Notation by Marc Aupiais
With both sides stressing that this was a good move, and the British Catholic church ("Vincent Nichols, the Archbishop of Westminster and head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales") noting it was not a criticism of Anglicanism...
In what is being noted as a response to many requests- the Vatican has launched a new document- which will see more traditional Anglicans able to easily convert, keeping many structures, and their own bishops, while candidates for priesthood from that background, would be studying alongside mainstream Catholics, and priests would be being included by already current age-old traditions:
"VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict on Tuesday took a major step to make it easier for disaffected Anglicans who feel their Church has become too liberal to convert to Roman Catholicism.
The move comes after years of discontent in some sectors of the 77-million-strong worldwide Anglican community over the ordination of women priests and homosexual bishops.
While both sides stressed the step would not affect dialogue between the two Churches, it was clear it was taken because of the growing number of Anglicans who want to leave their Church.
The Vatican said the Pope had approved a document known as an “Apostolic Constitution” to accept Anglicans who want to join Catholicism, either individually or in groups, while maintaining some of their own traditions.
It marks perhaps the clearest and boldest institutional step by the Vatican to welcome disaffected Anglicans into the fold since King Henry VIII broke with Rome and set himself up at the head of the new Church of England in 1534.
The new structure allows for the appointment of leaders, usually bishops who will come from the ranks of unmarried former Anglican priests, to oversee communities of former Anglicans who become Catholics and recognise the pope as their leader.
“In this way, the Apostolic Constitution seeks to balance on the one hand the concern to preserve the worthy Anglican liturgical and spiritual patrimony and, on the other hand, the concern that these groups and their clergy will be integrated into the Catholic Church,” the Vatican said. "
Euronews (Secular; Independent; French), article by Reuters (Secular; Independent; French)
20 / 10 | October / 2009
http://www.euronews.net/newswires/40473-pope-approves-document-on-anglicans-joining-church/
