(Getty images)
I have not been home all day so I could not blog on this any sooner, other than the brief post I made around 5:30 am today. Much has been clarified since that earlier post, and we have the benefit of analysis from several sources. I an only provide a brief note here, but I have fished many interesting links from around the web for you at the bottom of this post. That may get updated.
First, the press conference which took place this morning at 11:00am in Rome with Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the CDF and Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, OP - Secretary of the CDW.
The Holy Father has approved an apostolic constitution which establishes "personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering the Catholic Church". An apostolic constitution creates new legal structures within canon law. As for the personal ordinariates, a Vatican note explains that they are similar to what we see with the military, where it is a non-territorial diocese, but has it's own archbishop. It is also similar to the personal prelature, Opus Dei which is also non-territorial. But, the personal ordinariate is not exactly the same. The bottom line is that it is non-territorial.
Fr Z has rightly raised the issue of the SSPX. Will we see something similar with their circumstance in the future?
I'll leave you here with a few words from Anglican Archbishop John Hepworth - the Primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion (you can read the rest in the link below):
Traditional Anglican Communion Responds to Pope's Offer of Ecclesiastical refugeby John Hepworth
20th October 2009
I have spent this evening speaking to bishops, priests and lay people of the Traditional Anglican Communion in England, Africa, Australia, India, Canada, the United States and South America.
We are profoundly moved by the generosity of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI. He offers in this Apostolic Constitution the means for "former Anglicans to enter into the fullness of communion with the Catholic Church". He hopes that we can "find in this canonical structure the opportunity to preserve those Anglican traditions precious to us and consistent with the Catholic faith". He then warmly states "we are happy that these men and women bring with them their particular contributions to our common life of faith".
May I firstly state that this is an act of great goodness on the part of the Holy Father. He has dedicated his pontificate to the cause of unity. It more than matches the dreams we dared to include in our petition of two years ago. It more than matches our prayers. In those two years, we have become very conscious of the prayers of our friends in the Catholic Church. Perhaps their prayers dared to ask even more than ours.
It's one thing to petition God for unity among the faithful. Perhaps you can take time out of your day to offer thanksgiving to God. Pray the Te Deum Laudamus! If you can fit a Mass in during the week or on Saturday, offer thanksgiving. Do a holy hour for thanksgiving. There are still many hurdles for people so please keep everyone affected in your prayers.
Much more reading (to be updated):
- First thoughts on an Anglican ordinariate (Canon Lawyer, Ed Peters)
- Bridge Over Troubled Tiber: Holy See Welcomes Anglican Christians into Catholic Church (Deacon Keith Fournier)
- Lambeth Palace 'implacably opposed' to Pope's Anglican plans (Damian Thompson)
- Evangelical Anglicans Respond (Fr. Dwight Longenecker)
- The Anglican Communion did what? (Terry Mattingly)
The obedient are not held captive by Holy Mother Church; it is the disobedient who are held captive by the world!