ANGLICAN priests who leave the Church of England because they cannot in conscience tolerate women priests and who are reordained in the Roman Catholic Church may be encouraged to waive the compensation payments to which they are legally entitled. Asking them to think about doing so is being considered by the Roman Catholic bishops' conference of England and Wales, the Tablet revealed at the weekend.
The proposal, initially discussed when the bishops met in November and to be decided on at their meeting in April, recommends "that single men should, on ordination to the priesthood, be encouraged to relinquish periodical payments."
But the proposal goes on to recognise "that the circumstances faced by married men are more complex, but the same expectation to relinquish payments on ordination also applies, unless hardship in anticipated as a consequence.
So far, 300 priests have resigned on conscientious grounds from the Church of England's ministry and are entitled to compensation, but none as yet has asked to forego the payments to which he is entitled. This amounts to the national minimum stipend fixed at £13,250 for 1996-1997 for the first year three quarters of this for the second year and two thirds for the third year.
For those under 50, payments then cease, but for those over 50 when they leave the payments continue until they are 65 and can start receiving their pensions. Anglican priests are able to leave and claim compensation at any time up to 10 years from February 1994, when the legislation on the ordination of women to the priesthood came into effect.
The question originally came up in the joint Anglican/Roman Catholic consultative group set up to deal with matters arising form Christians switching their allegiance from Canterbury to Rome.
"We were simply trying to look at the implications of payments made in the public forum from one Church to another which would be used for the support of its pastors," explained Bishop Vincent Nicholls. "And that, I think, is not without its sensitivities."
In other words, to the outside world it could seem a little odd if the Church of England were in effect paying the stipends of Roman Catholic priests, while this is something the Roman Catholic Church might find a little embarrassing.
Another aspect is the contrast in stipend and lifestyle between Anglican and Roman Catholic clergy. Both have housing provided but Roman Catholic priests receive only their keep and their pocket money often merely £800 a year.