Traditional Anglicans ask for full communion with Catholics

Published: 2007-10-25

DUBLIN, Ireland (CNS) -- Parishioners from three Church of Ireland parishes have joined traditional Anglicans from 12 other countries in requesting that the Catholic Church receive them into full communion. If approved by the Vatican, the move would allow 400,000 traditional Anglicans worldwide to be admitted into the Catholic Church. The decision to petition for the move "seeking full, corporate, sacramental union" was made during an early October plenary meeting of the Traditional Anglican Communion, the umbrella organization for traditional Anglicans, in Portsmouth, England. The move, requested in a letter to the Vatican, would see the entire parish communities received into the Catholic Church. It is extremely rare for entire Anglican communities to seek corporate communion with the Catholic Church whereby every member of the parish becomes Catholic and the parish effectively becomes part of the Catholic Church. At the Vatican, officials would not comment on the letter, although they confirmed the doctrinal congregation had received it.

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