Things like this have been in the works behind the scenes for some time, but the Holy See has finally announced formal means for facilitating the reconciliation with the Catholic Church of Anglicans who are disaffected with the heterodox trajectory of the worldwide Anglican communion.
The plan will allow bishops' conferences to create "personal ordinariates"--basically nonterritorial diocese with its own bishop (although the former Anglican ordinariates will be able to have priests as their heads).
Further details are to be announced in an apostolic constitution by Pope Benedict. Initial details have been made available by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
CDF STATEMENT.
JOINT STATEMENT OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER AND THE ANGLICAN ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY.
As both statements point out, this move is in part a product of ecumenical dialog--even if it is rather a bank shot. It will be interesting to see how ecumenists receive the move. One has the impression that, for many, ecumenical dialog is an end in itself--not something that is supposed to produce concrete results, or at least not the result of bringing people into full communion with the Catholic Church in its current form.
MORE FROM JOHN ALLEN.
(BTW, Allen's statement that "Popes issue apostolic [c]onstitutions in order to amend the church's Code of Canon Law" is poorly phrased at best.)
More...
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New Structures Announced for Reception of Anglicans into Full Communion [Akin]
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