A conservative Anglican bishop in Australia wants to convert to the Catholic Church with his followers. The reason for the conversion was dissatisfaction with the Anglican community's attitude toward homosexuality and the ordination of women as bishops.
Bishop David Robarts, along with 200 members of the Forward in Faith Australia (FIFA) organization, is now seeking full communion with Rome after searching in vain within his church, the Vatican newspaper "Osservatore Romano" writes in its Friday edition. His Melbourne-based congregation feels "excluded from the Anglican Church of Australia, which is unable to give them a bishop who represents their conservative views on homosexuality and female bishops," the "Osservatore" quotes Bishop Robarts as saying. The group was disappointed by the liberal attitude of the Anglican Church, but felt bound to the Anglican tradition. Pope offer The group, which also has members in the U.S. and Britain, is reportedly the first to accept the offer of a collective conversion to the Catholic Church. In the fall, Pope Benedict XVI. With so-called personal ordinariates, a separate structure has been created for Anglican groups that want to submit to Rome but preserve their liturgical tradition. Catholic Melbourne Auxiliary Bishop Peter Elliot supports FIFA in setting up its own Australian personal ordinariate, Vatican newspaper reports.