Apostolic Constitution on Anglicans Returning to the Church Published Today

Folks, the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum cœtibus, regulating entry into the Catholic Church by communities coming from the Anglican Communion, was published today. You may access it here. Highlights:

• In recent times the Holy Spirit has moved groups of Anglicans to petition repeatedly and insistently to be received into full Catholic communion individually as well as corporately. The Apostolic See has responded favorably to such petitions. Indeed, the successor of Peter, mandated by the Lord Jesus to guarantee the unity of the episcopate and to preside over and safeguard the universal communion of all the Churches, (1) could not fail to make available the means necessary to bring this holy desire to realization.


• Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans entering into full communion with the Catholic Church are erected by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith within the confines of the territorial boundaries of a particular Conference of Bishops in consultation with that same Conference.


• Within the territory of a particular Conference of Bishops, one or more Ordinariates may be erected as needed.


• Each Ordinariate possesses public juridic personality by the law itself (ipso iure); it is juridically comparable to a diocese.


• The Ordinariate is composed of lay faithful, clerics and members of Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, originally belonging to the Anglican Communion and now in full communion with the Catholic Church, or those who receive the Sacraments of Initiation within the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate.


• The Catechism of the Catholic Church is the authoritative expression of the Catholic faith professed by members of the Ordinariate.


• Without excluding liturgical celebrations according to the Roman Rite, the Ordinariate has the faculty to celebrate the Holy Eucharist and the other Sacraments, the Liturgy of the Hours and other liturgical celebrations according to the liturgical books proper to the Anglican tradition, which have been approved by the Holy See, so as to maintain the liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions of the Anglican Communion within the Catholic Church, as a precious gift nourishing the faith of the members of the Ordinariate and as a treasure to be shared.

A most excellent document. Read it all here.