Anglicanorum coetibus

In November 2009, Pope Benedict XVI extended an invitation to members of the Anglican Church who want to be in full communion with Rome. Many Anglican's in the last two-decades are leaving their once traditional church for the Roman Church because of things they see as against original teaching, such as ordination of women and the progressiveness of many liberals calling for same-sex marriage rights.

January 2011 saw three former Anglican Bishops leave the Anglican Communion in favor of the Catholic Church, being ordained as Priests, not able to hold office as Catholic Bishops because they are married. There are not many big differences between Anglicans and Catholics, but one of these is the ability for Anglican clergy to marry. They will still be able to remain married, but not hold high-office as Bishops.

Furthur to the events of January 2011, the first Personal Ordinariate for former Anglican's was launched in England and Wales, called the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham under the patronage of another former Anglican turned Roman Catholic, Blessed John Henry Newman.

These Personal Ordinariates apparently work much like many others that are in existence, such as Opus Dei, a Roman Catholic Personal Prelature. They have a prefect which they are subject to, in this case, the former Anglican Bishops now turned Catholic Priests, with the ability to keep parts of their Anglican Liturgy and History, but are still ultimatelly subject to the Holy See.

It is an exciting time in Catholic and Anglican circles alike as we in Australia prepare for our own Personal Ordinariate. It won't involve me as I am already a Catholic, not an Anglican, but it does make me wonder how things will end up. Will there be former Anglican Churches given to the newly formed Anglican-Catholics, or will they need to build their own?

In some parts of the world, whole parishes are converting en-masse to Catholicism - clergy, parishioners - the lot. What happens then to their once Anglican Church? Does it then get reassigned a new Anglican Minister, or in the light of a whole parish going extinct, does the Anglican Church simply cut their losses and let them keep it?

There will be many of the above questions and many more to explore when the time comes! The Anglican Church has full support for this iniatiative of the Pope. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, "regretfully" accepted the resignation of his, now former, Bishops whom wished to be in full communion with Rome.

So what does the future hold? With so many Christians wanting unity instead of so many denominations dotted around the world, and now perhaps the second or third largest denomination in Christendom cracking at its foundations, could we see a Catholic Monarchy in Britain one day? Could be eventually see the merge of all Traditional Anglican Churches with the Roman Church, leaving just a small fragmented group of liberal Anglican's doing it on their own?