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I asked a Catholic said they are just Catholic Churches with a lower c that believe in God, but they are not Catholic. So I am confused. I am a baptized Roman Catholic who's been confused a lot lately on direction. Also talked to a Deacon who encouraged me to pray and find the answer of how I want God in my life. He encouraged me to look into Confirmation. However,I pray and become more confused. I want to explore other religion's with in Christianity, but not sure where to look.
well, probably if you dropped by your local episcopal church for the sunday service you wouldn't notice much different going on between the catholic liturgy and theirs---a priest (often called "father") in vestments presides from an altar(OFFICIALLY "communion table" for them I think), there are scripture readings (they generally follow the same common lectionary), sermon, and communion rite all pretty much the same to look at and read or hear.
the "devil" (or perhaps the "angel") is in the details of dogma and doctrine. Episcopalians are indeed "protestants" and reject the authority of the pope in matters of determining dogma and belief, they officially reject the Catholic belief in "transubstantiation"/complete change in the bread and wine at communion (while most but NOT all would say that the "true" body and blood of Christ is received in some way at communion---some would believe that the communion rite is actually more of a remembrance/memorial) and they generally practice "open communion" allowing any Christian to receive communion (Catholics are happy to have "anybody" come in and worship and pray with them but generally do not allow non-Catholics to receive communion though they are usually very welcome to come up and be blessed by the priest instead), they have a married clergy and women priests as opposed to the (generally) celibate male priests of "Rome", they generally do not regard contraception and abortion as grave sins (though most would say they are very serious matters ultimately between the woman and her conscience), they have no problems with divorced AND remarried people receiving communion (there is no bar to divorced Catholics receiving communion either unless they are divorced AND remarried without church approval/determination of the validity or lack of same of the previous marriage---generally (but not always) through the "annulment" process),and they are generally very supportive of openly LBGT folks including those in the ordained ministry.
one might conclude that externally there are many obvious similarities but it's the subtle and often unseen and un-noticed interior differences in theology that underlie the practices and beliefs of both sides that may be critical. my suggestion is that you may want to get a copy of "Catholicism for dummies" to get a better feel on what Catholics believe (yes, many and maybe most Catholics don't know all the details of their own faith), talk to a R.C. priest about your concerns and perhaps also to an Episcopal/Anglican priest and if you do, ask them SPECIFICALLY how they differ (and also agree) with the Catholics (and vice versa)---and then think and PRAY on what you should do.
hope this is of some help and interest to you.
may God bless you and help you to do the right thing for your spiritual needs.
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 09-25-2015 at 09:36 AM..
Reason: more info.
I asked a Catholic said they are just Catholic Churches with a lower c that believe in God, but they are not Catholic. So I am confused. I am a baptized Roman Catholic who's been confused a lot lately on direction. Also talked to a Deacon who encouraged me to pray and find the answer of how I want God in my life. He encouraged me to look into Confirmation. However,I pray and become more confused. I want to explore other religion's with in Christianity, but not sure where to look.
Catholic simply means "universal". Roman Catholic is what people usually mean when they refer to Catholics.
If you ask an Episcopalian if they are Catholic or Protestant, they will answer "Yes".
Some differences are: The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, not higher than any other Bishops. (There is an Archbishop of Canterbury who is the head by title only of all the Anglican churches in the world, but he has no power to change church rules.)
Episcopalians don't pray to saints, but they hold them up as examples.
Confessing sins to a priest is an option, but not necessary. There is a "prayer of confession" said during the Eucharist that all say together. You can go right to God without a priest or other clergyperson in between.
Women are ordained as priests and bishops in the Episcopal Church.
All people are welcome, and gay people are accepted. Bishops may allow same-sex union blessings in their dioceses.
All Christians who are baptized are invited to take Communion in the Episcopal Church. They don't distinguish between types of Christians or believe the Episcopal Church is the only right way. Many Episcopalians don't think Christianity is the only right path, either, and they are free to say so.
