Five Anglican Bishops Defect to Rome

THE TELEGRAPH: Church of England in crisis as five bishops defect to Rome

Five bishops are to resign from the Church of England to lead the defection of hundreds of Anglicans to Rome, The Daily Telegraph has learned.

By Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is expected to announce the resignations as parishes across the country meet to discuss the Pope’s offer to accommodate disaffected Anglicans within the Roman Catholic Church.

Senior Catholics are finalising plans for a new group for Anglican converts who cannot accept women bishops and a detailed timetable for its formation could be announced as early as next week.

The defections have been triggered by a vote at the General Synod of the Church of England in July to support divisive plans for women to be ordained as bishops in England for the first time.

See more on the English Ordinariate created by the Vatican here.