According to a recent report on Fox News, the Church of England may lose approximately 1,000 of its 13,000 parishes. These congregations, and an estimated 50 priests are planning to enter full communion with the Roman Catholic Church in time for Lent.
Conservative Anglicans are discouraged over the ordination of women and homosexual/ bisexual/ transgendered people; the Vatican has established a special Ordinariate for these congregations who wish to retain aspects of their Anglican heritage without having to be ministered to by individuals who weren't born male and heterosexual.
This new church-within-a-church is called, 'The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham'.
Married priests will learn Roman Catholic rites and undergo ordination, therefore allowing them to continue to function in the priesthood. Married bishops will not be able to retain their episcopacy.
It appears that close association with a pair of ovaries is likely to be a barrier to professional ministry in many Christian circles.
Some of these Anglicans are dismayed that they 'won't be in full communion' with members of their families after they convert. I believe that Christ pulled down barriers of separation and walls of partition between all people, so why do we feel compelled to erect more?
A reflection on these issues, with a hint of sadness (in my opinion), by an Anglican priest can be read here.
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