Approximately one-third of Catholic clergy ordained in England and Wales between 1992 and 2024 were formerly Anglican. Around 700 former clergy and religious from the Anglican Communion have joined the Catholic Church since 1992, including 16 former Anglican bishops. Nearly 500 former Anglican clerics have received Holy Orders in the Catholic Church between 1992 and 2024. The report indicates that the percentage of former Anglican priests ordained has increased in recent years, with 9% of Catholic priests ordained since 2015 being former Anglicans. The report, titled 'Convert Clergy in the Catholic Church in Britain: The role of the St Barnabas Society,' was commissioned by the St. Barnabas Society and conducted by the St. Benedict XVI Centre.
25 days ago
A new report titled "Convert Clergy in the Catholic Church in Britain: The Role of the St. Barnabas Society," published on November 20, 2025, by the Benedict XVI Centre for Religion, Ethics, and Society, examines the influx of former Anglican clergy into the Catholic Church.2 3 Commissioned by the St. Barnabas Society, it draws on records from Monsignor John Broadhurst and interviews with 36 converts, including three former bishops.3 4 The study highlights the significant yet underappreciated contributions of these clergy to Catholic ministry in Britain over three decades.5
The report focuses on clergy from the Church of England, Church in Wales, and Scottish Episcopal Church received since 1992.2 It emphasizes their integration into Catholic life while preserving compatible Anglican traditions through structures like the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham.3 Cardinal Vincent Nichols, in the foreword, describes these journeys as a move toward "full visible communion" rather than rejection of Anglican heritage.2 4
Approximately 700 former Anglican clergy and religious have entered the Catholic Church since 1992, including 16 former Anglican bishops and two from the Continuing Anglican movement.2 3 5 Of these, nearly 500 have been ordained as Catholic clergy: 486 priests and five permanent deacons.2 6 This represents 29% of all diocesan priestly ordinations in England and Wales from 1992 to 2024.2 5
When including ordinations for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham, the figure rises to 35% of total priestly ordinations in the period.2 Since 2015, former Anglicans account for 9% of diocesan ordinations and 19% when combined with Ordinariate figures.2 3 In a typical year, up to 11 Anglican clergy are received and ordained Catholic.5 6
Small numbers have reversed course: 35 of the 700 returned to Anglicanism, and five of the ordained did so, with one joining the Russian Orthodox Church.5 The report notes a steady stream persists, with no major third wave anticipated despite ongoing Anglican tensions.5
The report identifies two major "waves" driving conversions.3 4 The first followed the Church of England's 1992 General Synod vote approving women's ordination, leading to a peak of over 150 receptions in 1994.2 3 5 This decision prompted many to seek full Catholic communion amid doctrinal concerns.6
The second wave stemmed from Pope Benedict XVI's 2010 apostolic constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, which established personal ordinariates for Anglican groups entering Catholicism while retaining liturgical traditions.3 4 His UK visit amplified this, resulting in over 80 receptions in 2011 and nearly 40 in 2012.2 5 These events created "strength in numbers," making the transition feel more feasible.3
Conversions continue at a steady rate, influenced by persistent Anglican debates but without the drama of earlier spikes.5 6 The St. Barnabas Society, tracing roots to Pope Leo XIII's 1896 Apostolicae curae declaring Anglican orders invalid, has provided essential financial and pastoral support.2 4
Former Anglican clergy often face significant personal and practical hurdles.3 6 Many enter Catholicism later in life, with families, losing income, pensions, and homes tied to Anglican roles.2 4 Ordination processes can take months or years, with no guaranteed acceptance, and married candidates require Vatican approval.6
Interviews reveal "ecclesial unease" and a sense of stepping into the unknown, compounded by varied diocesan expectations and underappreciation of prior experience.3 6 Diversity in motivations challenges stereotypes: not all are high-church traditionalists opposed to women's ordination; many value their Anglican formation as part of a divine plan.3 4 6
The report underscores the St. Barnabas Society's role: without its aid, many conversions "couldn’t have happened," especially for those with families.3 4 6 Nichols praises the Society for enabling these sacrifices.2
