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About the Pastoral Provision for Anglicans going to Rome

About the Pastoral Provision

In 1980 the Holy See, in response to requests from priests and laity of the Episcopal Church who were seeking full communion with the Catholic Church, created a Pastoral Provision to provide them with special pastoral attention. The Pastoral Provision is under the jurisdiction of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith whose Delegate directs the working of the Provision.

Under the Provision the ordination of married Episcopal priests was made possible1. It also authorized the establishment of personal parishes in dioceses of the United States in response to the request of former faithful of the Episcopal Church in which they may retain certain liturgical elements proper to the Anglican tradition. The special liturgy was subsequently approved by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Committee for the Liturgy of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

The Pastoral Provision is a service rendered to the bishops of the United States by which former Episcopal ministers who have been accepted as candidates for priestly ordination receive theological, spiritual, and pastoral preparation for ministry in the Catholic Church.

Since 1983 over seventy men have been ordained for priestly ministry in Catholic dioceses of the United States; seven personal parishes have been established and the Book of Divine Worship has been authorized.

Correspondence should be addressed to:

Office of the Ecclesiastical Delegate
Rev. William H. Stetson
1501 K Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005 (202) 783-2062

1 Cf. PAUL VI, Sacerdotalis coelibatus, no. 42.

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