Which would you consider to most resemble Roman Catholic faith - Lutheran or Anglican?
I've been told that the pope has recently to welcomed Anglicans into the Catholic churches. What about the Lutherans? Are they 'less Catholic' ? Lutherans were obviously the original protestant faith - so that obviously makes them protestant - am I right? While most Anglicans consider themselves Anglo-Catholics? Catholic in practice/liturgy but ignoring the 'Roman' part of Catholicism. Not answering to the Vatican. Or have I got it all wrong? Who is 'more' Catholic? I would like opinions as I realize there may be no cut and dry answer to this. And if you could or feel comfortable - please state from what angle you view this with - i.e. have you gone to 2 of the 3 churches and been able to compare first hand (or attended all 3) or are you a theology major? If you've only been to one of the churches please state which one and how you figure you know.
The Church of England is the most similar as far as ritual and doctrine, although the Lutherans are only different in the fact that they have some modified doctrine, some practices, and of course, historical animosity.
Studied in University & I attend an Anglican church with my wife as well as Mass.
Both have the concept of lineage/apostolic succession, of transubstantiation/guru puma, of absolution/vagrant.TVAhere are saints both male and female, angels and the equivalent. In their practice, they gesture, go down on knee, use water/candles/incense, chant, have nuns and monks, use rosary/mala beads for mantras. And Contemplative Prayer (St.Theresa d'Avila, and later mystics of the Catholic Church) is meditation. The two religions are so similar, it is downright spooky.
the high church of England is the closest , and i tell you this, if it wasn't for the law that no royal can be catholic , queen Elizabeth would be catholic , no question about it .
did you know she sent a letter of good will to those Anglicans who are converting to Catholicism.
look at the Anglican parish in folk stone England , they are converting , they know that Anglicanism is imploding . the holy spirit is working
Anglicans had a group split off over the issue of the ordination of women. These were the "Anglo-Catholics," a term previously used to denote "High Church" Anglicans were were very catholic in their thinking. It is the Anglo-Catholics who have been welcomed into the RC church, not the Anglicans.
In the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, postulates (trainee priests) are sent to the Roman Catholic seminary, as the Anglicans there do not have one of their own. There is an Anglican Studies program at the University, and Anglicans make up about 10% of the students, but the university (Saint Paul University) is decidedly Roman Catholic - and, Pontifical to boot. However, the theology is so close, that the Anglicans fit in really well. In fact, they seemed closer than the Ukrainian Catholics (there is also an Eastern Studies department there), even though the Ukrainians are in communion with Rome. They take the same courses, adding only a few Anglican specific courses, mostly in history - courses which were open to Roman Catholics, and which some took.
So, Anglicans, especially High Church ones are very, very close to Roman Catholics. I cannot say much about the Lutherans, except that the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is in communion with the Anglican Church of Canada, so, my guess is that they are not so far either.
My guess is that Anglicans are a bit closer (especially at the High end), with Lutherans right behind them.
In 2007, 400,000 Anglicans formally requested for the opportunity to rejoin the Catholic Church:
http://www.thefloridacatholic.org/rop/2008_rop/2008_roparticles/20080710_rop_traditional_anglicans.php
The Catholic Church is just responding to this and other requests from Anglican groups and individuals. This is well thought out and planned pastoral concern and action.
There are already over 20 different Catholic Churches that make up the worldwide Catholic Church.
In addition to the Latin Rite (Roman) Catholic Church, the Eastern Rite Catholic Churches are in full communion with the Pope, and are part of the same worldwide Catholic Church.
Eastern Rite Catholic Churches include:
Alexandrian liturgical tradition
? Coptic Catholic Church
? Ethiopic Catholic Church
Antiochian (Antiochene or West-Syrian) liturgical tradition
? Maronite Church http://www.bkerkelb.org/
? Syrian Catholic Church
? Syro-Malankara Catholic Church http://www.syromalankara.org/
Armenian liturgical tradition:
? Armenian Catholic Church http://www.armeniancatholic.org/
Chaldean or East Syrian liturgical tradition:
? Chaldean Catholic Church
? Syro-Malabar Church http://www.smcim.org/
Byzantine (Constantinopolitan) liturgical tradition:
http://www.byzcath.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=145&Item id=62
? Albanian Byzantine Catholic Church
? Belarusian Greek Catholic Church
? Bulgarian Greek Catholic Church
? Byzantine Church of the Eparchy of Kri?evci
? Greek Byzantine Catholic Church
? Hungarian Greek Catholic Church
? Italo-Albanian Catholic Church
? Macedonian Greek Catholic Church
? Melkite Greek Catholic Church http://www.pgc-lb.org/english/index.shtml
? Romanian Church
? Russian Byzantine Catholic Church
? Ruthenian Catholic Church
? Slovak Greek Catholic Church
? Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church
Now into this beautiful mix of many cultures and traditions (but one shared doctrine), something like the Anglican Catholic Church will arise. Here is Pope Benedict's new Apostolic Constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus: http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_ben-xvi_apc_20091104_anglicanorum-coetibus_en.html
Even Anglican primate Archbishop Rowan Williams wrote, ?in the light of recent discussions with senior officials in the Vatican, I can say that this new possibility is in no sense at all intended to undermine existing relations between our two communions or to be an act of proselytism or aggression. It is described as simply a response to specific enquiries from certain Anglican groups and individuals wishing to find their future within the Roman Catholic Church.? http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/new.php?n=17440
And you are correct. The Lutherans were in line to rejoin the Holy See ages ago. They were very close right up until the American Lutherans ordained their first woman. Then things ground to a screaming ha ult. Then when they began blessing gay unions the European branch - the original church - asked them to either stop or recede from communion.
To the best of my knowledge American Lutherans do not have the division over such things as women's ordination and gay unions that the American Anglicans (Episcopalian) do. Generally speaking, they are OK with these things. So there is no push towards unification with the Holy See. Also to the best of my understanding they have stopped blessing gay unions and perhaps stopped ordaining gay people and women. Although I'm not certain about that last part.
Their most important ideal right now is just not being divided from the European assembly.
Which is closer to the Roman Catholic faith?