Former Anglicans have made a "substantial ongoing contribution" to Catholic pastoral and sacramental life, comprising a major source of vocations amid declining native ordinations.2 3 5 Many serve in diocesan parishes or as chaplains, bringing unique perspectives from "both sides" of British Christianity.3 4
Author Stephen Bullivant was surprised by the scale, noting it exceeds expectations and surprises even bishops.2 3 He highlights gratitude for Anglican backgrounds and sees no imminent retirement "wave," though some early converts have already retired.5 The phenomenon raises questions about long-term reliance on converts as Anglican ordinations outpace Catholic ones.6
Ecumenical caution has muted discussion, but the report calls for recognition of these stories' human complexity.5 6 As Anglican fractures deepen, a steady trickle of conversions seems likely to continue.5
Examine the Catholic Church’s theological response to Anglican clergy conversions
The Catholic Church's approach to Anglican clergy seeking conversion has evolved from a firm declaration of the invalidity of Anglican orders to a pastoral framework that facilitates corporate reunion while upholding doctrinal integrity. Rooted in ecclesiology, sacramentology, and ecumenical principles, this response emphasizes the unity of the Church as willed by Christ, the necessity of valid apostolic succession for priestly ministry, and the enrichment of the universal Church through diverse traditions. Historically, the Church has required absolute ordination for converting Anglican clergy due to defects in form and intention in their ordinations, as articulated in Pope Leo XIII's Apostolicae Curae (1896). In contemporary times, Pope Benedict XVI's Anglicanorum Coetibus (2009) introduces personal ordinariates, allowing former Anglican clergy to be ordained in the Catholic Church while preserving elements of their spiritual patrimony, thereby addressing both theological rigor and pastoral needs. This dual emphasis ensures that conversions strengthen ecclesial communion without compromising the Church's sacramental fullness.
The theological foundation for the Church's response to Anglican clergy conversions lies in the assessment of Anglican orders as invalid, a position definitively stated in Apostolicae Curae. Issued by Pope Leo XIII on September 13, 1896, this apostolic letter responded to pleas from some Anglican and Catholic figures for a re-examination of Anglican ordinations, particularly amid hopes for corporate reunion. The Bull declared that "ordinations carried out according to the Anglican rite have been and are absolutely null and void," confirming prior papal decisions and the Church's consistent practice of ordaining converting Anglican clergy unconditionally.
This declaration was not arbitrary but grounded in extrinsic and intrinsic theological reasons. Extrinsically, it drew on the Holy See's implicit approval of the practice of absolute ordination for converts since the English Reformation. For instance, during Queen Mary's reign (1553-1558), Pope Julius III granted Cardinal Pole faculties to ordain those who had received orders under the Edwardine Ordinal (introduced by Edward VI in 1552) anew, distinguishing them from those ordained in the pre-Reformation Catholic rite. Similarly, Pope Paul IV's 1555 Bull and Pope Clement XI's 1704 decree regarding John Clement Gordon explicitly cited defects in form and intention as grounds for unconditional ordination. These actions reflected the Church's understanding that attempting to ordain someone with valid prior orders would constitute sacrilege, implying that Anglican orders lacked validity from their inception.
Intrinsically, the invalidity stems from defects in the sacramental form and intention of the Anglican Ordinal. Catholic sacramentology requires that the rite signify and effect the grace it imparts, particularly in Holy Orders, where the priest acts in persona Christi as head and shepherd. The Edwardine Ordinal, revised in 1552, omitted explicit references to the sacrificial priesthood, such as the power to consecrate, offer sacrifice, and forgive sins—elements essential to the Catholic understanding of ordination. Instead, it emphasized a generic "ministry of the Word and Sacraments," which Leo XIII deemed insufficient to convey the specific grace of priesthood. Intention, too, was lacking: the rite's ambiguity meant it could not reliably express the Church's intent to ordain priests for the Eucharistic sacrifice, as required by canon law and tradition. This aligns with broader teachings, such as in Ecclesia de Eucharistia (2003), where Pope John Paul II notes that separated Western communities, including Anglicans, lack the sacrament of Orders and thus the "genuine and total reality of the Eucharistic mystery."
