather than decreased recently. We now recognise that work towards the final goal of full visible unity is a long haul, and will require the Spirit's gifts of endurance, perseverance, hope and trust.

But we are one family of God's daughters and sons, united by our faith in Christ, our baptism and by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us and among us. We can no more ignore our fellow Christians than we can members of our own families.

The Catholic Church is fully committed to pursuing the path to full Christian Unity. As Pope John Paul wrote in his encyclical letter Ut unum sint, 'At the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church committed herself irrevocably to following the path of the ecumenical venture…'(4). Without in any way abandoning or undermining our distinctive Catholic teaching, ecumenism must be central to our Catholic life: 'Thus it is absolutely clear that ecumenism, the movement promoting Christian unity, is not just some sort of "appendix" which is added to the Church's traditional activity. Rather, ecumenism is an organic part of her life and work, and consequently must pervade all that she is and does…' (Ut unum sint, 20).

In other words, we cannot be truly Catholic if we are not actively committed to working for the full unity of all Christians. At local level, we can pray and worship together, conscious of our unity in the Spirit of Christ. We can study together, learning to understand each other better and enriching each other in the process. The ecumenical agreed statements should be explored in every parish. We can work together to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to our communities, both in explicit evangelisation and in bringing God's care, love and justice to the sick and the sad, the poor and hungry, the oppressed and afflicted. We can be friends together, enjoying each other's company as fellow disciples and companions of the Risen Lord.

Increasingly in East Anglia, we must also reach out in friendship to people of other world faiths. There is a great need for mutual understanding and respect, and plenty of opportunity for working together for the good of all.

My hope is that every parish will include ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue as central elements as we seek to move 'Forward and Outward Together' in God's name.

Bishop Michael