Damian Thompson blogs in The Telegraph
The three former Anglican bishops who were ordained Catholic priests in January have been given the title of monsignor by Pope Benedict, the Catholic Herald reports. So, congratulations to Mgr Keith Newton, Mgr John Broadhurst and Mgr Andrew Burnham. The news won’t be welcomed by Magic Circle opponents of the Ordinariate, the most implacable of whom are monsignors themselves (thanks to Cardinal Cormac: Archbishop Vincent is notably stingy with recommendations for this honour). It also may also annoy those Anglo-Catholic clergy who labour under the tragic misapprehension that the title of honorary canon allows them to swan around in the red-trimmed cassock and purple sash of a Roman monsignor. But it will delight the 900 lay people and 61 clergy who will be received into the Church during Holy Week. Now we must just pray that the Bishops of England and Wales don’t proceed with the moronic plan to herd the Ordinariate into the ugliest church in London.
Damian Thompson
Damian Thompson is Editor of Telegraph Blogs and a journalist specialising in religion. He was once described by The Church Times as a “blood-crazed ferret”. He is on Twitter as HolySmoke.