Americanorum coetibus

Earlier today, American Catholicism's flagship periodical made the following announcement:

The Editorial Board of America is proud to announce that The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, is the 2009 recipient of the Campion Award. The award is given on a regular basis to a noted Christian person of letters. It is named after St. Edmund Campion, S.J., who is patron of America’s communications ministry. Last year’s award was bestowed posthumously on Jon Hassler, the novelist, who chronicled life in the upper Midwest.

A martyr of the English Reformation, Edmund Campion stirred Elizabethan England with his daring missionary efforts and the great power of his pen. His “Brag” in defense of his faith has become a classic. He was known for his faith, chivalry and unusual literary talent—qualities shared by the Archbishop Williams. Both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England remember Campion in their calendars of saints.

Archbishop Williams, former bishop of Monmouth and archbishop of Wales, has headed the archdiocese of Canterbury and led the worldwide Anglican Communion since 2003. A renowned scholar, theologian, ecumenist, pastor, professor and poet, he is the author of more than a score of books. For his distinguished contributions to Christian letters, the editors of America honor Archbishop Williams in the name of Edmund Campion.

The award will be conferred at the mag's House in Midtown Manhattan on 25 January.

Speaking of Matters Lambeth, earlier today the Pope addressed the annual plenary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith -- the lead Curial dicastery on his new initiative for integrating Anglican groups into the Catholic fold.

Saying he "wish[ed] to rejoice" in the Congregation's work to implement Anglicanorum coetibus, B16 added that "the faithful adhesion of these groups to the truth received from Christ and proposed in the church's Magisterium is in no way contrary to the ecumenical movement, but instead shows its ultimate purpose consists in the gathering in full and visible communion of the disciples of the Lord."

Elsewhere, in a not-so-oblique reference to one of the CDF's most controversial texts of Joseph Ratzinger's 23 years as its prefect, the pontiff said that, as bishop of Rome, he "is charged to proclaim constantly: 'Dominus Iesus' -- 'Jesus is Lord.'

"The potestas docendi [teaching authority]," he added, "conveys the obedience to faith, that the Truth which is Christ might continue to shine forth in its grandeur and resonate for all in its integrity and pureness, so that there might be but one flock, gathered together unto one Shepherd."

And on a final note from the Anglican-Catholic desk, word around reports that the ordination of Bishop-elect Don Bolen of Saskatoon -- a confidant of Rowan Williams' who ran the Roman Curia's Canterbury desk for most of the 2000s -- will take place on Annunciation Day, 25 March.

PHOTO: L'Osservatore Romano/POOL

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