There is room for freedom of thought and belief re doctrine and traditions; for example, some may think of Communion as a remembrance, others may believe in transubstantiation as the Catholics do. Nobody has a heart attack if you don't believe in the Virgin Birth.
There is no belief that the Bible is the inerrant, infallible Word of God. Scripture is read and studied at length, and the lectionary read at services is usually exactly the same as the Catholic lectionary.
Episcopal means simply that the church is run by bishops. It's sort of democratic in how they elect bishops and vote on things. Because they follow the apostolic succession as Catholics do, a Catholic doesn't have to be confirmed again if they join an Episcopal church because they already had hands of a bishop laid upon them. They are "Received" instead.
My little Episcopal parish is full of former Catholics, including the priest, who was once a Catholic priest, quit years ago, got married, had a corporate career, and became a part-time Episcopal priest upon his retirement from business.
My little Episcopal parish is full of former Catholics, including the priest, who was once a Catholic priest, quit years ago, got married, had a corporate career, and became a part-time Episcopal priest upon his retirement from business.
Yes, any Catholic priest that wants to get married and make money in the corporate world usually transfers to the Episcopal church. And that is a very good thing because it means they could not do the vows of poverty and chastity.
If I recall, I believe the RCC does not recognize the apostolic authority of the Episcopal church. They believe their Pope is a successor to the first Pope, whom they believe was Peter. They do not recognize the Episcopal church as having that authority. I'm sure there are other differences. I don't believe they pray to Mary, for one.
How many times do you need to be told they do NOT pray TO Mary, Vizio. They ask Mary to pray FOR them. Stop pretending not to see the difference.
thanks very much for that MysticPhD---exactly true as far as Catholics and Orthodox are concerned.. FWIW, the word "pray" originally meant simply to "ask" especially when addressing someone worthy of respect and was used in that way in Elizabethan times and likely can be found used thusly in some of Shakespeare's plays. unless used concerning communication with God, Jesus, and/or the Holy Spirit it does NOT mean "worship" but simply a request for help---specifically to someone to join their prayers to God with ours: "Holy Mary....PRAY for us sinners (to Jesus)----now and at the hour of our death"---just as we might ask fellow Christians right here and right now to "pray" for and with us to Christ for our righteous needs.
FWIW, Vizio is right that the official policy of the Catholic church is that Episcopal/Anglican ministers are not "priests" in the same way as Catholic priests are but then many Episcopalians do not have the same view of what the sacraments are or "do" and thus what a priest is and should "do" in regards to certain sacraments---most especially the Eucharist and would likely NOT really want to be priests in the Catholic or Orthodox concept. that said, Catholics should respect and honor the work of ministers and pastors in that and all other churches for what they do to spread the gospel and advance the salvation of those they minister to---may God bless and help them in their work.
Catholic priests and parishes often co-operate with Episcopal priests and parishes (and other denominations as well) for practical acts of charity and at various times of the year (Lent especially) may join in prayer services to show their basic unity in a common baptism in Christ as Christians and their shared need for mercy and reconciliation with God and their neighbor.
Last edited by georgeinbandonoregon; 09-25-2015 at 01:50 PM..
Reason: more info.
Yes, any Catholic priest that wants to get married and make money in the corporate world usually transfers to the Episcopal church. And that is a very good thing because it means they could not do the vows of poverty and chastity.
Cute story you made up in your head, Julian, but that is not the reason he quit the priesthood. He taught school for a while before he went back and got a business degree/Master's, and he married late in life and had no children.
He is Italian born and wanted to be a missionary. He pictured himself in India or Africa, but he was sent to Milwaukee to teach instead. Eventually, he became disillusioned with the Catholic Church in particular and with Christianity in general. He's now 72, and he says that if you had told him 20 years ago that he'd attend church regularly, let alone be up front administering the Eucharist, he would have called you a liar.
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