Vatican holds line on celibacy for Anglican rebels

From The Times
November 10, 2009
Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

The Pope has made it as easy as possible for traditional and “continuing” Anglicans to convert to Roman Catholicism while retaining key elements of their ecclesiastical heritage.

The eagerly awaited Apostolic Constitution, published by the Vatican yesterday, will enable hundreds of thousands of disaffected Anglicans to become Catholics.

Married Anglican clergy will be allowed to train for the priesthood in seminaries set up within the new Anglican Ordinariates — as long as their marital state is not “irregular”. The constitution states that the admission of married men will be considered “on a case-by-case basis”.

It even allows for married Anglican bishops to be granted the status of retired Catholic bishops, to become members of the local Catholic bishops’ conference and to be granted permission to use the “insignia” of episcopal office, such as the mitre, pectoral cross and staff, by the Holy See in Rome. the rest