Cardinal Donald Wuerl has announced that Pope Benedict XVI will establish an ordinariate for American Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church. Two Anglican communities--one in Texas, the other in Maryland--have entered into full communion in recent months and are expected to become part of the ordinariate.Read the rest at the link.
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The US ordinariate will be established on January 1, and “at that time, I assume that an Ordinary will be named,” Cardinal Wuerl said at the fall meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. “If the Ordinary of the new Ordinariate is married, then he can be ordained a priest, but not a bishop.”
“From its erection, an Ordinariate will have the option of using the Roman Missal or the Book of Divine Worship already used by the Pastoral Provision or Anglican Use parishes,” Cardinal Wuerl added.
Blessings on the journey to the American Anglicans who will enter the Roman Catholic ordinariate. The members of the group may be able to continue to use their Book of Divine Worship, but methinks they will no longer be Anglicans, but rather Roman Catholic converts.
I wonder what present members of the Roman Catholic Church who don't like the new liturgy for the mass will think about the 'Anglicans' being privileged to use a different liturgy. Will Roman Catholics who do not like the new mass be given the privilege to use the Book of Divine Worship, if they so choose?
And then there's the matter of the RC priests who remain under the obligation of celibacy, who may be disgruntled that the 'Anglican' priests have their wives and families.
Thanks to Ann V. for the link.
Makes me wonder how many of the recently departed to ACNA ANGLCO CATHOLIC cluster will find a more comfortable ¨place to stand¨ at the RC denomination...afterall, it´s far better suited to their needs.
ReplyDeleteLen, I give St Luke's in Maryland and Bp. Chane due credit for settling the matter of property without litigation. Apparently, the folks in Fort Worth came from several churches and did not attempt to take church properties when they left.
ReplyDeleteI've forgotten which of the schismatic groups leans Catholic, but perhaps some may decide to make the RCC their home.
Did Cardinal Wuerl really use the word "erection"?? ...
ReplyDeleteSnort (puerile giggling)
Cathy, copy and paste. I thought my fine, upstanding readers would be too polite to mention the e-word. Alas...I can't stop laughing.
ReplyDeleteJust read it again, it's very silly. Oh dear!
ReplyDelete"From its erection, an Ordinariate will have"
ReplyDeleteMy eyes, my eyes!!! }-X
Based on what I've heard from a admittedly small number of Roman Priests, their concerns were less with the new Priests being married, and more with their primitive theology.
ReplyDeleteJCF, one wonders if there will be obelisks in the churchyards.
ReplyDeleteWade, while I wish the Anglicans who move to the RC ordinariates well, in a good many ways, this may not be a marriage made in heaven.