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Austen IvereighOctober 26, 2009

Two interesting clarifications on the ordinariates proposal from a functionary in the CDF. In a ZENIT interview, Msgr William Stetson, an Opus Dei canonist who has the snappy title of secretary to the Ecclesiastical Delegate of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the Pastoral Provision for former Episcopal priests (does he introduce himself like that at parties?) points out:

1. Currently, the so-called Anglican Use parishes in the United States are personal parishes of the diocese where they are located, whereas if an ordinariate were established in the United States, the parishes would pass to the jurisdiction of the new ordinariate and come under the jurisdiction of the prelate of the ordinariate.

2. On the question of whether ordinariate "houses of formation" for seminarians would allow for future married priests, Mgr Stetson is sceptical. "The specifics have not yet been made known on this question. At the very least I would assume that the seminarians would have to be both married and studying in an Anglican seminary at the time they sought to enter into full communion, and then continue studying for the priesthood in a Catholic seminary. They would have to be dispensed from the norm of celibacy on a case-by-case basis by the Holy See. Future seminarians would have to be celibate."

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ANTHONY ANDREASSI
14 years 5 months ago
Austen-
"Future seminarians would have to be celibate."
So unlike in the Eastern rites, mandatory celibacy would be imposed on this new Anglican rite?
Austen Ivereigh
14 years 5 months ago
The short answer is, I don't know. I understood, when the announcement of the new Apostolic Constitution was made, that it would make provision for a future married clergy, not just married clergy now - -and a lot of the commentators have been making this assumption too. That's why I wanted to post on this interview - it suggests otherwise. Now I look closely at a recent Reuters report, it says at the end: ''One key point still not clear is if the provisions allowing married former Anglican priests in the new wing of the Catholic Church will extend to male descendants of today's converts.'' So we'll have to wait and see.

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