American Morning
The Vatican to welcome Anglicans to Catholicism
The Vatican made a historic bid Tuesday to win over dissenting Anglicans, with Pope Benedict XVI's approval of a document called the "Apostolic Constitution" authorizing the creation of "Personal Ordinariates" led by former Anglican priests or bishops.
[cnn-photo-caption image= http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/images/10/22/pope.jpg caption="The Vatican says more Anglicans have expressed an interest in joining the Catholic Church."]
Previously, Anglicans could join the church individually, but this new provision will allow them to join in large groups, as well as let them maintain certain traditions such as liturgy and rites. It also includes a provision that allows married Anglican priests to remain married and still become ordained Catholic priests.
The Anglican Church, known as The Church of England when established by King Henry VIII in a break with the Vatican 475 years ago, has seen its membership decline to 80 million in recent times. The offer from Rome could prompt thousands of Anglicans around the world to switch to Catholicism in protest of their church's liberal stance on openly gay clergy and the consecration of women bishops.
In 1992, the Anglican Church approved women priests, prompting members to leave the church in droves. In 2003, the ordination of Gene Robinson as the first openly gay Anglican bishop led to the defection of conservative Anglicans, some of whom converted to Roman Catholicism. By contrast, the Catholic Church is opposed to same-sex marriage and gay clergy, and all Catholic priests must be male and unmarried.
This is the Vatican’s most open embrace of Anglicans since the schism in 1534 following Pope Clement VII’s refusal to annul Henry VIII’s marriage. Many supporters see this as part of the current Pope's goal to promote Christian unity across the globe as well as addressing multiple requests to the Holy See from groups of Anglicans wishing to enter into communion with the Roman Catholic Church. Others feel that it will harm relations between the two Churches and ultimately have a negative impact.
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i thank the vatican,but i think its to late for religious medical intergration of of the bible.inn ala inn they took the bible out of the schools and gave up on the study of sicknesses inn the bible.where every boby should of took school medicine from early age to older age we failed.we failed kids all over the usa.under inntergration we of all lived inn one giant series of inns inn the name of jesus christ.but the religious healthcare or the public option failed.we never intergrated.we segreated into crime thank you tri angle
Although this appears to be a top down change by Pope Benedict, it is merely a recognition of what has been happening from the bottom up in The Roman Catholic Church. For example a group of Episcopal Sisters in Maryland recently converted enmass to the Catholic Church. All except the two oldest Sisters joined.
Married Episcopal Priests have been allowed to join the Church and become R.C. Priests. They have to be accepted by their diocese and be approved by Rome. This is a lengthy process which includes additional theological training and a thorough understanding of Church history plus Church tradition. We call it the Magisterium of the Church. In the past ,each case was handled on an individual basis. For Catholics, marriage, even outside the Church, is considered to be a Sacred bond,which cannnot be broken, therefore a married, Episcopal Priest could not become celebant. Celebacy is viewed as a gift from God in the Catholic Church and a sign of a Priest's comitment to his flock and a love of God. This is a tradition which is not likely to change.
This new Apostolic Constitution during this year, which is being celebrated as The Year of The Priest, is a recognition that there is a spiritual renewal in the world. This is something that happens in God's time and not the time frame of humanity.Peace!
I enjoyed the morning story about tracking down Medicare fraud. You need to spend more time discussing Medicare and Medicaid fraud which totals in the billions of dollars. You spend a lot of time discussing the 'evil profits' of health insurance companies(in the millions) and the low administrative costs of Medicare. However, the bottom line is that these dollars are dwarfed by the BILLIONS of Medicare and Medicaid fraud. Have a fair and balanced discussion....
Interesting...inclusion or even more exclusion? I was a born/raised Catholic and I love many things about the church and its work. However, as a mid-aged, male, now Episcopalian who is even married to a Episcopal Priest(female), I think the Catholic Church may be missing the point on this issue. Single/married males, single/married females and those homosexuals in committed relationships or not can ALL be called to serve as faithful, caring clergy and God knows that today we need more open, thougtful leadership including in the Catholic church. To restrict any sacrament is unfortunate. I find it sad when any religious tradition fails to recognize basic human equality/diversity when so many brave people have fought so hard to correct past injustices. God bless us all and give us the courage to move forward in love and peace for all people.
