More Anglicans to convert

 January 25, 2011

MORE priests and laity from the Church of England's Anglo-Catholic wing have pledged to join the Catholic Church.

Seven more clergy and about 300 members of six congregations are committed to joining the new Anglican Ordinariate, the extra-geographical organisation similar to a diocese set up by decree this month by the Vatican as a home for members of the Church of England who are unhappy with moves to ordain women bishops.

Three former Anglican bishops have already been ordained priests, two of their wives have been received and three former Anglican nuns have also been received as the first members of the Ordinariate.

The Catholic diocese of Brentwood, in southern England, said three parishes in Essex and three in east London were preparing to convert en masse into the Ordinariate, where they would be allowed to maintain elements of their Anglican patrimony but will be members of the Catholic Church. the rest