March 13, 2013. (Romereports.com) In November 2009, Benedict XVI
established the Personal Ordinariate for Anglicans who wanted to join the Catholic Church, without losing their traditions. The first one,
Our Lady of Walsingham, was founded in the
United Kingdom. Others soon followed in
Australia and the
United States. They could easily be considered the younger children of the Church.
F. JAMES BRADLEY Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
“Well, in this Year of Faith, to meet with this extraordinary event of the resignation or the Pope is a test of our faith. And specially for us, the nature of the Catholic Church. In that sense, it's testing our faith in the Church because we have no experience of what we are expecting and it is drawing us closer to the figure of Christ, because we are relying more on him in this period of transition.”
The Ordinariate is composed of about 1500 people, 81 priests and some seminarians who look to Benedict XVI with grateful hearts after attaining full communion with Rome. Their fidelity is unwavering even after the Pope’s resignation.
F. JAMES BRADLEY
Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham
“I think you are right, Pope Benedict XVI has been in a certain way, the architect of the Ordinariate, the father of the Ordinariate. But I would like to say quite clearly that we feel a strong connection with the successor of Saint Peter. It was the person of Joseph Ratzinger who was the successor of Saint Peter, with whom we have a particular bond, but it is that sense in which coming into communion with the Church.”
Ecumenical Dialogue was a characteristic of the Pontificate of Benedict XVI; this task will also be of special importance for his successor.
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