I would like to comment on the report about Latino's in America. My mother came from Italy when a child and my father's parents both from Germany. I am a first generation child of an immigrant. I have no problem with immigrants from any country. What I do have a problem with is, anyone from any country demanding that we in the US have to learn and teach a second language. My mom was 8 years old when she arrived and she knew she had to learn English in a hurry-she did. This is the United States, we speak English. A second language is fine if one wants to learn it as a second language. If you want to live in the US and be blessed by all the benefits – LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF THE COUNTRY YOU ARE IN!!!! We should NOT have to be FORCED to cater to any one group. We have NEVER, EVER, done this for any other immigrant people, AND we should not be made to feel guilty because we say NO, NO, NO. We in America are paying the taxes for all children to go to school-learn the language and don't demand that we have to teach Spanish either as a second language, or force our teacher s to teach in Spanish.
I wonder if this might help resolve the Priest shortage.
The expansion to the narrow minded views and perceptions of the global flock currently underway with many issues to resolve that will not sit well with that ALL. Above the verse of Matthew 10:34, 35 and 36 is a heading which says"Jesus, a just cause for division". Those that lead their perspective flocks fail to understand the importance of these divisions.
You say that these top bosses will get their salaries cut by as much as 90%. But their multi million dollar bonuses will not be affected?
Kiran Chetry should have challenged Episcopal Bishop Epting's assertion that member churches of the Anglican Church in North America are not Anglican. This is a clearly af alse statement intended to mislead the public. CNN should have included an ACNA representative in the interview.
If the Archbishop of Canterbury had more leadershhip he would already have created an Orthodox track for the majority Anglican base and another for the minority cultural progressives. He has been caught again as an ineffectual church leader by the Catholic olive branch offered to disaffected Anglicans.
Did I actually hear Kiran Chetry read the following this morning? – "It's being called one of the Vatican's most sweeping gesture since the Reformation," and "the Catholic Church has thrown open the gates to Anglicans...." Makes it sound as if the usually creepy former-Vatican-insider Cardinal Ratzinger (now the Holy Father) is one magnanimous, welcoming guy. Hmmmm.....not really. With a shortage of Roman Catholic priests, especially English-speaking ones, he has put out the welcome sign to bigots and misogynists in the Anglo-Catholic churches. He's simply recruiting personnel, just like any other CEO would when he sees a competitor's personnel may be disgruntled. They oughta fit right in.
I have been teaching at a Catholic school whose resident chaplain is a married priest who came over from the Anglican Church. He's also very active in a local Catholic church and he is a very good priest. I don't think anyone thinks twice about the fact that he's married, now that we know him. I do think, however, something worth pointing out that you no one did this morning on your interview is that historically-speaking, the Catholic church did not create the celibacy requirement for priests until sometime in the Middle Ages. I myself am a Greek Orthodox Christian and our priests have always been allowed to marry, so in terms of actual historical tradition, allowing priests to marry is nothing contemporary or modern.
The catholics should stop making their priests to be celebate. This is not what Christ teached. Orthodox priests can marry and have families. Which is how it should be.
When Pope Benedict became the new pope his first order of business should have been to change the Church Law of Celibacy for Priests. This arcane church law must be changed. I am a practicing Catholic. The Pope needs to do the right thing in order for the Roman Catholic Church to proceed into the 21st century with a healthy and forward thinking outlook. It is long past time for this change.
Oh – so does this mean that the Catholic Church now acknowledges other Christian religions?? Will those Anglicans have to go thru confirmation and all those other rites in order to take communion, or will the Catholic Church now actually agree that they come to the table without all that? So many other Christian religions welcome persons of all levels of belief to the table; but – oh no – not the Catholics. That is, truly, because they believe their Christianity is the only one that truly exists.
Any cultural change potentially involving hundreds of thousands of people affects everyone on a shrinking planet. The pope may have inadvertently struck a blow in favor of cultural tolerance and inclusiveness.
This Catholic welcomes all Anglican priests and bishops into the Catholic faith. God Bless them and their families. Amen.
It is a good thing for the Church to do. Since it is "Family" that is the foundation for a strong country and a spiritual thirst for community than it stands to reason, that a priest should be allowed to marry.
John, I heard it reported on CNN this moring that we are short about 10 to 12 million swine flu shots. Isn" t that about how many illegal immigrants that it"s been reported on that are here in our country? Yesterday on CNN , it was reported on CNN that we are short on masks, because we sent alot to Mexico at the end of 2008. Are we going to have about 10to12 million americans that will not be able to get the swine flu shot because 10to12 million illegal immigrants will gWet theirs first????
John, I heard it reported on CNN this moring that we are short about 10 to 12 million swine flu shots. Isn" t that about how many illegal immigrants that it"s been reported on that are here in our country? Yesterday on CNN , it was reported on CNN that we are short on masks, because we sent alot to Mexico at the end of 2008. Are we going to have about 10to12 million americans that will not be able to get the swine flu shot because 10to12 million illegal immigrants will get theirs first????
The Catholic Church already accepts married priests! In Poland Catholic Priests can get married.