John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, tells BBC “Sunday Sequence” host William Crawley that while the Vatican’s offer to Anglicans would make them subject to Ordinariates, they still wouldn’t be thoroughgoing Catholics.
If people genuinely realise that they want to be Roman Catholic, they should convert properly, and go through catechesis and be made proper Catholics. This kind of creation [the Apostolic Constitution] — well, all I can say is, we wish them every blessing and may the Lord encourage them. But as far as I am concerned, if I was really, genuinely wanting to convert, I wouldn’t go into an Ordinariate. I would actually go into catechesis and become a truly converted Roman Catholic and be accepted.
The Telegraph‘s Damian Thompson, meanwhile, takes umbrage at Sentamu’s sentiments.
Dr Sentamu is displaying what appears to be deplorable ignorance. To put the record straight: any Anglican joining the Ordinariate will be as Catholic as the Pope. It’s as simple as that. Hat-tip to an Anglican friend who intends to follow this course of action and, like me, is outraged at Dr Sentamu’s misrepresentation.
….
Dr Sentamu is perfectly entitled to criticise the Pope’s offer and to discourage Anglicans from leaving the Church of England. What is he is not allowed to do is mislead the public about the status of those people who convert under the provisions of Anglicanorum coetibus, for they will be true converts and true Catholics.
He should apologise immediately.
Hear the Sentamu interview here. It begins at 1:06:38; his thoughts on Anglicans received as Catholics starts at 1:15:20.
Full text of Anglican Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus