The Apostolic Constitution, which Cardinal Levada said "provides a reasonable and even necessary response to a world-wide phenomenon", will be a "single canonical model for the universal Church which is adaptable to various local situations and equitable to former Anglicans in its universal application."

The new canonical structure will allow former Anglicans to enter into full communion with the Church while "preserving elements of distinctive Anglican spiritual patrimony," said Cardinal Levada. He added: "The provision of this new structure is consistent with the commitment to ecumenical dialogue which continues to be a priority for the Catholic Church, particularly through the efforts of the Pontifical Council for Promotion of Christian Unity."

One large group of breakaway Anglicans which has been requesting a formal structure to be corporately received into the Catholic Church has been the Traditional Anglican Communion, made up of an estimated 400,000 members worldwide.

Cardinal Levada explained that this initiative "has come from a number of different groups of Anglicans." He went on to say: "They have declared that they share the common Catholic faith as it is expressed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church and accept the Petrine ministry as something Christ willed for the Church. For them the time has come to express this implicit unity in the visible form of full communion."

He said there has been a "tremendous shift" in the ecumenical movement and "these possibilities weren't seen as they are now". He rejected accusations that the new Anglicans be described as dissenters. "Rather they are assenting to the movement of the Holy Spirit to be in union with Peter, with the Catholic Church," he said.

The study also estimates that the virus - commonly referred to as the swine flu bug - will infect about 60 percent of the U.S. population, although only about 25 percent of Americans will fall ill.

"The model predicts that there will be a significant wave in autumn, with 63% of the population being infected, and that this wave will peak so early that the planned [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] vaccination campaign will likely not have a large effect on the total number of people ultimately infected by the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus," the authors wrote in their study.

"The model predicts that the peak wave of infection will occur near the end of October in week 42, with 8% of the population being infected during that week. By the end of 2009, the model predicts that a total of 63% of the population will have been infected," the authors wrote in a conclusion that ignored the effects of a CDC vaccination program.

But even "when the model was modified to include the effect of the planned vaccination scheme," that adjustment yielded only "a relative reduction of about 6% in the total number of people infected" by the end of the year 2009.

"Based on our study alone it would be bad to discourage people from getting the vaccine, because what if our study is wrong,"

Diocese officials called for a special convention in response to The Episcopal Church's controversial actions in July, which included the approval of a resolution that declares the denomination's ordination process open to all individuals, including practicing homosexuals.

But human sexuality is only one of many concerns the diocese has. The Trinity, the uniqueness of Christ, scriptural authority, baptismal theology, and constitutions and canons are being subjugated to a "new" gospel.

"We face a multitude of false teachings, which like an intrusive vine, is threatening The Episcopal Church as we have inherited and received it from our ancestors," Lawrence stated. "I have called this the false Gospel of Indiscriminate Inclusivity because I see a common pattern in how the core doctrines of our faith are being systematically deconstructed." The diocesan bishop made clear that it is not The Episcopal Church that is the problem, but rather "it is those who have cloaked it with so many strands of false doctrine."

"I'm becoming a rare commodity I guess - an orthodox bishop within the church who is willing to risk," he said. "Now that heterodoxy is the dominant 'orthodoxy' of The Episcopal Church, it is those who believe like me who must challenge an unthinking conformity. How long we can do this - well that's the open question."

The Vatican introduced on Tuesday a new church structure that will allow former Anglicans to enter "full communion" with the Catholic Church while preserving their Anglican traditions. Pope Benedict XVI has made the provision in response to the numerous requests he has received from Anglicans who are unhappy with the ordination of women and noncelibate gay bishops.

"Those Anglicans who have approached the Holy See have made clear their desire for full, visible unity in the one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. At the same time, they have told us of the importance of their Anglican traditions of spirituality and worship for their faith journey," noted Cardinal William Levada, the Vatican's chief doctrinal official, who announced the "Apostolic Constitution."

"Rome is reminding Anglicans that our historic, orthodox faith is more important than culture and more important than geography," Minns said in a statement Tuesday. He urged the Archbishop of Canterbury to follow suit and endorse the efforts of the ACNA and other orthodox groups forming within the global body, including the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans in England.

While several key Anglican leaders have expressed their gratitude and appreciation for the new provision, the Rt. Rev. Donald Harvey, who is part of the orthodox ACNA, still has questions about the "full significance" of the move. He posed, "Will people who accept this invitation have to subscribe to Roman Catholic dogmas to which the Anglican Formularies are diametrically opposed - such as 'Papal Infallibility,' the 'Immaculate Conception' and Transubstantiation?"

Both the Vatican and the Archbishop of Canterbury affirmed that they remain fully committed to continuing ecumenical dialogue.

Delegates of Sweden's largest church, the Lutheran Church of Sweden, approved a plan Thursday to bless gay marriages, the AFP reported. Gay marriage became available in Sweden on May 1 after Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a bill in April, making it the seventh country to legalize gay marriage.

A large majority (70%) of the church's synod, or church board, agreed to allow gay couples to marry in its congregations from November 1. Pastors, however, have the discretion to refuse to bless a marriage.

The Church of Sweden, which was the state church until 2000, is the nation's largest church with 6.8 million members or nearly 75% of Swedes. While the church has blessed civil unions for more than a decade, and supported the effort to legalize gay marriage, some clergy wanted to preserve marriage for heterosexual couples.

The decision comes on the heels of a controversial vote by U.S. Lutherans to accept partnered gay clergy and a nod to pastors wanting to bless gay unions and marriages. ELCA, the nation's largest Lutheran denomination, voted to adopt the changes in August. Unhappy conservatives have since announced they would explore ways to splinter from the church.

Likewise, conservative Episcopalians are defecting to more orthodox denominations over similar gay issues, including the blessing of gay marriages. Last week, the Pope said he would embrace disgruntled Anglicans, which include Episcopalians, to the Roman Catholic Church. The Holy Father's offer includes concessions that would allow Anglicans to keep some religious traditions.

The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Rights (RFSL), the nation's largest gay rights advocate, praised the move by the Lutheran Church. "[We] congratulate the Church of Sweden for its decision. [The Church's] homosexual and bisexual members will finally be able to feel a little more welcome within society," the group said in a statement.