Is the Catholic church services like the Episcopal Church services?

Question

I started going to church with my Aunt several months ago. (She's Episcopal) I enjoy the services but are not too crazy about homosexuals serving as priests and bishops. My friend is Catholic and she asked me to visit her church. Our the services similar?

Answer 1

Yes, the services are similar. Episcopals are a "liturgical" church. This means the follow the liturgical calendar.

You may find many similarities depending on what type of Episcopal church your grandmother attends. I haven 't been to an Episcopal church in a long time....but I think they do some kneeling....but you'll do more in the Catholic church. There is more reverence in the Catholic church because of the actual presence of Christ.

It's important to remember that you cannot receive Eucharist in the Catholic church unless you are Catholic.

The Mass is beautiful and ancient. The actual sacrifice of the Mass was recorded as early as 150 A.D. It has changed very little since then. Things surrounding the sacrifice have changed, but the core has not. Just as the core teachings of the Church have not changed.

Pay attention to what the Priest says and does. Make sure to ask your friend any questions you have or even ask the Priest after mass.

Answer 2

Ah, the Catholic tinfoil hat brigade is out in force, I see.

Look, no offense to Catholics. Heck, my wife is from a Catholic family. But this business of what is "true" and "not true" and "valid" and "not valid" is a bunch of malarkey.

Transubstantiation is not mentioned in scripture. Paul himself not only stated the priests could be married, but even appointed two different women to serve as priests, one of whom was sent to Rome to serve over the people of the world's most important city of the time.

The Anglican church broke off with Catholicism because the Pope wouldn't grant Henry a divorce (which was common practice at the time in royal marriages without male issue) because the Pope was trying to form a Hapsburg alliance against the French. This of course came on the heels of the Protestant Reformation, the response against the church's wholesale corruption.

Okay, have we dealt with the pat denunciations of the Episcopal faith? Now, all that being said, there are a lot of similarities between the two churches. However, there are important theological differences.

Answer 3

Yes it is like Catholocism w/ minor differences

Many consider the Episcopal Church to follow the via media or "middle way" between Protestant and strictly Roman Catholic practices. On the one hand, Episcopal liturgy, or the practice of the people in worship, closely resembles that of the Roman Catholic Church. The Episcopal Church traces its background through Church of England, and stresses its continuity with the early universal Western church. Episcopalians ascribe to the Branch theory which posits three branches of Catholic Christianity:

The Eastern Orthodox Church
The Roman Catholic Church
The Anglican Communion
(Some consider Oriental Orthodox to be a fourth branch of Catholicism and others also consider Lutheranism to be a branch of Catholicism.)[citation needed]

The Episcopal Church is a Protestant church, with major differences from Roman Catholicism, including the use of the Book of Common Prayer (see below) and the ordination of women and non-celibate men to the priesthood. In 18th century parlance, "Protestant Episcopal" meant a Protestant church governed by bishops in Apostolic Succession. In this way, the Church was distinguished from both the Roman Catholic Church and the other Protestant churches.

Answer 4

The Catholic Church doesn't have "services". It has the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, as instituted by Jesus Christ at the last supper. To answer your question, Episcopal and Anglican services are outwardly similar to the Catholic Mass, since these churches are direct offshoots of Catholicism, and have retained much of the liturgical format of Catholicism. The essence of their service however is greatly different from the Mass since they do not have a valid priesthood nor a genuine Eucharist.
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Answer 5

I once was a cub scout leader and once a year, we had Scout Sunday in our Catholic Church. One of the other parents, an Episcopalean leaned over to me in the middle of Mass and whispered "Are you SURE this is a Catholic Mass. It's the same as what is in MY church"

The only difference that you may see is that the priest in an Episcoplean service may be a woman

Contact me after you attend Mass. I would like to know your opinion.

Answer 6

I was born and raised Episcopal and recently converted to Roman Catholicism.

The services are quite similar - I actually prefer the language in the Episcopal prayer book to the Catholic language, but didn't find it difficult to transition.

Answer 7

I believe they are very similar - yes

Answer 8

You will see very little difference.

Answer 9

I've been told they are.