Interessant økumenisk dokument fra 1980
I juli 1980 skrev kardinal Seper (det var før Ratzinger overtok kommandoen i Troskongregasjonen) til daværende erkebiskop i San Fransisco om hvordan man skulle behandle anglikanere som ønsket å bli katolikker. Det ble allerede den gang lagt til rette for at grupper av troende kunne tas opp, og at enkelte deler av den anglikanske liturgiske arven kunne beholdes – og også at man muligens kunne opprette egne strukturer som kunne samle disse gruppene (dvs. soom i Ordinariatet). I praksis ble det bare opprettet noen ganske få «Anglican Use Parishes» i USA, og dokumentet ble mest brukt når (gifte) anglikanske prester individuelt skall bli katolske prester, men noen (se her) kaller i dag dette dokumentet for profetisk.
Kardinal Seper skriver her bl.a.:
I. General Decisions:
1) The admission of these persons, even in a group, should be considered the reconciliation of individual persons, as described in the Decree on Ecumenism Redintegratio Unitatis, n. 4, of the Second Vatican Council.
2) It will be appropriate to formulate a statute or “pastoral provision” which provides for a “common identity” for the group.II. Elements of the “Common Identity”:
1) Structures: The preference expressed by the majority of the Episcopal Conference for the insertion of these reconciled Episcopalians into the diocesan structures under the jurisdiction of the local Ordinaries is recognized. Nevertheless, the possibility of some other type of structure as provided for by canonical dispositions, and as suited to the needs of the group, is not excluded.
2) Liturgy: The group may retain certain elements of the Anglican liturgy; these are to be determined by a Commission of the Congregation set up for this purpose. Use of these elements will be reserved to the former members of the Anglican Communion. Should a former Anglican priest celebrate public liturgy outside this group, he will be required to adopt the common Roman Rite.
3) Discipline: (a) To married Episcopalian priests who may be ordained Catholic priests, the following stipulations will apply: they may not become bishops; and they may not remarry in case of widowhood. (b) Future candidates for the priesthood must follow the discipline of celibacy. (c) Special care must be taken on the pastoral level to avoid any misunderstanding regarding the Church’s discipline of celibacy. …