Caring for the flock

While I am on the other side of the world, enjoying the sights and sounds of a new land, life continues back home and in other parts of the world. Thanks to technological advances (such as this), it's possible to keep up to date even from half a world away.

I've been conscious all through the day about a family back home who are celebrating a funeral today. This was not an unexpected happening for their son, husband and father, but it is nonetheless a very sad time. I spoke with them before I left, and reassured them that all the details were taken care of and that there would indeed be someone to care for them in my absence. I hope that it brought them some measure of comfort. Knowing that the experience I lived with my family last week was indeed a deeply spiritual and faith-filled moment, I can only hope and pray that this family too discovers the consolation of the Lord who accompanies us all at moments such as these.

And speaking of pastoral concern, the anticipated publication of the newest Apostolic Constitution Angilcanorum Coetibus was published today in Rome. Not only did the Vatican Press Office announce the publication of this Constitution which provides the essential norms which will govern the erection and the life of Personal Ordinariates for those Anglican faithful who wish to enter, either corporately or individually, into full communion with the Catholic Church; they also issued

• an official Press Release
• Complementary Norms to accompany the Apostolic Constitution, and
• a commentary on the significance of this Constitution for the life of those Anglican faithful and ministers who choose to enter into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church.

With the publication of this Apostolic Constituion, as it says in the Introduction, the Holy Father Benedict XVI – Supreme Pastor of the Church and, by mandate of Christ, guarantor of the unity of the episcopate and of the universal communion of all the Churches – has shown his fatherly care for those Anglican faithful (lay, clerics and members of Institutes of Consecrated life and of Societies of Apostolic Life) who have repeatedly petitioned the Holy See to be received into full Catholic Communion.

It will take a while to read through all this text, and a bit longer to grasp the intricacies contained therein. One thing is sure: there's more than enough fodder here for discussion among discerning hearts and minds. Anyone up for the challenge?