One Step Forward...

I would be remiss if I failed to post something regarding this tremendous eccumenical news:

The Roman Catholic Church has opened the door (via an Apostolic Constitution) for dissatisfied Anglicans to join together with the RCC.

From CNN:

The process will enable groups of Anglicans to become Catholic and recognize the pope as their leader, yet have parishes that retain Anglican rites, Vatican officials said... The parishes would be led by former Anglican clergy -- including those who are married -- who would be ordained as Catholic priests, said the Rev. James Massa, ecumenical director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops... "This sets up a process for whole groups of Anglicans -- clergy and laity -- to enter in to the [Roman] Catholic Church while retaining their forms of worship and other Anglican traditions."...We've been praying for this unity for 40 years and we've not anticipated it happening now," ... "The Holy Spirit is at work here."

The Archbishop of Canturbury responded:

The announcement of this Apostolic Constitution brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity with the Catholic Church. It will now be up to those who have made requests to the Holy See to respond to the Apostolic Constitution.

The Apostolic Constitution is further recognition of the substantial overlap in faith, doctrine and spirituality between the Catholic Church and the Anglican tradition. Without the dialogues of the past forty years, this recognition would not have been possible, nor would hopes for full visible unity have been nurtured. In this sense, this Apostolic Constitution is one consequence of ecumenical dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.