British Anglicans Preparing Mass Defection to Roman Catholic Church

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1holycatholic said:
That’s true, but anti-Catholicism isn’t codified into law here and it is there.
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That said, although anti-Catholicism wasn’t codified into law nationally once the United States was created, especially today, the “Knownothing” party in the mid 1800s, who was very anti-Catholic, had major control of local city and state governments and enacted laws and their political agendas against Roman Catholics and other immigrants - although mostly RC immigrants - namely the Irish and I believe the Italians as well.

In Philadelphia, PA, for instance, there were laws that forbade Catholic churches to have their main entrances built on a major street. Many were built with the main entrances from alleyways. It was only later after the laws were repealed that many of the churches rebuilt their entrance ways. The Cathedral Basilica there which was built between 1846 to 1864 amidst the turmoil and the bloody riots during the Knownothing period, purposely designed the cathedral with no original lower side windows. This was to prevent destruction of the cathedral because at that time, Catholic churches, Catholic boarding houses, etc. in Philadelphia were being destroyed, set on fire, etc. with the blessing of the Knownothing party in power. Thankfully, I do not think these laws are still in the books today, but that really wasn’t that long ago.

I studied in the UK for a period during the late 90s. I got to know practicing Catholics and Anglicans while there and I would agree that my view of British society was different prior to living there. (I have always been interested in British history and culture from the time I was a girl.) Granted, it was only a semester, but long enough to get a flavor of what it was like now and not 40, 50, 100, 200+ years ago, which was how I viewed it before. I did attend one Anglican church for mass my first week there, thinking it was Catholic because I was confused by the sign in front of the church which called themselves “Anglican-Catholic” and I was quite “green” and “naive” then about many things. It was only after I attended the mass and met the parishioners there who were very kind and good to me did I find out that they were not officially “with Rome” yet, but were working towards it. A lot of complexities, apparently, with the church property, etc. But one of them took me to the actual Catholic church a few blocks away - one of the older Catholic churches in London at the time which wasn’t changed after the Reformation - a tiny, quaint little church on a very small side street. I do wonder if that Anglican-Catholic parish eventually broke away. I wish I remembered the name of the church.
 
Anti-Catholic laws are contrary to the Lex Naturalis. The fact that they still exist is an indictment of society in Britain today. Would you give the United States a pass if Jim Crow laws were still on the books?
 
I’m not making a blanket assertion about British society, I’m commenting only on issues regarding the Church.

I haven’t been to the U.K. (unless Gibraltar or Singapore count ;)). The British expats that I know here have little good to say about Britain, but that’s not too surprising. I’ve met British tourists :eek:, but I don’t hold their behavior against Britain.
 
I have issues with many U.S. foreign and domestic policies too.
 
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