The Vatican news service released a dramatic statement last week announcing His Holiness Pope Benedict’s establishment of “a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony.” VIS-Press releases

It’s my understanding that this will allow Anglican Bishops to move entire congregations to the Roman Catholic Church while maintaining some of their distinctively Anglican traditions.

Many applauded the return of Anglicans return to the Church, while others wonder how it will be possible to form a church within a church. My understanding is that the Anglicans claim to be “reformed” Catholic Church. As such can they re-reform their theology on the Real Presents of Christ in the Eucharist or defer theological authority to Rome?

What’s your opinion?

JoeT777

Some recent articles:

The Vatican news Service writes:
NOTE ON ANGLICANS WISHING TO ENTER THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, 20 OCT 2009 (VIS) - In a meeting with journalists held this morning in the Holy See Press Office Cardinal William Joseph Lvada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia O.P., secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, presented a note on a new measure concerning "Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church".

Commenting on the English-language note, which has been published by his dicastery, Cardinal Levada explained how, "with the preparation of an Apostolic Constitution, the Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion.

"In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony. Under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution, pastoral oversight and guidance will be provided for groups of former Anglicans through a Personal Ordinariate, whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy.

"The forthcoming Apostolic Constitution provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a worldwide phenomenon, by offering a single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application. It provides for the ordination as Catholic priests of married former Anglican clergy. Historical and ecumenical reasons preclude the ordination of married men as bishops in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. The Constitution therefore stipulates that the Ordinary can be either a priest or an unmarried bishop. The seminarians in the Ordinariate are to be prepared alongside other Catholic seminarians, though the Ordinariate may establish a house of formation to address the particular needs of formation in the Anglican patrimony".

"The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue, which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity. The initiative has come from a number of different groups of Anglicans" who, said Cardinal Levada, "have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them, the time has come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion". VIS-Press releases

Zenit writes:
Pope Paves Way for Anglicans to Enter Church

Apostolic Constitution to Establish "Personal Ordinariates"

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 20, 2009 (Zenit.org).- Groups of Anglicans will now be able to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the Anglican spiritual and liturgical tradition. ZENIT - Pope Paves Way for Anglicans to Enter Church
NCR writes:
Anglican to Catholic: An American Perspective
Posted by Tim Drake
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 1:06 PM
With the news about the Vatican’s change for Anglicans desiring to come into the Church, I decided to ask the perspective of an American who has taken that journey. Daily News: The Apostolic Constitution ? an Anglican View: NCRegister

The Apostolic Constitution — an Anglican View
Posted by EDWARD PENTIN
Friday, October 23, 2009 11:16 AM
Pope Benedict XVI’s historic momentous decision Oct. 20 to create structures for groups of Anglicans to be received into the Catholic Church deserves an Anglican perspective. Daily News: The Apostolic Constitution ? an Anglican View: NCRegister

Fr_Chuck

In reality nothing that new, the Roman Catholic Church has had several Anglican congregations in the US for years. They were allowed years ago to go into the Catholic Church.

They are not discussed highly but have existed for years. This is merley a more bulk acceptance and setting up some easier rules to allow more to do so.

And they have allowed Anglican priests and even Bishops ( both married and single) to enter into the Catholic Church.
It has been many years but my own group has had several go to the Catholic Church. There was even a married Bishop present at Vactican II

We have to remember there are several "RITES" within the Catholic church, the Roman Rite is merely one of them. ** the largest and most well known but not the only one

JoeT777

I agree that Anglicans reverting to the Catholic Church has been, as it were, an open door policy, but this is the first time that I’ve heard of that the Vatican considering anything close to a new Rite; it’s a unique indulgence.

I could very well be wrong, but it’s my understanding that Anglicans view themselves as ‘reformed’ Catholics – something half way between Protestantism and Catholicism. Anglican theology could be characterized as Protestantism in that they reject the objectivity of the Real Presents in the Eucharist and the authority of Rome holding more to the tenets of ‘scripture only’. A tenet C.K. Chesterton would describe as difficult “for the simple reason that the Bible does not say anything. You cannot put a book in the witness-box and ask it what it really means. .. The Bible by itself cannot be a basis of agreement when it is a cause of disagreement; it cannot be the common ground of Christians when some take it allegorically and some literally. The Catholic refers it to something that can say something, to the living, consistent, and continuous mind of which I have spoken; the highest mind of man guided by God.”

JoeT

arcura

Joe,
I think it is a great thing to have happen as it is stated and that they accept what the RCC Catechism says and that The REAL presence of Christ IS in the Holy Eucharist and that the Pope dose occupy the Chair of Peter and is leader of the Holy Catholic Church.
As Fr_Chuck pointed out that there are several different rites that are now in full communion with The RCC.
I'm pleased that the union Jesus wanted for His followers is bearing fruit and growing.
I have heard of pastors in a Presbyterian Church and a Lutheran Church that have lead their whole congregation into the RCC.
Peace and kindness,
Fred

gromitt82

I would not say "a church within a church". I would say that of all the Prostestant confessions the Anglicans are those closer to the Roman Catholic Church.
As you know, the mother of all worldwide Anglican communion is the Church of England.
The English church was under papal authority for nearly a thousand years, before separating from Rome in 1534 during the reign of King Henry VIII. His decision was only substantiated when the Roman Pontif Clement VII did not accede to annul his marriage with Catherina of Aragon so that he could marry Anne Boleyn.

Thre were no other problems involved (theological or conceptual). And this is why, ever since, the head of this Church is supposed to be the King or the Queen of England.

Ecumenism is something we should all strive for bearing in mind that we all believe in the same Jesus Christ and in His Gospels. Whatever differences there may exist among confessions are due to men, not to Jesus.

Gromitt82

arcura

gromitt82,
I agree.
We need unity.
Fred

Fr_Chuck

Threre has been churches that are catholic that have used the Anglican 1928 Book of Prayer for thier serivce for years in the US. Not alot, 6 or 7 of them that were given Vatican approval years ago. But yes the wide spread and more public appoval is new

arcura

Fr_Chuck,
I did not know that.
Thanks much,
Fred