Anglicans thinking of Rome 'must not become a sect'

Friday, 11 December 2009
By Trevor Timpson
BBC News

Discontented Anglicans who convert must not become a "sect" within the Roman Catholic Church, a senior Catholic clergyman dealing with church unity has warned.

Anglicans who object to plans for women bishops are considering the Vatican's invitation to become part of a special section - an "ordinariate" - within the church in England and Wales.

Monsignor Andrew Faley, Assistant General Secretary of the English and Welsh Catholic bishops' conference, told the BBC News website that ordinariate members would be expected to co-operate with their local bishop and the life of their local Catholic parish.

"They can't live separate from it... that would be a "sect" approach and that would not be tolerated within the Catholic understanding of the church," he said. the rest