Pope and Welby send bishops on joint mission

The Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury together sent 19 pairs of Catholic and Anglican bishops back to their home dioceses last week to promote joint prayer, joint proclamation of the Gospel and, especially, joint works of charity and justice.

“Today we rejoice to commission them and send them forth in pairs as the Lord sent out the 72 disciples,” Pope Francis and the archbishop said in a common declaration signed at the end of an evening prayer service.

The 38 bishops, who are part of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission, included Bishop Mark O’Toole of Plymouth and the Anglican Bishop of Truro, the Rt Reverend Tim Thornton.