An Anglican Rite in the Roman Church?

Something like. Almost.

It's too new to fully understand but it seems like wonderfully good news. The principal hitch in the gitalong that strikes me is the dependence upon the local bishop's conference. Leaving things up to the hapless bench is what almost killed Ecclesia Dei. But God is merciful. Other than that, I have no comment except what the Te Deum expresses.

From the Vatican website:

With the preparation of an Apostolic Constitution, the Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion.

In this Apostolic Constitution the Holy Father has introduced a canonical structure that provides for such corporate reunion by establishing Personal Ordinariates, which will allow former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of the distinctive Anglican spiritual and liturgical patrimony. Under the terms of the Apostolic Constitution, pastoral oversight and guidance will be provided for groups of former Anglicans through a Personal Ordinariate, whose Ordinary will usually be appointed from among former Anglican clergy.

So begins the preliminary document released this morning. There's much discussion on the web, though. Some early commentary:

From Dr Moynihan's irregular letters. He reports from the press conference.

Damian Thompson's blog at the Daily Telegraph in London: here, here, here, and here. It's early days yet; no doubt there will be many more. Here's the main link to his blog.

The text of the Westminster/Canterbury letter.

The response of Archbishop Hepworth, the primate of the Traditional Anglican Communion. (It ought to be pointed out that by no means all of the TAC are looking forward to union with Rome. There is a strong Evangelical base to the TAC.)

Well, I do have one comment after all. This move of the Holy Father's will provide the main thing that has been lacking so far in the Pastoral Provision or Anglican Use communities: a structure. Up to now there has been no bishop, no seminary, no house of formation, no religious order, nothing that could provide a continuity. (As of last month, there is now one religious order, the All Saints Sisters of the Poor in Catonsville, Maryland.) As of this morning, that is changed. A structure for preservation and continuity is being prepared. A great gift of God.