Posted by George Patsourakos
on 10/20/2009, 3:18 pm
Just 11 days since Anglican and Eastern Orthodox hierarchs met to ease the pathway toward Anglican-Orthodox unity, the Vatican announced today a shocking and unexpected decision to make it easier for Anglicans to convert to the Roman Catholic faith.
Pope Benedict XVI approved a new church provision that will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church, while maintaining many of their spiritual traditions, including having married priests.
Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican's chief doctrinal official, announced the new provision at a news conference today, according to the Associated Press. The new church provision is designed to allow Anglicans to access a new church entity if they want to convert.
There has been much dissension among members of the Anglican Church in recent years, primarily because of its approval of women priests and bishops, an openly gay bishop, and same-sex unions.
It is ironic that this unexpected Papal decision comes less than two weeks since Metropolitan Jonah, spiritual head of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and a former Anglican, spoke of the urgency of Anglican-Orthodox unity at a hierarchical conference at Nashotah House -- an Anglican seminary in Nashotah, Wisconsin.
More information on that conference can be seen on St. Andrew House Discussion Forum website ("St. Vladimir's and Nashotah Seminaries Sign Covenant for Unity," 10/12/2009).
Responses:
