the anglicans are coming...........

Once again, I am struck by how truly courageous and yes, awesome, Pope Benedict is. For a shy, quiet professor he really gets things done. Fr. Z, the American Papist and the Anchoress have the details of the Anglican arrangement and they discuss it better than I could.

Now, as to practical matters. How many Anglicans will really convert? If you're genuinely serious about becoming Catholic you do it. You do it even though your father is opposed, you do it even though the people at work will laugh, you do it even though your Aunt Mary will cut you out of her will. Converting is not always easy. My in-laws weren't happy when Rocky converted and occasionally my F-I-L, Big Daddy cracks a nasty joke.

I get the impression that the Anglo Catholics/Anglicans are very much attached to their beautiful old buildings--- this is not a criticism, Catholics have had sit ins to try to stall closing their parishes---and I don't see the Anglicans who are left behind willingly giving up their property. As for the married priests, they could be a problem. If a man can have one woman, he can have another. Preachers messing up sexually is common in Protestant denominations. And I'm concerned about the financial burden that will be placed on parishes in the event of priestly divorces. I don't want my weekly donations going to pay for the priest's child support. Sorry, I just don't.

All in all, an amazing thing has happened. The door is opened for Anglicans to come back to the Church. All they have to do is walk in.