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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Five Anglican bishops join Catholic Church | Five Anglican bishops join Catholic Church |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| Five bishops are to join the Roman Catholic Church under a Vatican scheme intended to provide a welcome for disaffected Anglicans. | Five bishops are to join the Roman Catholic Church under a Vatican scheme intended to provide a welcome for disaffected Anglicans. |
| The move involves three serving bishops and two retired bishops. | The move involves three serving bishops and two retired bishops. |
| The Vatican has said groups of Anglicans could join Catholicism, but maintain a distinct religious identity. | The Vatican has said groups of Anglicans could join Catholicism, but maintain a distinct religious identity. |
| There have been splits among Anglicans over homosexuality and the ordination of women. The Archbishop of Canterbury said the resignations were a "regret". | There have been splits among Anglicans over homosexuality and the ordination of women. The Archbishop of Canterbury said the resignations were a "regret". |
| The serving bishops are the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough and the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt Rev John Broadhurst. | The serving bishops are the Rt Rev Andrew Burnham, Bishop of Ebbsfleet, the Rt Rev Keith Newton, Bishop of Richborough and the Bishop of Fulham, the Rt Rev John Broadhurst. |
| They will be joined by the Rt Rev Edwin Barnes, former bishop of Richborough, and the Rt Rev David Silk, who is the former Bishop of Ballarat in Australia. | They will be joined by the Rt Rev Edwin Barnes, former bishop of Richborough, and the Rt Rev David Silk, who is the former Bishop of Ballarat in Australia. |
| Bishops Burnham, Newton and Broadhurst were all acting as so-called flying bishops - ministering to Church of England parishes where congregations voted not to allow a woman priest to preside at services. | Bishops Burnham, Newton and Broadhurst were all acting as so-called flying bishops - ministering to Church of England parishes where congregations voted not to allow a woman priest to preside at services. |
| Bishop Broadhurst, the leader of the traditionalist organisation Forward in Faith, had already announced in October that he would become the fourth Anglican bishop to convert to Rome. | Bishop Broadhurst, the leader of the traditionalist organisation Forward in Faith, had already announced in October that he would become the fourth Anglican bishop to convert to Rome. |
| 'Devoted labours' | 'Devoted labours' |
| In a statement, the five bishops said: "We have been dismayed, over the last 30 years, to see Anglicans and Catholics move further apart on some of the issues of the day." | In a statement, the five bishops said: "We have been dismayed, over the last 30 years, to see Anglicans and Catholics move further apart on some of the issues of the day." |
| They said the Vatican's proposal for the new structure called an ordinariate, was "both a generous response to various approaches to the Holy See for help and a bold, new ecumenical instrument in the search for the unity of Christians." | They said the Vatican's proposal for the new structure called an ordinariate, was "both a generous response to various approaches to the Holy See for help and a bold, new ecumenical instrument in the search for the unity of Christians." |
| The resignations will formally take effect at the end of the year. | The resignations will formally take effect at the end of the year. |
| The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said: "I have today with regret accepted the resignations of Bishops Andrew Burnham and Keith Newton who have decided that their future in Christian ministry lies in the new structures proposed by the Vatican. | |
| "We wish them well in this next stage of their service to the Church and I am grateful to them for their faithful and devoted pastoral labours in the Church of England over many years." | "We wish them well in this next stage of their service to the Church and I am grateful to them for their faithful and devoted pastoral labours in the Church of England over many years." |
| The move was announced by the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. | The move was announced by the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales. |
| Bishop Alan Hopes, Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop in the Westminster Diocese, said the Church welcomed the decision of the five bishops | Bishop Alan Hopes, Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop in the Westminster Diocese, said the Church welcomed the decision of the five bishops |
| He added: "At our plenary meeting next week, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales will be exploring the establishment of the ordinariate and the warm welcome we will be extending to those who seek to be part of it." | He added: "At our plenary meeting next week, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales will be exploring the establishment of the ordinariate and the warm welcome we will be extending to those who seek to be part of it." |
| The Times religious affairs correspondent Ruth Gledhill told the BBC the announcement could prompt "hundreds, possibly thousands" of lay ministers to follow the Bishops' example. | The Times religious affairs correspondent Ruth Gledhill told the BBC the announcement could prompt "hundreds, possibly thousands" of lay ministers to follow the Bishops' example. |
| She said: "It's quite significant as it means the ordinariate, that quite a few people have been saying might not get off the ground, could be a force to be reckoned with." | She said: "It's quite significant as it means the ordinariate, that quite a few people have been saying might not get off the ground, could be a force to be reckoned with." |