London  - The Church of England has been stunned by the announcement by the Vatican that disaffected Anglicans would be welcome in the Roman Catholic Church, press commentators in Britain said Wednesday.

The Times newspaper described the move by Pope Benedict XVI as "potentially the most explosive development in Anglican-Catholic relations since the Reformation."

It said as many as 1,000 priests could leave the Church of England and thousands more could quit churches in the US and Australia under the proposals.

The decree, issued by the Vatican Tuesday, is being interpreted as a blow to Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has worked hard to prevent a split in the Anglican Communion over the vexed issues of homosexuality and the ordination of women.

Reports revealed that Williams, who said officially that he did not believe the decree would harm relations between the two Churches, was not consulted about the Vatican move of which he had been informed only last weekend.

In a letter to bishops and clergy, Williams wrote: "I am sorry that there has been no opportunity to alert you earlier to this. I was informed of the planned announcement at a very late stage."

However, Williams insisted that the announcement would not "disrupt "business as usual" in relations between the two churches. He said it would be a "serious mistake" to interpret it as such.

The Vatican's move was aimed at people who had reached a "conscientious conviction that visible unity with the Holy See was now what God was calling them to," he said.

"It is not a secret that in this country the ordination of women as bishops is one of these test issues."

A statement from Lambeth Palace, the headquarters of the Church of England, said the Vatican announcement "brings to an end a period of uncertainty for such groups who have nurtured hopes of new ways of embracing unity withe the Catholic Church."

The structural changes announced by the Vatican would allow church congregations to effect wholesale transfers into the Catholic Church, although the mechanism of carrying out such transfers is not entirely clear.

The Anglican Church, with a worldwide membership of 80 million, has in recent years come under severe strain over the issues of homosexuals and women bishops.

In Britain, there has been a steady trickle of "traditionalists" defecting to the Catholic faith, as disaffected "liberals" have joined breakaway Anglican churches and movements.

"Dr Williams has been bounced. It is not altogether his fault, but this most learned of primates has been outclassed as a politician," said the Times in an editorial comment.

The Daily Telegraph, in an editorial headlined "Half way to Rome," said the changes would gave a "profound impact" on the Church of England.

The move would be seen in many quarters as a "naked bid to poach disaffected Anglicans" fed up with the endless rows over ordination and homosexuality, said the paper.

But it could also have been an attempt by the Vatican to throw Williams a "lifeline" as the contentious issues were "never going to be resolved other than through the most convoluted mechanisms."

Commentators said the announcement was bound to cast a shadow over the planned visit by Pope Benedict to Britain next year.

"The auspices for the present Pope's visit are now less good," said the Times.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the proposed high Anglican enclave within the Roman Catholic Church - as offered by the Pope - could be a "half-way home to those who will never be reconciled to the liberal reforms of the Anglican Communion - which might now avoid the schismatic clash that for so long has seemed inevitable over the ordination of women bishops."(dpa)