Arguments against Anglican/Episcopal Tradition

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So I have decided at this point to become Catholic and no longer attend services or participate in ministries in the Episcopal Church. Starting this weekend I will begin looking for a parish that will be a good fit for a converting family and I am really excited about it!

I am deeply involved in several ministries through our current Episcopal Parish though, and I believe the appropriate thing to do will be to sit with our rector and tell that we are leaving and why.

Chief among my reasons is the untenable and un-biblical theology it has been embracing concerning a large number of issues(divorce, abortion, women’s ordination, etc…), and the continual fracturing of the Anglican Church as a result.

Additionally, my wife (a lapsed Catholic), had no idea that the Episcopal Church is descendant from the Church of England. When I told her this, she was quite distraught at the idea of being in a Church that was founded by the despicable actions of Henry IIIV.

Lastly, I feel that I have been called by Christ to lead my family to the Catholic Church. Several key events have led me to this conclusion:
  • While in prayer it was put on my heart to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • During my original reversion I felt led by and towards the Catholic Church
  • While I was discerning a call to holy orders, it became clear to me that my call was in fact to leave and go to the Catholic Church
What I would like to know is, what resources can I use to further clarify my stated reasons for embracing Catholicism? Are there some biblical/patristic passages or thoughts that I can incorporate into my ideas? What are some other arguments that I have not thought of?
This is in part so I can be well enough prepared for any counter-arguments the rector may have and also so that I may reinforce my own convictions.

Thanks for your help.

Blessings,
a Compeccator
 
I don’t think you need to prepare a series of arguments at all because it would be difficult to anticipate every possible objection your pastor might raise. The bottom line is that none of them are relevant to your decision.

Keep the meeting short and sweet.

Simply tell him what your decision is and how God has led you to it.

Wish him well. And tell him you look forward to seeing him again when HE has made the same decision. 😛
 
Compeccator said:
This is in part so I can be well enough prepared for any counter-arguments the rector may have and also so that I may reinforce my own convictions.
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We have a sizable Anglican community (ECUSA) where I live. Several of my friends attend. My experience is that Episcopalians move fairly freely between their parish and the RCC parishes, after completing RCIA of course. This is well known to the rector, and I doubt it will be a surprise to yours.

I agree with Randy that a general statement of being led to the Catholic faith after serious discernment and reflection is the best. If you feel the need to give specifics, your concern with the moral issues (divorce, abortion, women priests, and unity of the church on these issues) are very honest. If your conscience compels you to attend a Church that definitively teaches on these matters, then it is going to be difficult (and in my opinion, unwarranted) for the rector to disagree. If that happens though, all you can really do is charitably insist that you must follow your conscience on these matters. Good luck.
 
As stated, no need to go into a long discourse as to why you are leaving; just that after discernment you have decided to go to the RCC.

Good luck in your journey
 
Great answers everyone, thanks!

Glad to be pushed in the right direction with the right spirit.

Guess this didn’t need to be posted in Apologetics after all, sorry.
 
I downloaded some cheat sheets for a charge:

catholicbible101.com/bibleversecheatsheets.htm

Blessed Virgin Mary:

“ALL generations will call me blessed…” (Luke 1:48)

Divorce:

Matthew 19:3

Abortion:

catholic.com/tracts/abortion

Pope

Matthew 16:18-19

It’s my understanding Catholics do not ordain women, because Jesus didn’t. We follow his example.

There are also numerous books on apologetics, such as “The Handbook of Christian Apologetics” by Peter Kreeft & Ronald K. Tacelli.

Good luck in any case.
 
Compeccator said:
So I have decided at this point to become Catholic and no longer attend services or participate in ministries in the Episcopal Church. Starting this weekend I will begin looking for a parish that will be a good fit for a converting family and I am really excited about it!

I am deeply involved in several ministries through our current Episcopal Parish though, and I believe the appropriate thing to do will be to sit with our rector and tell that we are leaving and why.

Chief among my reasons is the untenable and un-biblical theology it has been embracing concerning a large number of issues(divorce, abortion, women’s ordination, etc…), and the continual fracturing of the Anglican Church as a result.

