Archbishop Peter Jensen’s statement for the Catholic Weekly on the election of Pope Benedict XVI

As Archbishop of Sydney, I assure Cardinal Pell, the bishops, clergy and people of the Roman Catholic Church of the prayers and best wishes of Anglicans as Pope Benedict XVI assumes his office of leadership.

The Pope is recognised as a world-renowned theologian in the orthodox catholic tradition.  We applaud his public stance on matters of morality such as the sanctity of human life and traditional church teaching on sexuality.  We have also been pleased to note his encouragement to the Cardinals to stand firm against the "dictatorship of relativism.'

We recognise that there are significant differences on matters of doctrine and ecclesiology between Catholic and Protestant Christians.  Nevertheless, we welcome Pope Benedict's statements since his election which indicate that he is open to continuing dialogue with those of other Christian denominations and also of other faiths.  As those who are seeking to witness to the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we look forward to further exploration of the teaching of scripture.

Dr Peter F Jensen
Anglican Archbishop of Sydney