The Pastoral Provision of Pope John Paul II established in
the United States the beginnings of a specifically Anglican
liturgy and culture within the Roman Catholic Church. For
more than twenty-five years, "Anglican Use" parishes have
been worshiping in a distinctively Anglican style within
several American dioceses. These communities have served
as a blueprint and road map for the personal ordinariates to
be established under the Apostolic Constitution promulgated
by Pope Benedict XVI.
The twelve essays in this book discuss the reasons
Anglicans have recently sought reconciliation with the Holy
See. They explore the history of the Pastoral Provision and
the Apostolic Constitution, as well as the needs of the new
ordinariates if they are to flourish. Also considered are
the changes to the Roman liturgy since the Second Vatican
Council and the specific patrimony that Anglicans bring to
Catholic worship.
Many of these essays have been written by erstwhile
Anglican clergymen who have been ordained into the
Catholic priesthood (and one into the episcopate). A few are
by Catholic experts on this topic. There is also a contribution
from a woman who had been an ordained Episcopal priest
before becoming a Catholic.
Here is a wealth of information for anyone interested in
the Anglican communities within the Catholic Church, the
"reform of the reform" of the Roman liturgy or the testimonies
of Anglicans who