The Associated Press on the Pope's Apostolic Constitution

I know journalists are taught to use dramatic verbs in headlines, but surely not when they distort the meaning of the story, as Nicole Winfield does — Vatican seeks to lure disaffected Anglicans. Compare AP's headline to that of CNN — Vatican welcomes Anglicans into Catholic Church.

The verb welcome means to "to receive with professions of kindness," while lure means to "provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion." The latter's most neutral synonym is "attract," but even that would be a misrepresentation of the Apostolic constitution's original intent.

The Traditional Anglican Communion has been asking for this for years, as its primate, Archbishop John Hepworth, makes clear in his statement that the decision "more than matches the dreams we dared to include in our petition of two years ago" — Anglican Archbishop: Our Prayers Have Been Answered.

Francis Eugene Cardinal George explained that "this step by the Holy See is in response to a number of requests received in Rome from groups of Anglicans seeking corporate reunion" — U.S. Catholic and Episcopalian leaders respond to Vatican’s new Anglican provision.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, Primate of the Anglican Communion, who stands the most to lose by this decision, said that "in the light of recent discussions with senior officials in the Vatican, I can say that this new possibility is in no sense at all intended to undermine existing relations between our two communions or to be an act of proselytism or aggression" — Anglican and Catholic archbishops say declaration won't change dialogue.

So, in her report on the "decision... reached in secret by a small cadre of Vatican officials" (at least she didn't say "cabal"), Miss Winfield, a professional journalist, is erroneous and misleading, as this blogger has proven by merely quoting a few on-line sources. The question remains, is Miss Winfield guilty of invincible ignorance (entirely likely), or of willfully impugning the motives of not only the Western World's oldest institution but of the Vicar of Christ himself?