London, England, Jan 11, 2011 / 11:46 am
Catholic bishops in England and Wales expect that their country's new jurisdiction for former Anglicans will be formally established in a Vatican decree by Jan. 15, the same day that three onetime Anglican bishops will receive their ordination as Catholic priests.
Archbishop Vincent Nichols will ordain John Broadhurst, Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton to the priesthood in a ceremony at Westminster Cathedral. Together with two other departing Anglican bishops, they had announced on Nov. 8, 2010 that they would be leaving that denomination to join the Catholic Church, which they did formally on Jan. 1.
The three men will serve as priests in the Ordinariate for England and Wales, the first structure of its kind to be established under norms provided by Pope Benedict XVI. Their ordinations are proceeding quickly so that they can minister to their congregations continuously, without the long lapse in time that a separate program of formation would require.
Edwin Barnes and David Silk, two retired former Anglican bishops, are also training to become priests in the English and Welsh Ordinariate, and will most likely be ordained at a later date.