Anglican and Catholic archbishops say declaration won't change dialogue
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Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams / Archbishop Vincent Nichols

London, England, Oct 20, 2009 / 11:52 am (CNA).- Catholic Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Anglican primate Archbishop Rowan Williams held a press conference today in London to say that the newly announced structure for Anglicans to join the Catholic Church will not harm ecumenical dialogue between the two Churches.

Earlier on Tuesday morning at the Vatican, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), announced that Pope Benedict has approved the creation of ‘Personal Ordinariates’ which will allow Anglicans to enter into communion with the Catholic Church while maintaining some aspects of the “distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony.” 

These ordinariates will be formed, “as needed, in consultation with local Conferences of Bishops, and their structure will be similar in some ways to that of the Military Ordinariates which have been established in most countries to provide pastoral care for members of the armed forces and their dependents throughout the world,” the cardinal prefect explained.

Meanwhile, at the offices of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Archbishops Nichols and Williams jointly stated that the declaration by the Pope “is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition” which grew out of the last 40 years of dialogue.

The two prelates also stressed that today's announcement does not mean an end to ecumenical dialogue between the two Churches. “With God’s grace and prayer we are determined that our on-going mutual commitment and consultation on these and other matters should continue to be strengthened,” the joint statement said. 

However, the announcement was not without some friction, which Archbishop Williams revealed in a letter he sent today to the Anglican bishops around the world.

“I am sorry that there has been no opportunity to alert you earlier to this;  I was informed of the planned announcement at a very late stage, and we await the text of the Apostolic Constitution itself and its code of practice in the coming weeks,” the Anglican archbishop wrote.

He also shared how he is responding “in the local English context,” drawing upon his joint statement with Archbishop Nichols.

On the Vatican front, Archbishop Williams wrote, “in the light of recent discussions with senior officials in the Vatican, I can say that this new possibility is in no sense at all intended to undermine existing relations between our two communions or to be an act of proselytism or aggression. It is described as simply a response to specific enquiries from certain Anglican groups and individuals wishing to find their future within the Roman Catholic Church.”

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Sean
United States 10/21/2009 02:45 PM EST
As an Episcopalian, and therefore part of the Global Anglican Church I would like to inform Francis that he is very ignorant in his analysis. I have attended a Public School, attended a Protestant Non- denomonational school, read parts of the Quran, read through the Bible a few times, have looked at the Catechism of the Catholic Church,I have attended Catholic School, etc. Am I all knowing about these different religious beliefs? NO, I am not, nor do I pretend to be. They all share a very common thread and that is LOVE and acceptance.He should really educate himself more on world religions and teachings. As Christians is it our job to say who has a better relationship with God? Who can be a priest or Bishop? Are we God? The answer to all of these is NO. I am using this article as part of one of our weekly current events reports for my religion class in the Catholic School I attend. I believe that the Catholic Church and the Anglican Church are on the right track to removing the divisions within Christianity.
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Published by: Allan Wafkowski
Ridgefield Park USA 10/21/2009 02:03 PM EST
Francis, the Anglicans do not have a valid priesthood and all who would become Catholic priests will be ordained. In the few times in the past where married Anglican "priests" converted to the Catholic faith and wished to become ordained in the Catholic Church, they were ordained and allowed to keep their wives, but could not remarry if the wife died. They were also not allowed to become bishops while married.
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Published by: Francis
Wareham MA 10/21/2009 11:29 AM EST
I want to read the "Apostolic Constitution" when it comes out in a few weeks. My hope is that it will address my real concerns about all of this: Married Priests and reordination. Being that these Anglican "priests" aren't really priests in the Catholic sense because they have been in a heretical "Church" for 500 years. They have not been in union with the Bishop of Rome, so their priests have not been validly ordained, and have lost Apostolic succession and the sacraments. Therefore, I HOPE, that these Anglican "priests" and "bishops" will receive some sort of reordination and Catholic training by the Pope to make them truly legitimate Catholic priests and bishops. My other concern is allowing married priests. I hope that the Apostolic Constitution spells out CLEARLY that this is only a one time occurence, and after this all former anglicans or whoever can only become priests if they are NOT married. I know that the Roman and Latin rite could have married priests but I don't think that is the path that we want to go down. I really hope that the Constitution will spell out clearly these things. If it does, it will make things alot easier down the road.
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Published by: Francis
Wareham MA 10/21/2009 08:44 AM EST
The only true definition of "dialogue" and "ecumenism" with pagans and heretics is to bring these people to Jesus Christ and to his true Church. Anything contrary to this goal is false and heretical and must be discontinued by the Church hierarchy and rejected by the faithful.
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Published by: Rob
New York State 10/20/2009 09:02 PM EST
Great news. Welcome home!
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Published by: Karl
naples,FL/USA 10/20/2009 04:40 PM EST
God help us....how many more militant souls will be lost because of this????
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