La costituzione apostolica Anglicanorum coetibus e un nuovo modo di fare l’ecumenismo
The Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus and a new way of doing ecumenism

Summary/Abstract: The history of the separation of the Catholic Church and of the Anglican Church is a long-lasting wound on the Mystical Body of Christ. The division of the Catholic and Anglican Church is not a motive for pride for Christians. The actions taken by both Churches after the Second Vatican Council did not bring the expected contentment of both parties, although the joint committees appointed by both sides have worked intensely. However, ecumenism in this variation cannot be just a composition of a common part that adapts to both churches, but does not lead to the true unity of the faithful. It is not a subject of social ecumenism, but above all it is necessary to create a community at the religious, moral and pastoral level. This is not easy after so many years of mutual accusation and devaluation. However, the intense work undertaken before the appearance of the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus (2009), especially by the ARCIC and ARCIC II groups, gave a very substantial result, which has become a compromise solution. The possibility of creating Personal Ordinariates for Anglicans who desire full communion with the Catholic Church given by Benedict XVII is a milestone in the history of the Catholic Church and ecumenism. In addition to legal access to full communion with Catholics, ex-Anglicans can preserve important elements for them. Among these, the most important are: the ability to perform many components of the sacred liturgy maintaining their own liturgical texts, the possibility of receiving priestly ordination again in the Catholic Church and the ability to perform priesthood functions for pastors who are married and have their own family. For many Anglicans, the main reason for moving into the Catholic Church community was the decisions made by the Anglican Church. In particular, this concerns the permission to ordain women as priests and bishop and the permission to ordain priests who officially claim to be homosexuals. Among the issues, there were also discussions on the family, divorce and abortion. However, these questions were not dominant in the decisions of passage to the Catholic Church.

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