Catholic Church Smooths Way for Disaffected Episcopalians

Cardinal Donald Wuerl pays his respect to the Pope by 

kneeling before him and kissing his ring.

(CNN) - The Roman Catholic Church is establishing a program to help disaffected American Episcopalians to join the Catholic fold – including married Episcopal priests who want to become Catholic priests – it announced Tuesday.

The move comes after dozens of Episcopal parishes have left the Episcopal Church in recent years over what they allege is the mother church’s liberal drift, which they say is most dramatically reflected in its ordination of openly gay clergy.

The new Catholic program will allow groups of Episcopalians to become Catholic and to recognize the pope as their leader, yet have parishes that retain Anglican rites.

The church announced an effort to welcome disaffected Anglicans into the Roman Catholic Church in 2009. The Episcopal Church is the American arm of the Anglican Communion.

The developments come more than 450 years after King Henry VIII broke from Rome and created the Church of England, forerunner of the Anglican Communion.

Washington Archbishop Cardinal Donald Wuerl announced the new program at a meeting of American bishops on Tuesday, saying Pope Benedict XVI had signed off on the new program in October. (Read more)

This photo was posted with the article on CNN. 

It's an alchemy symbol of  "Fusion of opposites." 
Meaning: The hand extended in peace involves the resolution of conflict - opposites.