Ordinariate for former Anglicans by October 9th?

The Catholic Herald carries two reports concerning developments on the Anglican Ordinariate question. Things would appear to be more advanced than is commonly known.

In his address to the Bishops of England, Wales and Scotland on the final day of his visit to the UK, Pope Benedict told them that the Ordinariates allowed for under his Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus

should be seen as a prophetic gesture that can contribute postitively to the developing relations between Anglicans and Catholics. It helps us to set our sights on the ultimate goal of all ecumenical activity: the restoration of full ecclesial communion in the context of which the mutual exchange of gifts from our respective spiritual patrimonies serves as an enrichment to us all.

According to one of the Catholic Herald reports, the anglo-catholic Bishop Burnham has written a series of pastoral letters on the subject, preparing the people under his pastoral care for the eventuality of anglican clergy and laity 'coming over' to Rome by means of the Ordinariate.

October 9th, being the feast of the Blessed John Henry Newman, is hinted as a possible date for the erection of the first Ordinariate. Things would already need to be at an advanced stage of development for this to happen so soon.

But let's pray that one of the fruits of Pope Benedict's visit will be some movement on this important step to unity in the Church.

In the United States of American, according to another report in the same Catholic Herald, Archbishop Donald Wuerl of Washington DC is the delegate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith who will oversee the establishment of an ordinariate in the US and to guide the incorporation of anglicans groups into the Catholic Church.

The United States Catholic Conference of Bishops website carries an official statement.

Things are moving!

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