catholics and episcopalians dissertation
Catholics vs . Episcopalians, is there truly a distinction? After i recollect in
my spiritual tradition, Catholicism, I reflect on just how several it is in
practice and theology as a result of simple traditions. Once examining I actually came
to compare just how deeply Catholics and Episcopalians are divided on inquiries of
political and religious leadership? Through research I have concluded that
Catholics and Episcopalians are vastly separated in political and religious
management and this element is the most important distinction between the two
practices. Since the business of the Episcopalian Church you observe the
website link between the Church of Great britain and further with the Roman Catholic Church since
stated, It absolutely was part of the Anglican Communion, officially organized in
Philadelphia in 1789 while the heir to the House of worship of Britain in the American
Colonies. In points of doctrine, worship, and ministerial purchase, the house of worship
descended via and has remained associated with the Church of Britain. The
history of the house of worship began together with the first long lasting English settlement at
Jamestown, Va., in 1607. (Encyclopedia Britannica Online) The institution
of the Episcopalian Church was at fact intended for political and religious leadership
freedom from the ties while using Church of England and conjunction independence from
the Catholic Chapel. The differences in church firm are prevalent and
are definitely the main distinction between the two traditions. The Episcopalian
corporation is described as, In the business of the cathedral, each
self-supporting congregation (parish) elects it is lay regulating board (vestry)
for temporary affairs and its rector while spiritual innovator. Congregations which can be
not self-supporting (missions) are directed by the bishop of the area. In a
given place the parishes and tasks make up a diocese, went by a bishop. All
local clergy and laity representing almost all congregations meet annually in convention to
conduct the organization of the diocese. The meeting elects the bishop to serve
right up until death or retirement. The dioceses and mission schisme belong to the
General Meeting, which complies with triennially. All bishops happen to be members of the
House of Bishops, plus the House of Delegates is made up of equal amounts of
clergy and laity. The Executive Council, the management agency of the
General Convention, is going by the Presiding Bishop (elected by the Home of
Bishops), who as well presides in the House of Bishops. (Encyclopedia Britannica
Online) In contrast the Catholic Churchs political and religious leadership
is organized in a manner that follow a distinct buy. This purchase can be arranged
by pontifical authority, the Roman Curia and the university of Capital, the college of
bishops, ecumenical councils and the priesthood. Catholics also contain the Vatican
since the capital for Catholicism make it being a global command source. The
study of such two practices consisted of two visits to St . Johns Episcopal
Chapel and two visits to St . Thomas Moore Catholic Church. The comparison of
these traditions induced interest in me personally due to two factors. First, I was
Catholic and get raised in the Catholic traditions, which stimulates much
involvement in the Episcopalian tradition. This will allow me to learn both tasks as
an insider when I attend Catholic Church and as an outsider in the Episcopal
Church. Secondly, until this religion training course I was unacquainted with the details inside the
Episcopal Chapel and planned to further examine the custom. In preparing to
go to St . Johns Episcopal Church I believed a distress due to unfamiliar rituals
appearance of the chapel and its location in the down-town area. We
thought a great method of visiting the church will be to invite an Episcopalian
friend of mine. He consented to visit the church with me and addressed the concerns
I had formed in visiting the church. As I soon discovered the issues I had been concerned
about, should not have been a concern at all. I found the fact that rituals had been
almost similar to that from the Roman Catholic faith. Traditions such as voiced
prayers, hymns that were sung and receiving communion were required for an almost
replicate manner. I used to be fortunate enough to visit St . Johns Episcopal House of worship
on two special occasions. In the initial visit they had baptism of newborn
infants. This was performed in the same manner as the Catholic method with the
exception that Catholics do not execute baptisms during the regular Sunday mass.
On my second visit it was Saints Sunday in both practices. This encounter
almost prospects me in conclusion that there was no difference in training rituals.
Equally traditions shown on provided Saints during the mass and explained just how one
need to follow the examples of these types of Saints. The appearance of both
chapels truly improved my experience as a visitor. Visiting these local
church buildings reminded me in the pulchritude I witnessed visiting Catholic churches
in Spain this past summer. Both churches happen to be laid out related in that they are really
in a Big t shape. The pulpit was located in the center where most people are
allowed to view the priest in the pulpit, although if you are seating along the
factors, you would have got a part view of the mass. The method in which the pews
windows and ceiling were constructed were arranged in the same way. The two
obvious differences were the way the choirs were sitting and the absence of a
statue of Christ on the combination. The choir in the Obispal Church was seated to
face each other and was significantly bigger in quantity than regarding the
Catholic Church. Following researching so why the Episcopalian Church has no
statue of Jesus around the cross, I was unable to identify the reason, nevertheless I
thought that all it is a distinctive difference. Getting raised in a middle school family
I was accustom to attending chapel in a informal style putting on jeans and a nice
shirt. My expectation of the clothing at this particular Episcopal Church followed
was correct, formal dress. Everybody in the church was in formal wear, guys wore
matches, and females dressed in long dresses. This dress phenomenon I really do not believe is
related to a particular hope, more towards the social course that makes the church
associates. One aspects that Catholics seem to appraise more than Episcopalians is
the Virgin Mary. It is not that Episcopalians will not recognize the Virgin Jane
however they generally do not keep the caliber worth addressing as Catholics. In my
appointments to the Catholic Church, I discovered statues with the Virgin Jane and people
praying over her statue. Additional ritual procedures which I mentioned to be diverse
was how Catholics include confession and pray the rosary. Nevertheless Episcopalians carry out
not practice confession, it may also be observed that the Catholic Church while
changed the magnitude of confession in the late twenty century. I have found
that Catholics will be adopting the protestant means of belief of forgiveness which usually
has the standard idea that Our god gave all of us Jesus to experience a one-on-one relationship
with Goodness through Jesus therefore getting rid of the need to concede to a clergyman.
This debate is quite debatable and will remain a topic of
discussion for decades. When speaking about the use of the rosary to a Episcopalian
friend of mine he stated the tradition will not practice the use of a
rosary. This kind of coincides with not having admission, since praying the rosary is
frequently something completed after confession. In ending I would write my
knowledge in surveying these diverse traditions was extremely educational. It
is definitely interesting simply how much one can study by subjecting themselves to other traditions
and learning unfamiliar aspects of ones custom. The research conducted led
me personally to agree my assertion that there is a solid divison on political and
religious leadership between the two of these traditions. Nevertheless , I must say what
intrigued me the most was just how similar a protestant traditions is to the Catholic
custom and the only separation becoming the leadership and national politics.
Bibliography
Protestant Episcopal Chapel Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Accessed 15 November 99
Religion
