Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Benedict XVI established the world’s first personal ordinariate for groups of Anglicans joining the Catholic Church on Saturday.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has officillay announced the issuing of a Decree of Erection, which officially founds an ordinariate in England and Wales.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, ordained three former Anglican Bishops as Catholic priests at a Mass at Westminster Cathedral on Saturday.

The archbishop welcomed the three priests into the Catholic Church saying it was a ‘unique occasion marking a new step in the life and history of the Catholic Church.’

Pope Benedict gave his blessing to the three new priests and also appointed Fr Keith Newton, former Anglican Bishop of Richborough, as the first ordinary (leader) of the personal ordinariate.

The newly appointed Fr Newton said he was ‘humbled’ to have been chosen by the Holy Father as the first ordinary of the personal ordinariate.

“The Catholic Church, both here and in Rome, have given me warm encouragement in making this step and I am grateful for the countless words and signs of welcome I have received from many members of the Catholic Church over recent days,” he said.