Vatican decision welcomed by B.C. bishop

A former Anglican bishop in B.C. is welcoming the Vatican's offer to open its doors to disaffected Anglicans around the world.

Pope Benedict XVI has approved a new structure that would recognize Anglicans who've split from their church over the blessing of same-sex unions and the ordination of women priests.

Bishop Peter Wilkinson, the head of the Anglican-Catholic Church of Canada, was involved in making the proposal to the Pope.

Other than adopting the Pope as God's representative on Earth, the Victoria-based Wilkinson said, there's very little to change by joining with the Roman Catholic Church because the traditions have long been entwined.

"We were out of communion for more than 450 years,[but] we were in communion from 597 to 1535, which is a long time," Wilkinson told CBC News Tuesday.

Under the new Catholic structure, former Anglican priests could continue to be married, but bishops in the church could not.

The Vatican won't say how many of the 77 million people in the Anglican church are seeking to join the Catholics.

But Wilkinson says the Pope's decision will have huge ramifications.

The Anglican Catholic Church of Canada was founded in the 1970s by conservative Anglicans who were dissatisfied with decisions made by the mainstream Anglican Church.