(Photo: Anglican Bishop of London Richard Chartres with wife and children, 5 Sept 1995/Russell Boyce. Under the Vatican offer, bishops could not be married and Anglican bishops who join the Catholic Church must give up their episcopal rank.)
Pope Benedict’s decision to fling open Catholicism’s doors to disaffected Anglicans could challenge centuries of Catholic opposition to married priests and may bring the Church closer to married priesthood.
The opening announced last week could lead to as many as half a million Anglican faithful, some 50 of their bishops and thousands of married Anglican priests converting to Catholicism.
The conservative Anglicans, who oppose female priesthood and gay bishops, now have an exit strategy. They will have their own niche within the Catholic Church and will be allowed to convert as individuals, parishes or even as whole dioceses.
They will not have to jettison their Anglican traditions and many will find their new parishes headed by formerly Anglican married priests who will become de facto married Catholic priests after they convert.
Cardinal William Levada, head of the Vatican’s doctrinal office, the pope’s job until he was elected in 2005, acknowledged that the Vatican will have some serious explaining to do to groups that have been pushing for a married priesthood: “I think for some people it seems to be a problem because as you know there have been many Catholic priests who have left the priesthood to get married, and the question arises, ‘well, if these former Anglicans can be married priests, what about us?’”
Read the whole analysis here.
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Jesus is the way the truth and the life. Unity is only possible through the power of the Holy Spirit. Despite this the Pope is the visible head of the Roman Catholic church. I am glad that traditional de facto Anglicans have taken their most recent stance against gay marriages, ordination of women and wish to maintain tradition. No man made structure is perfect but the theology and tradition of the Catholic church is absolute. Fortunately we are on a journey and can repent and be delivered from evil through the ministry of healing and deliverance. I pray that other Christian denominations would open their eyes. Through ignorance they condemn the praying to Saints and Mary the mother of Jesus or don’t understand transubstantiation. Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you the truth. He will lead you to the Roman Catholic church.
Barbara
- Posted by Barbara de SouzaI am amused by a comment above. If Anglicans are treated as servants in catholicism what is the problem, isn’t that everybody’s goal?
- Posted by Carlton PerryThe Roman Catholic–not simply “Catholic”–Church’s true intentions after four decades of ecumenical dialogue with the Anglican Communion is now revealed: enough of almost 500 years of charade; submission is the price of Christian unity. That is to say, the Roman Catholic Church has been and will always be the only authentic manifestation of Christianity. Given the failure of the Vatican to quietly correct much less acknowledge some of their own doctrinal and heirarchical errors, I would hope that theologically and spiritually grounded Anglo-Catholics will not be taken in by such shallow and condescending ploys as tossing potential converts the “married priest” and “Anglican liturgy” scraps. “High Church” Anglicans are neither superficial liturgists or “closet” Romans. Jesus’ prayer for unity, “that they all may be one,” will never be fulfilled under the current terms. When are the Anglican leaders going to rebuke this nonsense?
- Posted by William F. Cissel