Anglicanorum coetibus

Anglicanorum coetibus ("Groups of Anglicans") is an apostolic constitution written by Pope Benedict XVI on 4 November 2009 and promulgated the same day by the Holy See in Latin, English, and Italian, which regulates the establishment of personal ordinariates for former Anglicans converting to the Roman Catholic Church. At the same time, 14 articles that contain supplementary norms for the constitution were issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The document replaced the Pastoral Provision in effect in the United States since 1980. The constitution is divided into 13 points that contains the justification for its enactment and a part that contains the norms that are to apply to the personal ordinariates.

The basis for admission is the profession of faith as described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Chapter I contains provisions for the establishment of personal ordinariates for former Anglicans who wish to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. The Anglican personal ordinariates under the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith will be established alongside the existing, but territorially defined Roman Catholic dioceses. So they are not part of a diocese, but rather legally independent subchurches. In every area of a bishops' conference, one or more ordinariates can be established. The ordinariates possess legal personality and are comparable in their constitution to a regular diocese.

Each ordinariate consists of the laity, clergy, and members of religious orders and societies of apostolic life who have previously belonged to the Church of England and the broader Anglican Communion, and now wish to be in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, as well as those who have received the sacraments of initiation (i.e., baptism, confirmation, and communion) within these ordinariates.

The personal ordinariates are self-governing in accordance with the provisions of the Roman Catholic canon law and the apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, and are subject to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the other congregations of the Roman Curia according to their respective areas of competence (Section II). The ordinariates may use their own liturgical books from the Anglican tradition that have been approved by the Holy See (such as the Book of Common Prayer), and celebrate the Eucharist, the other sacraments, and the Liturgy of the Hours according to them. The celebration of the Roman Rite (Rituale Romanum) is not excluded (Section III AC).

Each ordinariate is headed by an Ordinary, a pastor responsible for the ordinariate, appointed by the Pope. He must be a bishop or priest and has ordinary jurisdiction, which he exercises on behalf of the Pope (vicariously) and which is limited to the respective members of the ordinariate. If necessary, he exercises his authority jointly with the diocesan bishop, whose territory his ordinariate extends over. He is a member of the respective episcopal conference and subject to its directives (Article 2 of the Supplementary Norms).

The Ordinary is assisted in the leadership role by a Governing Council, whose statutes are put into effect by the Ordinary with the consent of the Vatican. The Governing Council meets under the chairmanship of the Ordinary and consists of at least six priests. It exercises the competences of the priestly council and the diocesan consultors' college provided for in the canon law. This means that in the event of a sede vacante, the Governing Council will either lead the ordinariate or elect an administrator to lead the ordinariate during the period of vacancy. It also participates in the appointment of a new Ordinary in that it sends the Apostolic See a list of three candidates (Article 4 § 1 of the Supplementary Norms).

All former Anglican deacons, priests, and bishops who are not subject to any canonical irregularity or other impediment may be admitted by the Ordinary as candidates for ordination in the Roman Catholic Church. Former Roman Catholic clerics who have converted to the Anglican Church are not allowed to perform clerical services in the ordinariates (Article 6 § 2 of the Supplementary Norms). Unmarried candidates must take a vow of celibacy (Section VI § 1 AC); hence, the ordination of married men to the episcopacy is excluded.

In the case of the ordination of former Anglican clergymen who are already married, the norms established in the encyclical Sacerdotalis caelibatus, written by Pope Paul VI and issued on June 24, 1967, and the declaration of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of April 1, 1981 apply. If other married men are to receive ordination as Roman Catholic priests, the ordinary must submit a corresponding request to the Apostolic See (Article 6 § 1 of the Supplementary Norms).