By KT Reporter
A new report from Britain has stirred debate in Uganda after showing a steady flow of Anglican clergy into the Catholic Church. The study, released on November 20 and published by the Catholic News Agency, found that about 700 clergy and religious from the Church of England, Church in Wales, and the Scottish Episcopal Church have joined the Catholic Church since 1992, when the church of England Synod voted to allow female priests.
Those converted include 16 former Anglican bishops, and it equates to approximately a third of all Catholic priests ordained in England and Wales during the same period. The findings sparked discussion among Ugandan Christians who wondered how such a shift would unfold in a local setting. “Can an Anglican priest in Uganda convert into a catholic? What happens to his wife and children? its interesting,” one person shared on his X platform.
The debate is not new in Uganda. In 2009, it gained attention during a wave of Anglican priests converting to the Catholic Church. This was also happening in the UK. Henry Mulindwa, writing in a local newspaper at the height of the debate, observed that parishioners were watching the developments with mixed reactions; some with joy, others with suspicion and discomfort.
“When it comes to the clergy, things become even more complex,” he wrote, and he turned his eye to Uganda, where a candidate for Catholic priesthood typically begins training in Senior One, undergoes at least 14 years of formation, and completes at least two university degrees before ordination. “Most Anglican priests, with all due respect, do not receive this level of training. It is therefore likely that Anglican-Catholic priests in Uganda would rank as second-tier priests in the Roman Catholic Church, based on education and formation alone,” he added.
Beyond the question of whether converting Anglicans would be allowed to remain married, with some asking why Catholic priests who wish to marry are not given the same allowance, Mulindwa also questioned whether the Vatican would provide additional training to Anglican priests before ordaining them in the Catholic Church.
Answering the old and new questions on the subject, Rev Fr. Joseph Ssenkaali, Assistant Judicial Vicar for Kampala Archdiocese, urged Ugandans following the British report to understand the wide differences in context. He added that while conversion is open to everyone, ordination as a Catholic priest involves strict conditions. “Uganda has different pastoral, cultural, and training realities. Although the Catholic Church has a process for receiving Anglican clergy, Uganda is unlikely to see a trend similar to the United Kingdom,” he said.
Rev Fr Ssenkaali, who is an expert in Canon Law and liturgical matters, added that an Anglican priest can be received as a Catholic priest, but the decision sits with the Pope. He added that each case needs a clear justification from the local bishop and from the episcopal conference. “England had unique circumstances,” he said. “Some Anglican clergy there were trained in systems very close to Catholic seminaries. When they asked to return to the Catholic faith, Rome approved their request.”
He also answered a major factor in Britain, where several Anglican clergy who converted were married. “The Pope granted special permission for them to serve as Catholic priests. This step came after long discussions and a clear pastoral need.” This is supported by Doug Girardot’s article, What Happens When an Anglican Bishop Becomes Catholic? Published by America Jesuit review, the article notes that married former Anglican priests require Vatican approval for ordination on a case-by-case basis, and “a priest’s wife must agree to go along with the process.”
Review
Fr. Ssenkaali and Girardot’s explanations refer to a 1980 decision by Pope John Paul II that allowed married Anglican priests who joined the Catholic Church to continue their ministry. These priests, according to the said decision, are exempt from the usual rule of celibacy, but they cannot become bishops and must remain celibate if their spouse dies. Also, in the same decision, the Pope clarified that these exceptions were not to change the Church’s rule of priestly celibacy.
Fr Ssenkaali explained that similar permissions in Africa, or Uganda in particular, can happen but are unlikely. He said the church in Uganda does not have the same shortages of vocations found in some Western countries. “This is an interesting question. Imagine a married priest in Uganda. The Catholic Church has permanent deacons, especially in areas with fewer vocations. A married man can become a deacon, but in Uganda, we do not have such deacons.
He added, “In special cases, if a married Anglican clergy seeks to convert, the local bishop or the bishops’ conference, after seeing that there are some merits, can write to Rome. However, this does not guarantee approval. Rome would review the case carefully and decide based on its merits.”
He also noted that one of the biggest barriers is the fact that there are larger differences between the Anglican Church in Uganda and the Church of England. He said the Anglican tradition in England kept many Catholic features during its historical break from Rome. He argued that Ugandan Anglican liturgy, formation, and doctrine today differ more sharply from Catholic practice.
He said this gap makes the path to priestly ministry more complex in Uganda. Formation would need to be repeated or extended, and the pastoral environment would need careful handling. He stressed that any such case would touch sensitive issues of faith, community identity, and parish expectations.
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A review of different documents on the matter by URN showed that in November 2009, Pope Benedict XVI issued an apostolic constitution that set up a structure for Anglicans who seek full communion with the Catholic Church. The document introduced personal ordinariates, which are non-territorial dioceses. These bodies are established by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith within the boundaries of a bishop’s conference.
The ordinariate brings together lay Christians, clergy, and members of religious institutes who once belonged to the Anglican Communion and now choose Catholic unity. Three ordinariates now exist worldwide, all created between 2011 and 2012. They include the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham for converts in England, Wales, and Scotland, the Personal Ordinariate of the Chair of Saint Peter in the United States and Canada, and the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Australia and Japan.
The constitution states that former Anglican deacons, priests, and bishops may be considered for the Catholic priesthood if they meet the conditions of canon law. Married ministers follow the norms set by earlier instructions of Pope John Paul II, meaning that permission must be requested from the Pope to admit a married man in special cases, using clear criteria approved by Rome. Unmarried ministers must follow the Catholic discipline of celibacy.
If the convert is a married bishop, available information indicates that a former Anglican bishop may receive honorary titles and permission to wear episcopal vestments, but cannot serve as a bishop in the Catholic Church. One of the most notable clergy to convert from Anglicanism to Catholicism was John Henry Newman, who later became a cardinal. Newman has since been canonized, and in July this year, Pope Leo XIII declared him a “Doctor of the Church,” one of Catholicism’s highest honors, recognizing the 19th-century Anglican convert as a figure respected across both conservative and progressive circles.
Beyond the clergy, lay Anglicans also join the Catholic Church through a simpler process. They usually undergo the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, which gradually teaches Catholic beliefs and practices. After completing it, converts (locally called abalonde) are fully received into the Church, often during an Easter Vigil Mass, by receiving Confirmation and Holy Communion. Re-baptism is not required, as the Catholic Church recognizes Anglican baptisms as valid when they use water, invoke the Trinity, and follow the same sacramental intent as in Catholic baptism.
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