SEOUL, South Korea, November 9, 2009--A senior local Anglican says the Vatican's move to make it easier for conservative Anglicans to join the Catholic Church is a step toward Christian unity.

"The exchange of people between the two Churches ... will help ecumenism," says Anglican Father Abraham Kim Gwang-joon, secretary general of the Provincial Office of the Anglican Church of Korea.

As the Vatican’s apostolic constitution -- a document enacting Church laws -- on the issue is yet to be published, Anglicans here "have received the news from the media," he said.

"Of course, there are internal debates over the issue because the media has reported it as a Catholic Church move to absorb the Anglican Church," he added.

On Oct. 20, Cardinal William Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), announced Pope Benedict XVI's decision to create new structures to allow Anglicans full communion with the Catholic Church while retaining some Anglican traditions and practices.

The move was apparently aimed at conservative Anglicans who oppose the ordination of women bishops and gay priests.

That has raised controversy on both sides, with liberal Anglicans branding the move divisive and concern in some Catholic circles over married priests.
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Anglican Father Abraham Kim Gwang-joon (Photo courtesy of the Anglican Church of Korea)

Father Kim said one disappointing element of the Vatican's move was that the Catholic Church does not recognize the Anglican ordination of priests and bishops as valid."Admittedly there is debate over the apostolic succession between the two Churches but from the Anglican side it is a pity," he said.

According to the Oct. 20 CDF notification, Anglican clergy will need Catholic priestly ordination and only celibate bishops can be consecrated as Catholic bishops.

So far, no Anglican priest has joined the Catholic Church in South Korea. The Anglican Church in the country does not recognize the ordination of gay priests.

"I hope the Vatican action provides momentum to develop ecumenism in ways such as Catholics and Anglicans being able to receive Holy Communion together," Father Kim said.

Pope Benedict is to meet the Archbishop of Canterbury, head of the 80-million strong Anglican Communion, in Rome on Nov. 21. The archbishop will be attending a symposium around that time to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of one of the great figures of the Catholic ecumenical movement, the Dutch-born Cardinal Jan Willebrands. (UCAN)