Archbishop to monitor admission of married Anglicans to priesthood

Published: 2005-10-25

NEWARK, N.J. (CNS) -- Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark has been appointed by the Vatican as ecclesiastical delegate in charge of the process for admitting married former Anglican or Episcopal clergy to the Catholic priesthood in the United States. He succeeds Cardinal Bernard F. Law, former archbishop of Boston, in the post and will report to Archbishop William J. Levada, prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. As delegate, Archbishop Myers will oversee the special U.S. pastoral provision by which married former Anglican or Episcopal clergy who wish to join the Catholic Church can be ordained as Catholic priests. Cardinal Law had overseen the pastoral provision since it was instituted in 1981. "The purpose of the provision is to allow a pastoral way for the church to welcome those men who wish to enter fully into the Catholic faith and continue in ministry, but because of the tradition they had been following, they would not normally have been welcomed," Archbishop Myers said in a statement.

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