A small group of people is often considered a fringe group within the larger body of the Catholic church. Still, people in the church are leaving the mainstream and embracing a more traditional Catholicism. They are known as “Anglo-Catholics” and often follow practices that are considered heretical by the larger body of the Catholic church.
Anglo Catholic: What is it?
One of the biggest reasons why people keep asking that question is because there are so many different kinds of catholic Christians in the world today. The Anglo Catholic is one of the most misunderstood of all of the catholic “types.” The Anglo Catholic has a proper reverence and worship of Christ and his divinity, but they still hold on to the ways of their original catholic tradition.
The term Anglo-Catholic is a bit misleading since it does not refer to the Church of England but to Catholics who follow the liturgy of the Anglican Church (the term Anglo-Catholic is borrowed from the Anglo-Catholic movement which was formed among the Anglo-Catholic clergy in England in the early part of the 20th century to promote the use of the liturgy of the Church of England after the Second Vatican Council). The term “Anglo-Catholic” most often refers to the belief that the English Catholic Church, as an integral part of the Catholic Church, has retained the Apostolic Tradition (i.e., the sacramental tradition) and the sacraments of the traditional Anglican Church, that is, the Church of England.
Anglo Catholics and the Anglo-Catholicism
Anglicanism, sometimes called Anglo-Catholicism, is a term used to describe the Catholicism practiced in England, beginning in the 16th century. Today, Anglican churches in Great Britain and elsewhere have adopted the Articles of Religion, the Thirty-Nine Articles, as the basis for their faith and practices. Anglo-Catholicism is a branch of the Roman Catholic Church that holds to the ancient tradition of the Catholic faith as set forth in the 16th century.
It is often said that there is no such thing as a ‘true’ Anglo catholic. Some Anglo Catholics may be native Irish; some may have some Welsh; some may have lived in the United States, Canada, or Australia. But what they all have in common is that they are all disciples of the creed of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and they all belong to the Church of England.
Every year, Anglo-Catholic bishops and priests from across the globe gather to discuss theological issues and develop the common faith shared by Anglicans and Catholics. The conference, which takes place in early May, is an ideal opportunity for Anglican clergy to consolidate their faith in their own traditions and learn more about their Catholic brethren’s life.
How does Anglo Catholicism differ from Roman Catholicism?
Anglo-Catholicism is the worship of the Catholic Church in England. So, how does it differ from Roman Catholicism? The beliefs of an Anglo-Catholic are based on the teachings of the Church of England rather than those of the Vatican, which is why the term “Anglo-Catholicism” is used.
All Anglo-Catholic bishops and priests share certain things about the Anglo-Catholic church. We all believe in the Holy Trinity, the sacrificial nature of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, and the ministry of the Church. As the Catholic faith spread throughout the English-speaking world, the Anglo-Catholic church developed, and so did the way it is practiced.
