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IrishHill
Guest
What are the major differences?
What's the differences between the Roman Catholic Church and the Episcopal Church?
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Gerry_Hunter
Guest
You can believe that Jesus did not rise from the dead, and still be an Anglican, even an Anglican Bishop, like Jack Spong, who was invited to Lambeth after publishing “12 theses” that denied this and many other tenets of the Christian faith. You couldn’t do that and stay Catholic. That’s gotta be a big one.
Blessings,
Gerry
Blessings,
Gerry
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Barbkw
Guest
Depending on each congregation:
women priests, homosexual noncelibate partnered priests and bishops, God the Mother, Wicca faith formation, church surveys to determine the deposit of their faith, homosexual bible verse interpretation, inclusive language in liturgy and language changed to the suit the feminine, and abortion being taught in seminary that it is a “blessing.”
women priests, homosexual noncelibate partnered priests and bishops, God the Mother, Wicca faith formation, church surveys to determine the deposit of their faith, homosexual bible verse interpretation, inclusive language in liturgy and language changed to the suit the feminine, and abortion being taught in seminary that it is a “blessing.”
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Catherine_D
Guest
The answer is ~ way too many for Episcopalians to be considered “Catholic Light”.
I submit the key difference is that Catholic believe in the Real Presence and EPISCOPALIANS do not. Does it really matter after that?
There are some within the Anglican Communion that may differ with that but that’s the general deal with US Episcopalians.
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Byzantine_Wolf
Guest
All reason why, even though I was baptized into the Episcopal Church, I would never return.
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JohnnyReb
Guest
Yea, let’s bash the Episocpal faith instead of answering the OPs original question. Come on. I know you guys are better than that. I mean if I wanted to be a jerk I could say all of Catholicism’s Mariology or whatevery you call it is Goddess worship. Jack Chick does that.
Major differences:
Episcopals are Protestant. They do not accept the authority and jurisdiction of the Pope. They do not accept the teaching authority of the Roman Magisterium.
If you read the 39 articles found in the Book of Common Prayer, it is very Protestant in its scope, but maintains some Catholic influence, especially in the liturgy.
Catholics tend to be, at least on an institutional level, much more uniform in their beliefs and practices. Anglicans and Episocpalians tend to vary in degree from orthodox and conservative to ultra liberal and way out in left field (as some have pointed out already).
This link gives a basic overview of the Episcopal Church, from their perspective.
iamepiscopalian.org/
Major differences:
Episcopals are Protestant. They do not accept the authority and jurisdiction of the Pope. They do not accept the teaching authority of the Roman Magisterium.
If you read the 39 articles found in the Book of Common Prayer, it is very Protestant in its scope, but maintains some Catholic influence, especially in the liturgy.
Catholics tend to be, at least on an institutional level, much more uniform in their beliefs and practices. Anglicans and Episocpalians tend to vary in degree from orthodox and conservative to ultra liberal and way out in left field (as some have pointed out already).
This link gives a basic overview of the Episcopal Church, from their perspective.
iamepiscopalian.org/
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StrawberryJam
Guest
In my area, the food pantry and other services offered to the poor. These are both things that the Episcopal and United Methodists are doing in this area better than anyone else.
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Contarini
Guest
But it’s not a doctrinal difference. No Anglican thinks that Spong’s opinions are official Anglican teaching. I agree with you that the tolerance of such opinions in a bishop (even a retired one) is outrageous and a serious flaw in Anglicanism. But the bottom line for us, doctrinally, is the Nicene Creed. Anything not in keeping with that is not orthodox by Anglican standards.
Edwin
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Contarini
Guest
Clarification: the difference is that our official affirmation of the Real Presence is much vaguer than yours. Here is what the catechism from our Prayer Book (1979 edition, the currently binding one) has to say about it:
Note: the language of “inward and spiritual grace” is from the traditional, Catholic definition of a Sacrament, and does not necessarily imply a heretically “spiritualist” doctrine of the Eucharist. However, our language certainly allows for a more spiritualizing view than would be orthodox in your Communion.
Generally, most Episcopalians affirm the Real Presence but are reluctant to be too specific. Many of us hold to a view indistinguishable from the position of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.
I should also say that there are parts of the Anglican Communion where a more Protestant view of the Sacrament prevails than is common in the Episcopal Church.
Edwin
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Catherine_D
Guest
My copy of the Book of Common prayer is much older but here are a couple of excerpts from the Articles of Religion in the back of my copy which leads me to what I have posted:
Of the Lord’s Supper ~ … Transubstantiation (or the change of the substance of Bread and Wine) in the Supper of the Lord, cannot be proved by Holy Writ; but is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture…
on another topic the departure from the Catholic faith is even more straightforward:
Of Purgatory ~ The Romish Doctrine concerning Purgatory, Pardons, Worhsipping and Adoration, as well of Images and Relics, and also Invocation of Saints, is a fond thing, vainly invented, and grounded upon no warranty of Scripture, but rather repugnant to the Word of God.
Edwin, perhaps if the text of those Articles of Religion have changed in between the time of the printing of my copy and yours, you could clarify the current language?
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Dale_M
Guest
A short video (1.5 minutes) which mentions two differences between being Episcopalian and being Catholic. Start around the 35 second mark.
comedians.jokes.com/eddie-gossling/videos/eddie-gossling—catholic-vs–episcopalian
comedians.jokes.com/eddie-gossling/videos/eddie-gossling—catholic-vs–episcopalian
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JohnnyReb
Guest
Transubstantitation and real presence are not completely synonymous. Transubstantiation is a belief about how the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ.
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Catherine_D
Guest
It was that aspect, however, that I was referring to in distinguishing the Episcopal faith from the Catholic faith.
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GKC
Guest
But you will find folks in the Episcopal Church who affirm transubstantiation, as the how, of which the Real Presence is the what. And the Articles are not normative, not an Anglican Confession. Some folks accept them, some don’t.
I’ve been here before.
GKC
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GKC
Guest
Very big, with patches, and lots of holes.
Me, I’ve never heard any Anglican deny the* filoque*. Not doubt they are out there.
GKC
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ImReallyNice
Guest
Major differences?
- Episcopalians are influenced more by protestant thought than anything.
- Episcopalians are not loyal to the see of Rome.
- Priests can marry.
- Women can become priests.
And to cover the resurrection of Jesus, in each mass, the apostles creed is said. The resurrection is an important part of the creed and Eucharist.
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JohnnyReb
Guest
Yes, that is true, but in the 1979 Book of Common Prayer, you will find the Nicene Creed does contain the clause. Perhaps we are not so dogmatic about it. Back in Evangelical days, in college, I wrote a paper on the book of John, and defended the Orthodox position from a “Sola Scriptura” perspective. Go figure.
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Catherine_D
Guest
Yes, my even older BCP has the filioque in the Nicene Creed. When I mentioned that, I was discussing what people SAID, including at least one priest, not what was written in any official publication. I found it both interesting and startling at the time.
The Episcopal church has change quite a bit in the interim.
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