By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America (ACA) has formally requested permission to implement the newly created process known as Anglicanorum Cœtibus which will enable all 99 parishes and Cathedrals in the U.S. to enter the Catholic Church.
In a statement released yesterday by the Bishops, they announced:
“We, the House of Bishops of the Anglican Church in America of the Traditional Anglican Communion have met in Orlando, Florida, together with our Primate and the Reverend Christopher Phillips of the “Anglican Use” Parish of Our Lady of the Atonement (San Antonio, Texas) and others.
”At this meeting, the decision was made formally to request the implementation of the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Cœtibus in the United States of America by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.”
The Anglicanorum Coertibus was established by the Holy See last year to facilitate the corporate reception of Anglican parishes into the Catholic Church while preserving some elements of their spiritual and liturgical patrimony. The move was made due to the large numbers of traditional Anglicans who have become disaffected in recent years because of decisions by their hierarchy to permit women priests and to ordain the first openly homosexual bishop.
According to the American Catholic website, Father Mark, Dean of the Anglican Cathedral of the Incarnation in Orlando, Florida, expressed his excitement about this historic move by a large Anglican body.
“I can’t say anything more than what the ACA announcement says, but we are all excited with this first step.”
The Cathedral’s website, which describes itself as a “Catholic Church in the Anglican Tradition,” announced that the meetings were taking place and would last several days.
“This House of Bishops meeting is an important step toward the implementation of Anglicanorum Coetibus in the USA,” the site says. “Please pray that the Holy Spirit will guide the bishops in everything they do!”
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