Additionally, my wife (a lapsed Catholic), had no idea that the Episcopal Church is descendant from the Church of England. When I told her this, she was quite distraught at the idea of being in a Church that was founded by the despicable actions of Henry IIIV.

Lastly, I feel that I have been called by Christ to lead my family to the Catholic Church. Several key events have led me to this conclusion:
  • While in prayer it was put on my heart to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • During my original reversion I felt led by and towards the Catholic Church
  • While I was discerning a call to holy orders, it became clear to me that my call was in fact to leave and go to the Catholic Church
What I would like to know is, what resources can I use to further clarify my stated reasons for embracing Catholicism? Are there some biblical/patristic passages or thoughts that I can incorporate into my ideas? What are some other arguments that I have not thought of?
This is in part so I can be well enough prepared for any counter-arguments the rector may have and also so that I may reinforce my own convictions.

Thanks for your help.

Blessings,
a Compeccator
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Please excuse my ignorance coming from a Jewish background but what gives with the “Anglo Catholic” one is surely a Catholic or an Anglican or if in American Episcopalian, I feel if one wants to be a Catholic the best thing is to drop the Anglo because in my opinion there is no such thing. You are either a Catholic or Episcopalian - Anglo Catholic never.
 
Best wishes in finding your new parish, and welcome home! 🙂
 
Celtic_Maiden said:
Please excuse my ignorance coming from a Jewish background but what gives with the “Anglo Catholic” one is surely a Catholic or an Anglican or if in American Episcopalian, I feel if one wants to be a Catholic the best thing is to drop the Anglo because in my opinion there is no such thing. You are either a Catholic or Episcopalian - Anglo Catholic never.
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Here’s a pretty exhaustive explanation - anglicanhistory.org/alexander/

Here’s quick and dirty one: “The terms Anglo-Catholic, Anglican Catholic and Catholic Anglican describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism which affirm the Catholic heritage and identity of the various Anglican churches, rather than the churches’ Reformed heritage.”[SUP]1[/SUP]

Basically, being brought up in the Episcopal Church, it seemed as though it was just “Catholic-light” (thanks Robin Williams). After my own feeling compelled to practice more Catholic traditions like the rosary and attending daily mass(a very difficult thing to do in the Episcopal Church), I began to identify with those that referred to themselves as Anglo-Catholics.

But thanks for pointing it out, I have changed my affiliation in my profile.

[SUP]1[/SUP] -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Catholicism
 
Compeccator said:
So I have decided at this point to become Catholic and no longer attend services or participate in ministries in the Episcopal Church. Starting this weekend I will begin looking for a parish that will be a good fit for a converting family and I am really excited about it!

I am deeply involved in several ministries through our current Episcopal Parish though, and I believe the appropriate thing to do will be to sit with our rector and tell that we are leaving and why.

Chief among my reasons is the untenable and un-biblical theology it has been embracing concerning a large number of issues(divorce, abortion, women’s ordination, etc…), and the continual fracturing of the Anglican Church as a result.

Additionally, my wife (a lapsed Catholic), had no idea that the Episcopal Church is descendant from the Church of England. When I told her this, she was quite distraught at the idea of being in a Church that was founded by the despicable actions of Henry IIIV.

Lastly, I feel that I have been called by Christ to lead my family to the Catholic Church. Several key events have led me to this conclusion:
  • While in prayer it was put on my heart to pray to the Blessed Virgin Mary
  • During my original reversion I felt led by and towards the Catholic Church
  • While I was discerning a call to holy orders, it became clear to me that my call was in fact to leave and go to the Catholic Church
Click to expand...
When you say reversion, were you once Catholic?
C:
What I would like to know is, what resources can I use to further clarify my stated reasons for embracing Catholicism? Are there some biblical/patristic passages or thoughts that I can incorporate into my ideas? What are some other arguments that I have not thought of?
This is in part so I can be well enough prepared for any counter-arguments the rector may have and also so that I may reinforce my own convictions.
Click to expand...
For me this is the only argument.

There’s only one reason to be Catholic in the Catholic Church. It’s the Church Jesus established and gave all His promises to, so I can’t be anything else…period dot end of sentence. 😉
 
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