Theological continuity is evident in earlier sources like Mystici Corporis Christi (1943), where Pope Pius XII echoes Scholastic theology (e.g., St. Thomas Aquinas) on the Church as the Mystical Body requiring valid orders for full participation in its hierarchical communion. Thus, conversions necessitated absolute ordination to restore valid apostolic succession, ensuring converts could exercise ministry in the Catholic Church.
The Church's response must be viewed within ecumenism, as outlined in Vatican II and subsequent papal teachings. Ut Unum Sint (1995) by Pope John Paul II acknowledges "many elements of sanctification and truth" in separated communities like the Anglican Communion, which impel toward Catholic unity, yet highlights "weighty differences" in doctrine, including orders and the Eucharist. These differences arose from the 16th-century Reformation schism, creating "a special affinity" due to shared Western heritage but also profound divides in ecclesiology. John Paul II's addresses to Anglican leaders, such as to Archbishop George Carey in 1994 and 1996, urged reflection on papal teaching amid obstacles like women's ordination, framing dialogue as obedience to Christ's will for visible unity (cf. Jn 17:20-21).
The invalidity of Anglican orders poses a theological barrier to intercommunion, as Ecclesia de Eucharistia prohibits Catholics from receiving Anglican Eucharist to avoid ambiguity about its nature and to witness to truth. Yet, ecumenism is not indifferentism; it seeks full communion through conversion, where Anglican elements—liturgical, spiritual, and pastoral—enrich the Church without altering essentials. As a 2010 CDF reflection notes, Anglicanorum Coetibus builds on ARCIC dialogues, recognizing the Holy Spirit's work in Anglicanism while insisting on valid orders for priestly ministry. A book review of Ratzinger/Benedict's contributions highlights his rejection of a "Pelagian" ecumenism for a patient, theological model that respects differences while pursuing unity-in-diversity.
The modern theological response culminates in Anglicanorum Coetibus, promulgated by Pope Benedict XVI on November 4, 2009, which erects personal ordinariates for Anglicans entering full communion corporately. This structure, juridically akin to a diocese but personal rather than territorial, responds to repeated Anglican petitions, fulfilling the Pope's mandate to safeguard unity (cf. Lumen Gentium 1). Theologically, it presupposes the invalidity of Anglican orders: former clergy are accepted "as candidates for Holy Orders" and ordained absolutely, per canon law (CIC cc. 1026-1041), without conditional rites.
For married Anglican clergy, the Constitution applies norms from Paul VI's Sacerdotalis Caelibatus (n. 42) and the 1976 CDF statement, allowing ordination to the presbyterate on a case-by-case basis as a derogation from clerical celibacy (CIC c. 277 §1). Unmarried candidates must embrace celibacy. This balances Latin discipline with pastoral accommodation, incardinating priests into the ordinariate while fostering bonds with local dioceses through joint initiatives. Formation occurs alongside other seminarians, with provisions for Anglican patrimony in theology and pastoral training.
Ordinariates integrate converts fully: the Catechism of the Catholic Church is authoritative, ensuring fidelity to Catholic faith. Lay faithful and religious from Anglican backgrounds manifest intent in writing, and new institutes may be erected under the Ordinary's jurisdiction. Examples include the 2012 erection of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Australia, following consultations with bishops' conferences. Theologically, this embodies "corporate reunion": Anglicans receive the fullness of Catholic sacraments while contributing their patrimony—e.g., liturgical books like the Book of Divine Worship—as a "treasure to be shared." It avoids creating a new ritual church, remaining within the Latin tradition, and differs from Eastern Catholic Churches due to the lack of valid apostolic succession in Anglicanism.
This framework enriches ecclesiology: as Anglicanorum Coetibus states, the Church is a "sacrament of communion with God and unity among people," wounded by division but healed through visible bonds of faith, sacraments, and governance under the Roman Pontiff.
The Catholic Church's theological response to Anglican clergy conversions upholds the invalidity of their orders as a non-negotiable for sacramental validity, requiring absolute ordination upon conversion, while offering a merciful path to full communion via personal ordinariates. This approach, from Apostolicae Curae's doctrinal clarity to Anglicanorum Coetibus' pastoral innovation, witnesses to Christ's prayer for unity, integrates Anglican gifts into the Mystical Body, and advances ecumenism without compromise. It invites further conversions, promising mutual enrichment in the one Church.