History in the making: Benedict XVI welcomes Anglicans!!

I'm no expert on ecumenism and the finer legal points of bringing others faiths into the Roman Catholic Church. But I have met several Anglican Christians who have personally entered the Roman Catholic Church because of their discouragement and disillusionment regarding Anglican leadership in recent years over the ordination of women priests and the ordination of homosexual men.

Today, there is an announcement from Pope Benedict XVI about welcoming Anglicans...with certain provisions in an Apostolic Constitution. In other words, the Holy Father has created a structure that will allow Anglicans to come into full communion.  WOW!!!!

Here's a quote from the Catholic News Agency, (go here for the full article):

In a Vatican press conference today, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that an Apostolic Constitution has been prepared in response to “many requests” from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful wanting to enter into full communion with the Church. 

The Apostolic Constitution, which Cardinal Levada said “provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a world-wide phenomenon”, will be a “single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application.” 

The new canonical structure will allow former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Church while “preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony,” said Cardinal Levada. He added that it will allow married former Anglican clergy to be ordained however, in common with Catholic and Orthodox Churches, married clergy will not be allowed to be ordained bishops.

For comprehensive details go here for a good summary.

For history and to understand the language of this new provision, go this the Vatican's press office's note from the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

Did I already say, "Wow!"?