Ecumenical News International 
Daily News Service 
 
Vatican launches Catholic home for U.S. Episcopalians 
ENI-12-0003 
 
By David Gibson -- ENInews/RNS 
3 January (ENInews)--American Episcopalians upset with their denomination's 
acceptance of gay and female clergy can now convert to the Roman Catholic 
Church while keeping many cherished traditions in a special new U.S. diocese 
that was established on 1 January by Pope Benedict XVI. 
 
The Houston, Texas-based diocese, called the Personal Ordinariate of the 
Chair of St. Peter, will allow a special Anglican-style Catholic Mass that 
can include sections from the Book of Common Prayer and other Anglican 
liturgies, Religion News Service reports. 
 
This new structure grew out of a controversial 2009 effort by Benedict to 
convince conservative Anglicans to align with Rome under an exemption that 
allows Anglican priests, laity, and even entire congregations to convert 
while keeping their prized music and prayers. 
 
Bishops who convert under the rite will be allowed to function as Catholic 
priests, but not as bishops. Married Anglican male priests will be able to 
remain married and serve as Catholic priests, though unmarried priests who 
join will not be able to marry later without renouncing their priesthood. 
 
The American ordinariate is only the second such jurisdiction established 
since Benedict launched the process; the first was set up a year ago in 
England, the birthplace of Anglicanism, and others are being considered for 
Canada and Australia. 
 
It is still unclear how much of a draw the new jurisdiction will be. So far, 
some 100 former Episcopal priests have applied to become Catholic priests in 
the U.S. ordinariate, and about 1,400 individuals -- as well as six small 
congregations -- have sought to join the Catholic Church under the new 
provision. 
 
After a year in existence, the ordinariate in England and Wales still counts 
only 1,000 former Anglican lay people and 60 former Anglican priests as 
members. Some Episcopalians in the U.S., like some Anglicans in other 
countries, have opted to affiliate with conservative Anglican bodies or 
breakaway traditionalist groups rather than becoming Catholics. 
 
The U.S. ordinariate will be led by the Rev. Jeffrey N. Steenson, a former 
Episcopal bishop of New Mexico and father of three who became a Catholic in 
2007 and was ordained a Catholic priest in 2009. 
 
In a statement on 2 January, Steenson was enthusiastic about the new rite, 
but also cautioned that Episcopalians who join face "a steep learning curve" 
in trying to integrate under such a novel arrangement. 
 
"Pray that we may strive to learn the faith, laws, and culture of the 
Catholic Church with humility and good cheer," Steenson said. "But pray too 
that we do not forget who we are and where we have come from, for we have 
been formed in the beautiful and noble Anglican tradition."