Vatican publishes plan for full communion with disaffected Anglicans

The Anglican Journal-

The Vatican has offered more details about how it plans to accommodate disaffected Anglican clergy and lay people who want to join the Roman Catholic Church but still retain some of their Anglican traditions.

The Vatican published its Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus on Nov. 9, introducing a canonical structure that would establish “personal ordinariates,” similar to dioceses within existing Catholic dioceses. These jurisdictions would be in full communion with the Catholic Church but could observe some Anglican services and traditions. The Catechism of the Catholic Church would, however, be the “authoritative expression” professed by those in the ordinariates.

According to the document, former Anglican bishops, including those who are married, could be ordained as priests within the Catholic Church and are eligible to be appointed as ordinary (bishop) and exercise pastoral and sacramental ministry within the ordinariate with full jurisdictional authority. But all exceptions to the Catholic Church’s rule that priests should be celibate would be decided on a case-by-case basis. Former Anglican bishops could also be asked to assist ordinaries. They may be invited to participate in meetings of the Bishop’s Conference in that territory with status equivalent to a retired bishop.

Anglican clergy could be accepted by the ordinary as candidates for ordination as Catholic priests. Married priests would also be eligible on a case-by-case basis, but unmarried priests would be required to remain celibate. The constitution also stated that Anglican clergy who are in “irregular marriage situations” would not be accepted for ordination.

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