Rome Recruits Conservative Anglicans & Makes Them A Deal

The Vatican is seeking to recruit disaffected Anglicans, to the point of allowing their priests to stay married if they come over to Rome:

The Vatican announced a stunning decision Tuesday to make it easier for Anglicans to convert, reaching out to those who are disaffected by the election of women and gay bishops to join the Catholic Church’s conservative ranks.

Pope Benedict XVI approved a new church provision that will allow Anglicans to join the Catholic Church while maintaining many of their distinctive spiritual and liturgical traditions, including having married priests.

Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican’s chief doctrinal official, announced the new provision at a new conference.

In the past, such exemptions had only been granted in a few cases in certain countries. The new church provision is designed to allow Anglicans around the world to access a new church entity if they want to convert.

For more details, see Cyberbrethren.

So is this a sheep-stealing scheme on a massive scale or an ecumenical breakthrough? Will Rome present itself as a haven for conservatives in hopelessly liberal mainline denominations (including, perhaps, the ELCA)? But what about the liberal theology in Catholic circles (feminist spirituality, liberation theology, Biblical criticism, etc.), especially in the USA and Europe?

My worry is that this could squelch the revival of conservative Anglicanism at the very moment that the movement now has its own recognized church body with the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). This could emerge as a viable alternative to lots of Christians, including those of Rome. (That group, oddly in my opinion, has just issued a statement welcoming the Vatican action.)

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The American Pope

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Rome recruits conservative Anglicans & makes them a deal