Anglican Church has welcomed the ordination of women and openly gay clergy and blessed homosexual partnerships , said Cardinal William Joseph Levada , the head of the Vatican 's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith . Their talks with the Vatican recently began speeding up , Vatican officials said , leading to Tuesday 's announcement . `` The Catholic Church is responding to the many requests that have been submitted to the Holy See from groups of Anglican clergy and faithful in different parts of the world who wish to enter into full visible communion , '' Levada said . Levada said `` hundreds '' of Anglicans around the world have expressed their desire to join the Catholic Church . Among them are 50 Anglican bishops , said Archbishop Joseph Augustine Di Noia of the Congregation for Divine Worship . While married Anglican priests may be ordained as Catholic priests , the same does not apply to married Anglican bishops , Levada said . `` We 've been praying for this unity for 40 years and we 've not anticipated it happening now , '' Di Noia said . `` The Holy Spirit is at work here . ''
ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- The Vatican said Tuesday it has worked out a way for groups of Anglicans who are dissatisfied with their faith to join the Catholic Church . The Vatican says more Anglicans have expressed an interest in joining the Catholic Church . The process will enable groups of Anglicans to become Catholic and recognize the pope as their leader , yet have parishes that retain Anglican rites , Vatican officials said . The move comes some 450 years after King Henry VIII broke from Rome and created the Church of England , forerunner of the Anglican Communion . The parishes would be led by former Anglican clergy -- including those who are married -- who would be ordained as Catholic priests , said the Rev. James Massa , ecumenical director of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops . `` This sets up a process for whole groups of Anglicans -- clergy and laity -- to enter in to the Catholic Church while retaining their forms of worship and other Anglican traditions , '' Massa said . The number of Anglicans wishing to join the Catholic Church has increased in recent years as the