Could you tell me something about Anglican Church ?

[sky753]

Hello Everyone,

I have met Anglican Church many times in newspapers and other articles. Could you tell us the origin of Anglican church? Is Anglican Church a commonplace in English speaking countries. Is there a Archbishop governing all the Anglican churches all over the world? Besides Anglican Churches,are there other types of churches in Western countries? What is the relationship between them?

Thanks and best Regards

[Noego]

Excerpt from Encyclopedia Britannica:

"In 1534 the Christian church in England separated itself from the jurisdiction of the pope in Rome, and Parliament named King Henry VIII “the only supreme head of the Church of England.” This change established a new denomination that became the mother church for many other regional and national church bodies. Together, these church bodies make up what is called the Anglican Communion."

Also from Encyclopedia Britannica:

"The member churches of the Anglican Communion, besides the Church of England, are the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia; the Anglican Church of Australia; the Church of Bangladesh; the Episcopal Church of Brazil; the Episcopal Church of Burundi; the Anglican Church of Canada; the Church of the Province of Central Africa; the Anglican Church of the Central America Region; the Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo; the Holy Catholic Church in Hong Kong; the Church of the Province of the Indian Ocean; the Church of Ireland; the Anglican Communion in Japan; the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East; the Anglican Church of Kenya; the Anglican Church of Korea; the Church of the Province of Melanesia; the Anglican Church of Mexico; the Church of the Province of Myanmar; the Church of Nigeria; the Church of North India; the Church of Pakistan; the Anglican Church of Papua New Guinea; the Episcopal Church in the Philippines; the Episcopal Church of Rwanda; the Scottish Episcopal church; the Church of the Province of South East Asia; the Church of South India; the Church of the Province of Southern Africa; the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America; the Episcopal Church of the Sudan; the Anglican Church of Tanzania; the Church of the Province of Uganda; the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States; the Church in Wales; the Church of the Province of West Africa; and the Church in the Province of the West Indies. A few smaller churches and diocesan units, such as in Bermuda, the Falkland Islands, and Sri Lanka, operate under the oversight of the Archbishop of Canterbury. The worldwide membership of the Anglican Communion was estimated at about 70 million in the early 21st century."

[Anglika]

You will find everything here: The Church of England | Church of England

[pedant]

And now a more down to earth version....a quick pot-history:

Once upon a time, around 1530 or so (the year, not tea-time), the English King Henry 8th got fed up with his current wife nagging him all the time, and not producing any decent kids, so he decided he wanted a divorce, but the Catholic Church (the only one around at the time) wouldn't allow it (NO!!!! they said. Marriage is forever...yeah, right!).

So, after a few angry letters back and forth he eventually told the Pope (who lived in Rome and the leader of the Catholic Church supposedly appointed by God): "Yaaa... Booo... Sucks to you mate, I'll set up my own church and I'll be top man instead of you"....really just a bit like two kids playing football!

So he did. He immediately got all his mates togther and they knocked down all the Catholic buildings and churches that they could find and killed as many Catholics as they could find. Most normal people they asked just said, who? me? no....I'm not a catholic, so they let them go. However quite a lot of people stuck firmly to their faith and were consequently tortured and killed by various methods: burning on a big fire was common, but they were also hung, had their guts pulled out while still alive, and then cut up into 4 bits - this proved to be a good spectator sport for many.

The whole lot of King Henry's friends became very nasty to ordinary peace loving people. (where have we heard that before?). It still goes on now in football for instance.... "who do you support?"...if you say the wrong team you get your head kicked in.

Eventually though, lots of other people around the world agreed with King Henry on a number of different points....not least of which was the question: if humility and poverty are all the rage, how come the Pope has so much wealth? Although they all still believed in some sort of a God, they just thought that it (he?, she?) was something other than what the Pope said it was....so they all started to follow King Henry's idea and worship their God in a similar way as they did before, but without having the Pope telling them how they should do it. This idea rapidly caught on and remains with many people to this day.

Over 400 years later, the head of the Anglican Church is still the British Monarch (currently the Queen), but she is ably assisted by the Archbishop of Canterbury (who is effectively the spiritual leader and who has actually studied theology, unlike the Queen, and so he might know a bit more than most about how God works). This is somewhat ironic since King Henry killed the very good one he already had at Canterbury! (see Murder in the Cathedral).

The Anglican Church philosophy quickly spread around the world but basically it still has exactly the same rituals as the original Catholic Church, to the extent that in the later part of the last century (1970 onwards) they were actually talking to each other about getting back together! Only a couple of their beliefs are different (For Anglicans, the Eucharist is a symbol, not an absolute reality as in the Catholic faith, For Anglicans the Pope is not appointed by God).

Just try watching the Midnight services on Christmas Eve and try to spot the difference between the two ceremonies!

Interestingly, Prince Charles (the current heir to the British Throne) says that when he is crowned King (if that ever happens - his mum still looks like she'll outlive him by many years) he will not take the normal oath to be 'defender of the faith' (ie. the Anglican faith), but will take an oath to be 'defender of faiths'. (ie. he will defend anyone with any spiritual belief)

Good man....why anyone should think that their own belief out-trumps anyone else's is the whole cause of world strife.