Pope Benedict XVI has singed a new Apostolic Constitution creating a church structure to help Anglicans join the Catholic Church, the Vatican announced.

It will allow Anglicans to join the Catholics while maintaining their Anglican identity and many of their liturgical traditions, Cardinal Joseph Levada, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official, said on Oct. 20, Associated Press reported.

The new system will help about half a million Anglicans, who are set to join Catholics, and such a move is first after Reformation in the 16th century, reported British news website Guardian.

The first group to take advantage of the new structure is expected to be the Traditional Anglican Community (TAC), which separated from the rest of the Anglican community in 1991 and has more than 500,000 members worldwide, the Guardian said.

Cardinal Levada said the new structure is a response to the many requests that have come to the Vatican over the years from Anglicans who want to join.

Reports said many Anglicans have become disillusioned by the ordination of women, the election of openly gay bishops and the blessing of same-sex unions in the 77-million strong Anglican Communion.

The Vatican said the “apostolic constitution” would provide a structure for Anglicans who want to join Catholicism, either individually or in groups, while maintaining some of their own traditions.

The pastoral care of the new comers would be entrusted to their own senior prelates, who would not necessarily become Catholic bishops as in the Catholic Church married men are not allowed to become bishops.

The move was announced at simultaneous news conferences in Rome and London.

Source:  Pope creates system to receive Anglicans (Cathnews India)

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