What are the similarities and differences between the Roman Catholic and Anglican denomination?

Answer 1

There are a variety of differences between the three denominations mentioned. The large difference between Roman Catholicism and the Church of England (Anglican, Episcopal) is their differing belief in the sacraments. For instance, when referring to the Holy Communion, Catholics believe in transubstantiation, that is to say , they believe that spiritually it takes the form of Jesus Christ's body and blood whereas Anglicans believe that the communion only represents it.

The Anglican Church directly split from Catholicism. Baptists are often considered Protestant, though there are Baptists who say they tried to restore Apostolic Christianity and may disagree with the notion that St. Peter was the first pope. Baptists don't have priests. As for authority or rank, Baptists are either independent, or they answer loosely to a Baptist association.

Now obviously, all 3 denominations claim to be Christian and all believe in Jesus, though perhaps in a slightly different way. Roman Catholic and Episcopal are very close and mostly split over the marriage issue, where Episcopal priests can marry while Catholic priests cannot. Outside of that and the differing beliefs about sacraments, they are essentially the same denomination.

Answer 2

Catholic AnswerAnglicanism: i. The body of Protestant episcopal churches deriving from and in communion with the Church of England, including the churches of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the United States, South Africa, Etc. with their missions and dependences.

ii. The systems of faith and morals professed by these bodies. These it is impossible to summarize owing to the diversity of belief and (to a lesser degree) of conduct taught, permitted and tolerated in Anglicanism. From the definite "romanizing" of a section of the high-church party, to the extreme liberalism of certain dignitaries and professors, many varieties of Christian thought can be found. They are usually very roughly classified as high-church, broad-church, and low-church; but, as Father Humphrey Johnson has justly observed, there exists within the Church of England "a larger and more important party than any of these, though a less articulate one. This party serves as a cement between the others." According to the official Book of Common Prayer the articles of the three creeds are to be believed; The Bible contains all things necessary for salvation; Purgatory, indulgences, veneration of images and relics, and the invocation of saints are "vainly invented" and "repugnant to the word of God"; two sacraments necessary for salvation were ordained by Christ, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord; transubstantiation "is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture"; the "sacrifices of Masses ... were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits"; "the Bishop of Rome hath no jursidiction in this realm of England," etc. These still represent the belief of many Anglicans.

from A Catholic Dictionary Edited by Donald Attwater, Second Edition, Revised.

In other words, the Anglican church kept the church structure, and buildings from the Catholic church. Their Holy Communion service is based - loosely - on an English translation of the Mass with all the Sacrificial elements removed. The "High Church" Anglicans are very similar in outward appearance to the Catholic church and their belief system is very similar. The real doctrinal differences are huge, they have lost Holy Orders so have neither a valid priesthood nor a valid Mass; they do not acknowledge the Holy Father as the Vicar of Christ. They have gone the way of every other Protestant group which has left the Church of Christ and are currently splintering into hundreds of separate denominations as the other Protestant groups have done.

Answer 3

In theory ... the only difference is that they have a different head bishop and internal heirarchy structure.

Since the split occurred more than 500 years ago (Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wives), many small changes have grow up (including female pastors in the Anglican Church), but the services and beliefs are much alike.

They believe in things extremely similar, except the Anglican church (Church of England) allows divorces, don't have as many rituals and have less emphasis on Jesus' mother.

There are roughly '57 varieties' of Anglicanism, and some (in England any way) are Calvinist in outlook - some countries of the world "Anglican" is aligned strongly as "Protestant" and some areas not.

Roman Catholics do not consider Anglicans Catholic as long as they refuse to acknowledge Papal Supremacy or Infallibility. No Anglican speaks for us.They use the word Catholic to denote Universiality. That is the only way they may properly use that word when referring to their Church .Do not be misled.There is no such animal as an Anglican Catholic. If there were, any Protestant faith could make the same claim.

