How different is an Anglican to a Catholic?

Question

Was the Anglican Church established due to Catholicism being too difficult to follow?

Answer 1

Actually, King Henry VIII's divorce was the occasion of the split with the Bishop of Rome, not the cause.

The Anglican Church was established during the reign of Tiberius Ceasar, AD 14-37, by Joseph of Arimathea (the man who offered his tomb for Christ's body after the resurrection - and the tomb from which Christ arose) who made a missionary trip to England and converted people to Christianity. He ordained priests and bishops.

The ancient Celtic Church was established in Ireland, Scotland, and northern England by 208 AD. These two churches united as one, united Church of England in 664 AD at the Synod of Whitby.

The Bishop of Rome did not rise to universal power and form the Roman Catholic Church until approximately 1000 AD. In 1056, the Eastern Christians refusing to submit to the Bishop of Rome, split and created the Orthodox Churches. It was not until the invasion of the Duke of Normandy (William the Conqueror) that the Bishop of Rome had authority over the Church of England, which had always been independent.

The people of England resented the authority of the Bishop of Rome. They deeply resented the fact that English priests were seldom promoted to Bishop. Instead the Bishop of Rome sent Italian Bishops to rule the church in England.

It was Parliament who broke with the Bishop of Rome, not Henry VIII. The Church of England was simply reestablishing its independence. The Church of England is only Protestant in that it is independent of Rome. The catholic creeds (The Apostles Creed & The Nicene Creed) and most catholic beliefs were retained. The Church of England retained Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, the catholic and apostolic order of the church.

Answer 2

You might read some history to learn this.. Modern US Episcopalians and Catholics would most likely have been born into one of the two denominations - so the prior historical issues which led to the Anglican Church being formed would not be relevant to modern day Anglicans/Episcopalians or Catholics. We live in the modern era vs hundreds of years ago. I have had Episcopalian relatives in the family tree. I have wonderful Episcopalian neighbors. The one major difference is size of membership - globally the Anglican/Episcopalian membership is about 70-77 million total while the Catholic Church has 1.2 billion laity as global membership.

Labels like "Protestant" are thrown around as if it is an organization. Protestant encompasses many many small and vastly different denominations and independent Churches.. The Roman Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination with a global hierarchy, one global organization..

Answer 3

The only difference is this: The head of the Anglican church is the king; the head of the Catholic church is the pope. Anglican church was established because King Henry Vlll wanted a divorce, and the pope wouldnt give him one.

Answer 4

It relies upon what style of Anglican - it embraces a huge variety of liturgical prepare beginning from greater catholic than catholic to very protestant. If this is intense or anglo-catholic, you will no longer be conscious various distinction. There may be greater congregational making a music, nonetheless, and you will probable locate various hymns you do no longer understand. The low church end is greater variable, yet you will locate if it truly is a communion provider then it will have each and all the comparable aspects as mass, purely executed in a miles less ceremonial way.

Answer 5

A good friend of mine who's Anglican refers to it as "Catholic Lite". In so far as I know, the practices and doctrines are essentially the same without the Papacy. I believe it was established because King Henry wanted a divorce.

Answer 6

You nailed it! King Henry VIII found it too difficult to accept that he could not divorce his wife and marry another. So he cut himself off from the Pope and forced the Catholic Church in England at sword-point to acknowledge him as its head, so he could make his own rules.