This morning, when three former Anglican bishops are ordained to the Catholic priesthood in Westminster Cathedral, the Vatican announced the establishment of the first personal ordinariate, Our Lady of Walsingham. The new ordinariate, within the territory of England and Wales, has been established to help Anglicans swim the Tiber and come home to the Catholic Church. Rev. Keith Newton has been named the first Ordinary of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, which has been placed under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Cardinal Newman.

Here is the full announcement from the Vatican:

Our Lady of Walsingham

In accordance with the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus of Pope Benedict XVI (November 4, 2009) and after careful consultation with the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has today erected a Personal Ordinariate within the territory of England and Wales for those groups of Anglican clergy and faithful who have expressed their desire to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church. The Decree of Erection specifies that the Ordinariate will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and will be placed under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman.

A Personal Ordinariate is a canonical structure that provides for corporate reunion in such a way that allows former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of their distinctive Anglican patrimony. With this structure, the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus seeks to balance on the one hand the concern to preserve the worthy Anglican liturgical, spiritual and pastoral traditions and, on the other hand, the concern that these groups and their clergy will be fully integrated into the Catholic Church.

For doctrinal reasons the Church does not, in any circumstances, allow the ordination of married men as Bishops. However, the Apostolic Constitution does provide, under certain conditions, for the ordination as Catholic priests of former Anglican married clergy. Today at Westminster Cathedral in London, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster, ordained to the Catholic priesthood three former Anglican Bishops: Reverend Andrew Burnham, Reverend Keith Newton, and Reverend John Broadhurst.

Credit: AP

It has been quite the year for Pope Benedict. With four pastoral visits to cities in Italy and five trips off the Italian Peninsula, the Holy Father showed the world his love and care for the universal Church. Included in this year’s Papal Trips were travels to Malta, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Spain, Cyprus, Palermo, Carpineto Romano, Sulmona, and Turin.

Trips within Italy: Turin

The Pope visited the Italian city of Turin in April of 2010, marking his pilgrimage to the Holy Shroud. During the visit, the Holy Father celebrated Mass in St. Charles Square. In the homily, Benedict encouraged the priests, deacons, and religious of the Church in Turin to remain focused on performing the work of Christ:

Being a labourer in the Lord’s vineyard can sometimes be tiring, duties increase, there are so many demands and problems are not lacking: may you be able to draw daily from this relationship of love with God in prayer the strength to transmit the prophetic announcement of salvation; refocus your existence on what is essential in the Gospel; cultivate a real dimension of communion and brotherhood in the presbyterate, in your communities, in your relations with the People of God; bear witness in your ministry to the power of love that comes from on high, that comes from the Lord present in our midst.

The Holy Father also challenged families to “live the Christian dimension of love in simple everyday actions in family relationships, overcoming divisions and misunderstandings; in cultivating the faith, which makes communion even stronger.”

Even though our German Shepherd’s trip to the United Kingdom ended some two weeks ago, the impact of a such a trip is already making waves. Let’s reminisce a bit.

A special thanks to Marcello Marinoni for these pictures. You can follow Marcello on Twitter: @Bastapastamama.

FAREWELL CEREMONY

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

International Airport of Birmingham

Sunday, 19 September 2010

Credit: Stefan Wermuth | PA

Prime Minister,

Thank you for your kind words of farewell on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government and the people of the United Kingdom. I am very grateful for all the hard work of preparation, on the part of both the present and the previous Government, the civil service, local authorities and police, and the many volunteers who patiently helped to prepare for the events of these four days. Thank you for the warmth of your welcome and for the hospitality that I have enjoyed.

During my time with you, I have been able to meet representatives of the many communities, cultures, languages and religions that make up British society. The very diversity of modern Britain is a challenge to its Government and people, but it also represents a great opportunity to further intercultural and interreligious dialogue for the enrichment of the entire community.

MEETING WITH THE BISHOPS OF ENGLAND, SCOTLAND AND WALES

ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI

Chapel of the Francis Martin House, Oscott College – Birmingham

Sunday, 19 September 2010

My dear Brother Bishops,

This has been a day of great joy for the Catholic community in these islands. Blessed John Henry Newman, as we may now call him, has been raised to the altars as an example of heroic faithfulness to the Gospel and an intercessor for the Church in this land that he loved and served so well. Here in this very chapel in 1852, he gave voice to the new confidence and vitality of the Catholic community in England and Wales after the restoration of the hierarchy, and his words could be applied equally to Scotland a quarter of a century later. His beatification today is a reminder of the Holy Spirit’s continuing action in calling forth gifts of holiness from among the people of Great Britain, so that from east to west and from north to south, a perfect offering of praise and thanksgiving may be made to the glory of God’s name.