Pope Francis vs Pope Benedict XVI on the “Anglican Ordinariate”

Continuing Anglican Father Robert Hart

One item that’s been in the news off-and-on recently is the papal “Apostolic Constitution” called “Anglicanorum Coetibus”, “Providing For Personal Ordinariates For Anglicans Entering Into Full Communion With The Catholic Church”. What this means is that Rome is willing to allow Anglican Bishops have the ability to become Roman Catholic, kind of along the lines of the “Eastern Rite Catholic Churches” – those Eastern churches who independently have aligned themselves with Rome.

Father Robert Hart, an Anglican, has argued strenuously against this (most notably that the Anglicans would lose their particular identities and morph into Roman Catholics). I’ve cited his articles here once or twice. (Click on the “Anglicanorum Coetibus” link at the bottom of this article for more on this).

This week, Father Hart published a first-hand account of what “Pope Francis” has said about this “Ordinariate”. As it turns out, before he was Pope Francis, the Anglican Archbishop Gregory Venables, from Buenos Aires, relates what Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio said this about the Ordinariate:

“Many are asking me what Jorge Bergoglio (now Pope Francis) is really like. He is much more of a Christian, Christ centered and Spirit filled, than a mere churchman. He believes the Bible as it is written. I have been with him on many occasions and he always makes me sit next to him and invariably makes me take part and often do what he as Cardinal should have done. He is consistently humble and wise, outstandingly gifted yet a common man. He is no fool and speaks out very quietly yet clearly when necessary. He called me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that the Ordinariate was quite unnecessary and that the Church needs us as Anglicans [emphasis in original]. I consider this to be an inspired appointment not because he is a close and personal friend but because of who he is In Christ. Pray for him.”

Maybe he should call a council.

HT: Embryo Parson