Anglican and Catholic are from the same Christian roots that was founded by Jesus Christ 2000 years ago in Judea. They then diverged and became two different forms of Christianity.
Anglican vs Catholic
The difference between Anglican and Catholic is that Anglican refers to the church of England whereas Catholic comes from the Greek word that means ‘universal’.
The first form of Christianity is the Catholic. It also claims to have kept the apostolic leadership unbroken since the time of St. Peter. The origin of the Anglican Church was during the Reformation. It was the idea of Henry VIII. The catholic Church originated when the Christ’s apostles began preaching after his death.
There is no central hierarchy (a system that places one church or priest above all the others) in the Anglican Church. Due to this, all the other Anglican Churches have a lot of freedom to decide on a particular policy.
On the other hand, the Catholic Church have a firmly established hierarchy. At the top, there is pope himself then the Cardinals, arch-bishops, bishops and at the lowest the parish priests.
Comparison Table Between Anglican and Catholic
| Parameters of Comparison | Anglican | Catholic |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Anglican refers to the church of England and all the branches related to it in the whole world. | Catholic refers to the Greek word which means ‘universal’. |
| Origins | The Anglican Church originated during the Reformation. Also, Henry VIII was its founder. | The catholic Church originated just after the death of Christ through the Christ’s apostles preachings. |
| Who came before | It emerged from the Catholic Church after Henry VIII broke off and formed his own sect. | The catholic Church was the first form of Christianity. |
| Leadership | The Anglican Church does not have a centralised hierarchy which means there is no church or priest that is considered above all the others. | The Catholic Church has a firmly established centralised hierarchy with the Pope himself on the top and the parish priests at the lowest rung. |
| Beliefs and Practices | The priests of the Anglican Church can marry. | The priests, monks and nuns have to take a vow of celibacy. |
What is Anglican?
Anglican refers to the church of England and all the branches related to it in the whole world. It’s origin is dated back to the time of Elizabeth I. During the time of reformation, the Anglican Church was founded by Henry VIII.
When Henry VIII could not secure a sanctioned divorevfron the Catholic Church, he broke off from it to form his own sect. This was when the Anglican Church was formalized.
The Anglican Church does not have a central hierarchy which means it does consider any priest or church above all the other. This gives all the other churches and regions a lot of freedom to decide on any specific policy.
Also, the priests of the Anglican Church can marry. Communion is only believed as a symbolic act by the parishioners that take it. In the words of one parishioner, the mass entails a lot of smells and bells.
In the recent years, there has been conflict between more liberal branches of the Anglican Church on the topic of wanting to include gays and lesbians as members of the clergy and conservation branches. This has led the Anglican Church in danger of an irrevocable spilt.
What is Catholic?
Catholic refers to the Greek word which means ‘universal’. It is the first form of Christianity and also claims to have kept an unbroken apostolic leadership since St. Peter’s time.
The Catholic Church originated just after the death of Christ through the preachings of Christ’s apostles. Catholism was made the official religion of the Empire of Rome in the 4th century AD.
The Catholic Church has a firmly established centralised hierarchy. Its top is taken by the Pope himself and then the Cardinals, arch-bishops, bishops and lastly at the lowest the parish priests. The Pope is tought to be a successor of the apostle Peter and is chosen by the Cardinals.
The priests at the Catholic Church along with the monks and nuns must take a vow for celibacy. Communion is believed to be related to the miracle of transubstantiation. The use of incense and bell ringing is liberal in the mass.
Main Differences Between Anglican and Catholic
- Anglican refers to the church of England and all the branches related to it in the whole world whereas Catholic refers to the Greek word which means ‘universal’.
- The Anglican Church originated during the Reformation or during the Elizabeth I time and Henry VIII was its founder while the Catholic Church originated just after the death of Christ through the Christ’s apostles preachings.
- The Catholic Church was the first form of Christianity whereas the Anglican Church emerged from the Catholic Church after Henry VIII broke off and formed his own sect.
- The Anglican Church does not have a central hierarchy whereas the Catholic Church has a central hierarchy.
- The priest of the Anglican Church can marry whereas the priests, nuns and monks of the Catholic Church cannot marry and have to take a vow of celibacy.
Conclusion
Anglican refers to the church of England and all the branches related to it in the whole world whereas Catholic refers to the Greek word which means ‘universal’. The Anglican Church originated during the Elizabeth I time and Henry VIII was its founder.
On the other hand, the Catholic Church originated just after the death of Christ through the preachings of Christ’s apostles. The Catholic Church have a firmly established hierarchy while the Anglican Church has no central hierarchy, i.e., there is no priest or church that is considered above all the other.
The priest of the Anglican Church can marry whereas the priests, nuns and monks of the Catholic Church must take a vow of celibacy.
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