Acta Apostolicae Sedis - Commentarium Officiale600

Decree of Erection of

the Personal Ordinariate of

Our Lady of the Southern Cross

The supreme law of the Church is the salvation of souls. As such, through-

out its history, the Church has always found the pastoral and juridical means

to care for the good of the faithful.

With the Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, promulgated on 4

November 2009, the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, provided for the

establishment of Personal Ordinariates through which Anglican faithful

may enter, even in a corporate manner, into full communion with the

Catholic Church.1 On that same date, the Congregation for the Doctrine of

the Faith published Complementary Norms relating to such Ordinariates.2

In conformity with what is established in Art. I § 1 and § 2 of the

Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, having received requests

from a considerable number of Anglican faithful, and having consulted

with the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Congregation for the

Doctrine of the Faith

ERECTS

the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross within the

territory of the Episcopal Conference of Australia.

1. The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross ipso iure

possesses juridic personality and is juridically equivalent to a diocese.3 It

includes those faithful, of every category and state of life, who, originally

having belonged to the Anglican Communion, are now in full communion

with the Catholic Church, or who have received the sacraments of initiation

within the jurisdiction of the Ordinariate itself,4 or who are received into it

because they are part of a family belonging to the Ordinariate.5

1 Cfr AAS 101 (2009), 985-990. 2 Cfr L'Osservatore Romano (9-10 November 2009), p. 7; Weekly Edition in English (11

November 2009), p. 4. 3 Cfr can. 372 § 2 CIC; Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, Art. I § 3. 4 Cfr Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum coetibus, Art. I § 4. 5 Cfr Complementary Norms, Art. 5 § 1.