Free «What the Catholic Church is Doing with Anglican Catholics» Essay Sample

Many Anglican Catholics were not happy with the state of their religion and expressed willingness to come back to the Catholic Church. The official Vatican has found a method to give this faithful group a possibility of reunification with the Catholics: “The Apostolic See has responded favourably to such petitions”. However, one of the major conditions for Anglican Catholics was to formally accept the pope as the main leader of the faithful Catholics. Some of the customs of the Anglicans were agreed to be kept as before. Almost five hundred years the traditions of the Anglican Catholics were being preserved and now it would be difficult to cut off all the rights of this group of Anglicans.

Furthermore, according to the Vatican, the parishes have all the rights to be led by the previous priests of the Anglican Church. This right also concerns the clergy who were previously married. Thus, this religious group of the Catholics has received the right of coming back to their religious roots which is Catholic Church.

The believers the same as the clergy are given a chance to come back to the Catholic Church without the necessity to radically alter their methods of worshiping as well as the most of their rites. The Anglican Catholics who wish to join traditional Catholics are increasing in their number. The Anglican clergy has become too progressive in the way they openly welcome homosexual priests as well as the consecration of females. Besides, homosexual marriages have become almost a norm among the Anglicans.

The Catholic Church is tolerant and open to many changes of the social movement to incorporate as many faithful as possible. The return of the Anglican Catholics to their religious roots is seen as a good sign by the clergy of the Catholic Church. The Vatican has decided to satisfy many requests of the Anglican faithful. Both parties are happy about the possibility of the reunion, because this event was one of the major concerns of the Catholics around the world for many years since their first detachment.

It should be noted, however, that the Anglicans who got the right for a come-back also have a duty to reconcile to the Complementary Norms of the Apostolic Constitution of the Catholic Church. These norms are based on the religious customs and rules of the Catholics in general. Moreover, according to the Apostolic Constitution, the members of the Ordinate have to adhere to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, which is regarded to have great authoritative power among the faithful.

Also, the most Roman Rites have to be acknowledge by the Catholics who left their Anglican religious customs. The Roman Pontiff is in charge of appointing the Personal Ordinate through the way of assigning by the pastoral care. The power of the Ordinary is represented through three major branches that work jointly: ordinary, vicarious, and personal (Benedict XVI, 2009).

Anglicanorum Coetibus or the Apostolic Constitution is a way the other believer can choose to become a part of the Catholic Church. The other people can go back to the Catholic Church only based on their free will. No one is forcing nobody to change religious beliefs nowadays. This ordinance can also apply to the worshipers of other Christian denominations who choose to become a part of the Catholic Church laity.