…I’d ask Bishop Alan Hopes, a former Anglo Catholic priest who is now auxiliary of Westminster to head up a personal prelature to help integrate Anglicans worldwide into the Catholic Church.
He (along with a team he’d choose) could organize their instruction, the re-training of their clergy, regularize marriages, grant dispensations from the vow of celibacy. He could also organize a clearing house of available former Anglican married priests so they could serve the English speaking Catholic Church worldwide.
If you would like to donate a white soutane email me for my measurements…
UPDATE: Damian Thompson writes here in the Catholic Herald feeding the rumor mill that Rome has already agreed an outline plan for there to be special accommodation for Anglo Catholics in England. His suggestions are similar to my ideas in this post. I would just add the possibility that since the Vatican is already in conversation with the Traditional Anglican Communion, that if any arrangements are being made, they would very likely be international in scope rather than a plan just for England.
If only!
While you’re arm chair poping, you should also appeal to the European unions human rights court to demand back church property in the UK! That’ll soften ’em up a bit when the occasional parish votes to convert en masse. The C o E, after all, does purport to respect voting.
Disliking what’s going on currently with the C of E cf. GAFCON etc. is not enough reason for an Anglican to become a Catholic. They may threaten but they have deeply ingrained irrational prejudices and very few will actually follow through. The primacy of English identity and Anglophilia will win in the end.Why would they bother trading openly gay priests and bishops for glass-closeted gay priests and bishops? Big whoop.
Do you think a personal prelature would be enough? I have read some who think it would be too little and are hoping for an apostolic administration if not a separate ‘uniate’ church.
Yes and no Kentucky Liz. The situation for many is not as superficial as you make out. i will soon be posting excerpts from an email from a very devoted young Anglo Catholic priest to help Catholics understand their point of view.
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you say.Catholics need to be reminded that our ‘separated brethren’ are not all in a state of conscious heresy, schism and rebellion against Rome.. now THATS the FIRST intelligent statement i have heard in a LONG time, concerning its a statement about people of “faith”.