The Vatican has published details of its plan to ease conversion for Church of England clergy unhappy about the ordination of women bishops.
The proposal offers them what amounts to their own dioceses within the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican also said they could continue with Anglican traditions, such as some church services.
Anglican clergy claim the rules set out in the document make the offer seem more generous than it first seemed.
Fr Geoffrey Kirk, the national secretary of Forward in Faith, which represents Anglicans sympathetic to Catholicism, said more clergy would probably convert as a result.
"Of the 450 parishes I knew would take it (the Pope's invitation) seriously, I said between 150 and 200 would convert. Now I think it'll be more than 200."
The details published today confirm that Church of England priests who are married will be allowed - on a case-by-case basis - to serve as Roman Catholic priests.
That could lead to an influx of married priests to a church where clergy have traditionally been celibate READ MORE
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