Roman Catholic AnswerRoman Catholic just refers to the Catholic Church, which was established by Jesus Christ with Peter as the first head on earth, Jesus' personal representative. Jesus guaranteed to be with His Church until the end of the world, to send the Holy Spirit to guide It, and that there would only be ONE with no divisions. The tragedy of the Eastern Orthodox splitting from the Church is immense, they still have a valid priesthood and valid sacraments so remain Catholic, howbeit, separated and in error. The Anglican Churches, on the other hand, are a group of Protestant churches first created in the 16th century by Henry VIII, his son, Edward, and given its final form by his daughter, Elizabeth I. It, like all protestant churches, has no valid sacraments or orders. Members of this ecclesiastical community are considered Christians in that they are baptised validly, but that is all. Outwardly, the Anglicans are much closer to the Catholic church than most other protestant denominations. Henry VIII, in leaving the Church left its discipline more than its practice as did other protestant denominations.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Catholic Its original meaning of "general" or "universal" has taken on a variety of applications in the course of Christian history. First used by St. Ignatius of Antioch (A.D. 35-107) (Letter to the Smyrneans, 8, 2), it is now mainly used in five recognized senses: 1. The Catholic Church as distinct from Christian ecclesiastical bodies that do not recognize the papal primacy; 2. The Catholic faith as the belief of the universal body of the faithful, namely that which is believed "everywhere, always, and by all" (Vincentian Canon); 3. Orthodoxy as distinguished from what is heretical or schismatical; 4. The undivided Church before the Eastern Schism of 1054; thereafter the Eastern Church has called itself orthodox, in contrast with those Christian bodies which did not accept the definitions of Ephesus and Chalcedon on the divinity of Christ.

In general, today the term "Catholic" refers to those Christians who profess a continued tradition of faith and worship and who hold the Apostolic succession of bishops and priests since the time of Christ. (Etym. Latin catholicus, universal; Greek katholikos, universal.)

Catholicism. The faith, ritual and morals of the Roman Catholic Church as a historical reality, revealed in Jesus Christ and destined to endure until the end of time. It comprehends all that the Church teaches must be believed and lived out in order to be saved and, beyond salvation, in order to be sanctified. This system of doctrine, cultus, and practice is called Catholic (universal) because it is intended for all mankind, for all time, contains all that is necessary, and is suitable in every circumstance of human life.

from A Catholic Dictionary, edited by Donald Attwater, Second edition, revised 1957

The Church of Christ

The visible religious society, distinct from the Synagogue, instituted directly by Christ, under one head, St. Peter and his successors, the popes, for the purpose of preserving and propagated his teaching, and of safeguarding and using the same means of salvation (sacrifice and sacraments). It has certain marks (unity, holiness, catholicity, and apostolicity) by which it can be know. It enjoys the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and Christ has promised to be with it "all days, even to the consummation of the world" (Matt. 28:20), so that it is indefectible. He has commanded all men to join the Church, which is the one ark of salvation for all.

Anglicanism

I. The body of Protestant episcopal churches deriving from and in communion with the Church of England, including the churches of Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the United States, South Africa, etc. with their missions and dependencies.

ii. The system of faith and morals professed by these bodies. These it is impossible to summarize owing to the diversity of belief and (to a lesser degree) of conduct taught, permitted, and tolerated in Anglicanism. From the definite "romanizing" of a section of the high-church party to the extreme liberalism of certain dignitaries and professors, many varieties of Christian thought can be found. They are usually very roughly classified as high-church, broad-church, and low-church; but, as Father Humphry Johnson has justly observed, there exists within the Church of England "a larger and more important party than any of these, though a less articulate one. This party serves as a cement between the others." According to the official Book of Common Prayer the articles of the three creeds are to be believed; the Bible contains all things necessary to salvation; Purgatory, indulgences, veneration of images and relics, and the invocation of saints are "vainly invented" and "repugnant to the word of God"; two sacraments necessary for salvation were ordained by Christ, Baptism and the Supper of the Lord; transubstantiation "is repugnant to the plain words of Scripture"; the "sacrifices of Masses . . . were blasphemous fables and dangerous deceits"; "the Bishop of Rome hath no jurisdiction in this realm of England," etc. These still represent the belief of many Anglicans.

Answer 4

Similarities--some of the rituals, you have priests and bishops

Differences--the priests can be women or married in the Anglican church. The Anglicans do not recognize the authority of the Pope.

Answer 5

Anglican church does not have a pope.

Another AnswerThe Anglican Church is a protestant church that very closely resembles the Catholic Church in ritual. The Anglican Church has traditionally included "low" and "high" Church: high Church being very much like the Catholic Church in ritual and belief, especially since the Anglo-Catholic movement started by John Newman, who, after having studied history thoroughly, became a Catholic and converted to the "Roman" Church as it is known by Anglicans. The Anglican and Catholic Church are currently in dialogue with an eye towards reunion, which has become more problematic as the Anglican Church has recently starting ordaining women and homosexuals as bishops. Also, the Anglican Church has split into dozens, if not hundreds of denominations, following the trend of all protestants.

Answer 6

Roman is an epithet first commonly used in England after the protestant revolt to describe the Catholic Church. It is rarely used by the Catholic Church. The Catholic Church and the Anglican Church are alike in superficial ways, in the use of vestments, the way the Eucharist is celebrated, etc. But that is were the sameness ends, the genius of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I in foisting Protestantism on England was to make it look like the Church, and feel like the Church while gutting it of any real meaning.