Cardinal said Anglicans did not need to defect, claims bishop

The new Pope once dismissed the branch of the Roman Catholic Church set up by his predecessor for defecting Anglicans as "quite unnecessary", his Anglican counterpart in Argentina claims.

The Rt Rev Greg Venables, the Anglican Bishop of Argentina, said that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio had told him "very clearly" that he had doubts about the Ordinariate and thought there was no need for Anglicans who want closer ties with their Catholic counterparts to leave their church.

The Ordinariate was set up by Pope Benedict as a separate body within the Catholic Church, using Anglican forms of worship.

Many within the Church of England were angered by its creation, complaining that they had not been consulted and calling it a snub to Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury at the time. Bishop Venables's comments came as the Church of England praised the election of Cardinal Bergoglio as Pope and spoke of growing ties between the churches.

It issued a statement acknowledging that many Anglicans see the Pope as the "universal Primate" even though they are outside the Roman Catholic Church.

The Vatican also signalled yesterday that Pope Francis would build on efforts of his predecessors towards eventual unity between the churches.

Bishop Venables said he had a close working relationship with Pope Francis when he was the Catholic Archbishop of Buenos Aires.

"He is consistently humble and wise, outstandingly gifted yet a common man," he said. "He is no fool and speaks out very quietly yet clearly when necessary." He added: "He called me to have breakfast with him one morning and told me very clearly that the Ordinariate was quite unnecessary and that the Church needs us as Anglicans."

Fr Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said that ties between the two churches had been strengthened in recent years, especially during Pope Benedict's visit to Britain, and that they looked likely to get stronger still.

The Bishop of Guildford, the Rt Rev Christopher Hill, will represent Anglicans at the Pope's inaugural mass on Tuesday.

In a statement issued by the Church of England yesterday (Friday), he said: "The universal Primate, whom some Anglicans and many other Christians are beginning to recognise, is still the bishop of a local church, a bishop of the Church, not a single bishop over the Church."

A spokesperson for the Ordinariate said Bishop Venables's words were his own, not those of the Pope.