Benedict To Deliver Smackdown! Ohh Yeeahhh!

Anglican leader to hold rare meeting with Pope

By Paul MajendieThu Mar 23, 8:15 AM ET

Anglican leader Rowan Williams is to visit Pope Benedict in the Vatican as the world's two largest organized churches battle to bridge their differences over homosexuality. The visit later this year will mark the 40th anniversary of Archbishop of Canterbury Michael Ramsey's historic meeting with Pope Paul VI in 1966.
That was the first formal meeting between the heads of the two churches since England's King Henry VIII broke with Rome in the 16th Century.

"My visit this autumn is an opportunity to continue that rich tradition of visits between Canterbury and Rome," said Williams, struggling to avoid schism in his own church over the ordination in America of openly gay bishop Gene Robinson.

The blessing of same-sex unions in Canada's Anglican Church and moves to ordinate women bishops in the Church of England are two other issues that could drive Protestants and Catholics further apart.

"We are living in an ecumenical winter," admitted former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey who visited Pope John Paul six times. "It has got even icier since the American church's decision to consecrate Gene Robinson which goes completely against the Catholic position and the historic position of the Anglican communion as well," he told the Times. Carey hoped the personal chemistry between Williams and Pope Benedict would help to mend bridges.

The Roman Catholic Church, which accounts for just over half of the world's 2 billion Christians, has been working since the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) with its "separated brothers" to try to overcome the splits in Christianity.