Last Updated on March 19, 2022 by QCity Editorial Stuff
The difference between Anglican and Catholic Churches is that the Anglican Church accepts the authority of both Scripture and Tradition, while Catholics believe in scripture alone. The Catholic Church also holds tradition to be equal with scripture. It’s said that Catholicism has always been more open to new ideas than Protestantism, which can make it difficult for Protestants to convert to Catholicism. This article will explore some of these differences as well as similarities between the two denominations.
There are many differences between Anglican and Catholic faiths. The most apparent of these differences is the type of worship services they have. Catholics typically have a more formal service, while Anglicans have a more casual service. There are also doctrinal differences between the two faiths, including the role of bishops and the use of icons in worship. Finally, there are liturgical differences between Anglicans and Catholics, with Catholics using more traditional Latin prayers while Anglicans use English prayers that are often more modern in style. While there are many differences between these two faiths, both denominations share a common belief in Jesus Christ as their savior.
Comparison between Anglican and Catholic
| Parameters of Comparison | Anglican | Catholic |
| Beliefs | Anglicans believe in the Holy Trinity | Catholics do not. |
| Bread and wine | Anglicans do not. | Catholics believe that bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ during the consecration |
| Priests | Anglican priests can be either women or men | Roman Catholic priests can only be men |
| Pope | Archbishop of Canterbury is head of all Anglicans worldwide | The Pope is head of all Roman Catholics worldwide |
| Main person | Anglicans have a monarch of the church | Catholics have a pope |
What is Anglican?
The Anglican Church is a distinct Christian denomination in the United Kingdom. It has its origins in the Church of England, which was established by King Henry VIII in 1534. The Anglican Church is also present in other countries around the world, including the United States, where it has about 2 million members. While there are many similarities between the Anglican and Catholic faiths, there are also several key differences. One of the most notable distinctions is that, unlike Catholics, Anglicans do not believe that faith alone can lead to salvation. Instead, they emphasize both faith and good works.
The Anglican Church is a part of the larger Christian communion. It had its origins in 16th-century England and was established as a result of King Henry VIII’s desire to divorce his wife Catherine, who rejected him for being unfaithful. This split from Rome led to an independent church that still follows many Catholic traditions, such as the use of Latin during services and preaching from the Bible. Some also claim it is not Protestant because it does not follow many Protestant doctrines, such as predestination or sola scriptura.
What is Catholic?
The Catholic Church is one of the oldest institutions in the world and has endured for over two thousand years. Catholics believe that they have a relationship with Jesus Christ through their faith and traditions, and strive to live by his teachings as found in Scripture and maintained by those who came before them. Though different people may interpret what it means to be Catholic differently, some common themes unite all believers.
The Catholic Church is an institution that has lasted for over two thousand years. They believe you can have a relationship with Jesus Christ through your faith and traditions; striving to live according to his teachings as found in scripture and maintained by those who came before them. Different people might interpret what it means to be catholic differently, but there are some uniting themes.
10 Differences between Anglican and Catholic
1. Anglicans believe in the Holy Trinity, Catholics do not.
2. Catholics believe that bread and wine are changed into the body and blood of Christ during the consecration, while Anglicans do not.
3. Roman Catholic priests can only be men, but Anglican priests can be either women or men.
4. The Pope is head of all Roman Catholics worldwide, while the Archbishop of Canterbury is head of all Anglicans worldwide.
5. In Catholicism there are seven sacraments – baptism, confirmation, Eucharist (communion), penance (confession), matrimony (marriage), holy orders (ordination), and anointing of the sick – whereas in Anglicanism there are two sacraments – baptism and Eucharist.
6. Baptism is a sacrament for both denominations but it has different meanings; for Catholics, it removes original sin so they become children again before God whereas for Anglicans it is symbolic.
7. Anglicans have a monarch of the church, while Catholics have a pope.
8. The Catholic Church is one institution with many different orders and branches, whereas Anglicanism is more decentralized.
9. In Catholicism, people are saved by their own merits through good deeds and sinful actions; in Anglicanism, people are saved by Christ’s grace alone.
10. There is no purgatory in Catholicism but there is an intermediate state called limbo in Anglicanism.
Interesting Statistics or Facts of Anglican
1. The Anglican Church is the third-largest Christian church in the world.
2. The Anglican Communion has over 80 million members worldwide.
3. There are more than 40,000 churches and other places of worship affiliated with the Anglican Communion.
4. It was founded by King Henry VIII as a breakaway from the Catholic Church after he wanted to remarry.
5. In 1801, it became one of many churches that formed part of what we now call “the broad church” – all those who do not subscribe to any particular doctrine or dogma but still hold Christian values close to their heart.
6. It was created as an alternative for those who disagreed with certain teachings and practices within Catholicism such as transubstantiation (where bread and wine turn into Jesus’ body).
Interesting Statistics or Facts of Catholic
1. Catholics are the largest religious denomination in America.
2. The Catholic Church has seen a dramatic decline in membership over the past 50 years.
3. The Vatican is home to an estimated 8,000 people at any given time.
4. There are 1 billion Catholics worldwide and they represent about half of all Christians.
5. Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on December 17, 1936, in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
6. There have been 266 popes to date with Pope Benedict XVI being number 265.
Conclusion
The Anglican Doctrine on the Eucharist is divided into two parts. The first part proposes that Christ’s body and blood are present in “bread and wine” taken at communion, but not transubstantiated (or changed) into them. They’re just “present” there. This teaching comes from Thomas Aquinas who has a more Aristotelian view of the universe than an Augustinian one. He believed that substances can change without losing their essence or form because they retain what he called substantial form which defines its substance to make it recognizable as itself even if it changes forms—a glass of water will still be H2O whether you freeze it, heat it, pour it down your drainpipe… It doesn’t matter.
The Anglican Church is a Christian church that developed out of the Catholic tradition. It originated in England during the 1500s when King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife Catherine of Aragon, who was also the sister of Emperor Charles V. The break from Catholicism occurred over disagreements about whether or not an annulment could be granted for marriages where one spouse had previously been married and it created Protestantism which became known as Anglicanism (or Episcopal). ____, Unlike some other denominations, more than half (60%)of all Anglicans are members of churches outside Europe, predominantly in Africa and Asia._The Doctrine Commission has stated that “the Bible does not teach anything like apostolic succession.
References:
Resource 01: https://anglicanchurch.net/
Resource 02: https://www.usccb.org/
