The Personal Ordinariate for ex-Anglicans in England and Wales is to be established in January, it was announced today.
The bishops' conference of England and Wales said in a statement that the Ordinariate would be set up in January and an Ordinary would be appointed to take charge of the new structure.
In the same month the five Church of England bishops who announced their resignations two weeks ago will be received into the Catholic Church.
Following that, if their petitions are approved by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), they will be ordained first as Catholic deacons and then as priests. This is expected to happen before Lent, and will enable them to prepare clergy and laity to be received into the Catholic Church during Holy Week.
