I don’t see why they can’t do it in large groups, as long as they go through RCIA and get properly confirmed. They can’t have the Pope snap his fingers and say they’re Catholic now... they haven’t been validly confirmed.
You are correct, but it can be done en masse. The Anglican Bishops and priests would be ordained under the Pastoral provision, which has been available since 1980. Please see link below. Also, note that there are 6 Anglican use parishes in the United States, thus a working model is already present.
http://www.pastoralprovision.org/
In 2003, then Cardinal Ratizinger sent a letter to Traditional Anglicans at a meeting in Plano encouraging them to stand fast to Apostolic Tradition, the Creeds, and orthodox doctrine on Liturgy, morality, etc. Cardinal Ratzinger was also involved in the mass conversion of some 700 Anglican clergy in 1992 to 1994 when the ordination of women clergy became doctrine/policy of the Church of England.
What would happen is entire parishes would come into full communion by receiving the sacrament of Confirmation by Catholic Priests/Bishops, recite the Profession of Faith (Creed) and then receive Holy Communion.
Again, this has been done in the U.S. Go back to the pastoral provision link and look up Fr. Eric Bergman who pastors and Anglican Use parish in Pennsylvania. He, and some 200 of his parishoners came into Full communion with Rome en masse so I don’t see why it can’t be done for English Anglicans as well.
Interesting Times and the papacy of Papa Benedict keeps getting more and more exciting.
All of us Catholics should pray for our fellow Christians in the Anglican Communion and that provisions will be made for them to come into the Catholic Church and retain much of their beautiful Anglican Liturgy, which after all, is a product of the Sarum-use form of the Roman Rite, which was the predominate form of the Roman Liturgy celebrated in England going back to the early 13th century.
Regards and God Bless
Actually rather than RCIA, the priest and bishops, formerly Anglican, must take Catholic theology and other classes.
RCIA is really for people who need baptism. Those who’re already validly baptised — esp. those who come with a presumed grounding in traditional catechesis — need comparitively little instruction to be ready for full reception.