His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI has appointed Father Keith Newton (age 58, being ordained a Catholic priest today – Jan 15, 2010) as the Ordinary for the new Anglican Ordinariate of the Catholic Church in Great Britain. Notably, Father Newton is married with children and a grandchild. This means that the Ordinary will be a priest and not a bishop, since the Holy Father has specifically said that married men will NOT be elevated to the episcopate (a very good thing in my opinion).

Of further interest is the stipulation that the Ordinary will also be allowed to pontificate and wear the mitre, etc. even though he is not a bishop.

For those still wondering what the Anglican Ordinariate is, it is a personal ordinariate providing for corporate reunion in such a way that allows former Anglicans to enter full communion with the Catholic Church while preserving elements of Anglican patrimony. The Holy Father revealed this plan on November 4, 2009 with the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus.

If you want to learn more about the Anglican Ordinariate, here is a talk that I gave on the subject at the University of Dallas. Please push the triangular “play button” below to hear it.

Click on the triangular “play” button above.