Pope okays new structures to absorb disgruntled Anglican conservatives

Married priests to be part of the deal in new 'personal ordinariates'

By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.

In a move with potentially sweeping implications for relations between the Catholic church and some 80 million Anglicans worldwide, the Vatican has announced the creation of new ecclesiastical structures to absorb disaffected Anglicans wishing to become Catholics. The structures will allow those Anglicans to hold onto their distinctive spiritual practices, including the ordination of married former Anglican clergy as Catholic priests.

Those structures would be open to members of the Episcopal Church in the United States, the main American branch of the worldwide Anglican Communion. American Episcopalians are said to number some 2.2 million.

Read the full story here: Vatican reveals plan to welcome disaffected Anglicans