The Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum coetibus" has been promulgated by the Pope on November 4th, memorial of St. Charles Borromeo. This may be seen as the culmination of much hard work and prayer on the part of many Anglicans and Roman Catholics who have made this possible. I only wish some of the people I have known had lived to see this day. Particularly I can think of Canon Albert DuBois, Father W. T. St. John Brown, and Father Joseph Crookston, OSF. They and many others, too numerous to mention, worked and prayed for the day when Anglicans and Roman Catholics could be in full communion with each other.

Of course this will not be for all Anglicans. Many will say. "Thanks, but no thanks." because some of the standards maintained by the Catholic Church are inconvenient for them. Others still think incomprehensibly that Anglicanism can be rescued from falling into apostasy and heresy. But the Vatican has given the signal that we can no longer wait for Anglicanism to straighten itself out, and the pastoral need of those seeking unity with the Holy See has a priority over cordial ecumenical relations with Canterbury.

It is now time for the Anglicans who for many years have said they want to be reunited with the Holy See to come home. There isn't likely to be a better moment than this, and the scruples that some may have are far outweighed by the opportunity to be again united in mission and to be excused from the moral folly that seems to be the mark of Anglicanism in recent years. Now is the time to get on with the commission God has given us.

I am sensitive to the fact that the Forward in Faith Movement in England wants to continue the fight to head off the acceptance of female bishops in the Church of England and to insure a place for Anglo-Catholics in the C of E. My friends, that battle is lost. It was lost when other churches in the Anglican Communion ordained women and when the Church of England eventually accepted it. There were eloquent speeches at the recent Forward in Faith Conference urging people to hold firm and to continue to work to uphold the catholic faith in the C of E. I have seen this all before. When the Episcopal Church voted to ordain women to the priesthood, there was a strong group that said, "Do not leave, but continue to work from within." They were wrong; the battle was lost, and they failed to realize it. I fear Forward in Faith in England is making the same mistake.

I would be the last to say that what lies ahead will be easy. The erection of ordinariates throughout the world will require hard work and dedication. We may not be popular in some circles, even in Roman Catholic circles, But this is what we must do. Rome has said "Yes." To our request. It would only be the meanest of Anglo-Catholics who would not welcome this invitation and do everything possible to bring it to fruition.

C. David Burt