Three Former Anglican Bishops, In The UK, Ordained, Today, To The First Personal Ordinariate

by Anura Guruge

This was the Personal Ordinariate, within the confines of England and Wales, that was set up in Nov. 4, 2009, via Pope Benedict XVI’s (#266) Anglicanorum coetibus, Apostolic Constitution, to enable Anglicans, both clergy and laity, to easily transfer across to the Catholic Church — while retaining a degree of autonomy as to their prior practices. Check this article.

Today, in Westminster Cathedral, London, three former Anglican bishops were ordained to this new Personal Ordinariate, which, by papal decree, will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham [a UK name for the Virgin Mary]. As one of the contributors to this blog pointed out earlier today, the three former bishops being ordained today were accompanied to the Cathedral by their wives. Given that they are married, per ancient customs (which also apply in the case of the Oriental Rites Church), married priests, in this Ordinariate, cannot become bishops (though, I am not sure what the status would be if they became widowed).

Since there didn’t seem to be much coverage of this landmark event in the US media, I decided that I should do something to rectify that.

Here are some articles that you should read:

1/ Catholic Herald UK — main story

2/ Catholic Herald UK — Holy See press statement

3/ Catholic Herald UK — Cardinal Levad’s message

4/ Catholic online

5/The BBC

6/ RTE News from Italy

Let me know what YOU think. Thanks. All the best.