Anglicans and Roman Catholics have released a joint statement on the place of Mary in the doctrine and life of the two churches. It concludes that both churches "do not consider the practice of asking Mary and the saints to pray for us as communion dividing …" and that "it is impossible to be faithful to Scripture without giving due attention to the person of Mary."

The document, Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ, was produced by the Anglican-Roman Catholic Inter-national Commission (ARCIC), the official instrument of theological dialogue between Rome and the Anglican Communion.

The churches also said they can "affirm together the teaching that God has taken the Blessed Virgin Mary in the fullness of her person into his glory as consonant with Scripture."

However, ARCIC said the document (published by Continuum /Morehouse Publishing) "does not entirely resolve the differences" between the two churches on the dogmas of the Immaculate Conception and the Assumption.