Who is the head of the Church of England. Features of the Anglican Church: origins and followers

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Anglican Church- this is the name of the state church in Great Britain and Ireland. Reformation in its teaching, in relation to the cult and church structure it occupies a middle position between the Protestant and Catholic churches. Unlike the numerous Reformed sects in England, which all, according to Reformed principles, have Presbyterian orders, it is also called Episcopal. With the exception of Great Britain and its colonies, the A. church has numerous adherents only in North America. The completely unique position occupied by the A. church among Protestant communities is explained by the course of historical events of the English Reformation. In the second half of the Middle Ages, England, more than any other European state, suffered under the pressure of the Roman hierarchy, and therefore even in the 14th century. became receptive to reform ideas. Long before Luther, John Wycliffe, with his activities, especially among the educated classes, caused a religious movement directed against the entire hierarchical structure of that time, against the veneration of saints, absolution, secret confession, transubstantiation of loaves, purgatory, etc. and aimed at returning to the simplicity of Holy Scripture and the apostolic presbyteral order. Wycliffe's supporters, nicknamed by their opponents Lollards, were severely persecuted, but his memory lived on among the people and paved the way for the writings of Luther, which penetrated into England. Then with Mr. John Frith ( Fryth) and William Tyndale began to translate the Gospel into English. King Henry VIII (c) was at first an opponent of Luther, then separated from the papacy because of his marriage to Anne Boleyn and, on the advice of Thomas Cranmer and Thomas Cromwell, proclaimed himself the supreme head of the English church. Parliament joined his decision, but while the monasteries were abolished, the images and relics were burned and church property was taken to the treasury, the king, under pain of death penalty and confiscation of property, ordered the preservation of the seven sacraments, the transubstantiation of loaves, the celibacy of the clergy and secret confession (). The king boasted that instead of God, directly after Christ, he ruled the church, that he was in his kingdom “like the soul in the body, like the sun in the world.” But this idea of ​​the self-proclaimed reformer could only be supported by fear and went to the grave with it (). The regency, established during the minority of his son Edward VI, with the Duke of Somerset and Thomas Cranmer as Archbishop of Canterbury at its head, overturned Henry's ecclesiastical laws and carefully prepared the Reformation. Martin Büser and Pavel Fage were called to Cambridge ( Fagi), to Oxford Peter Martyr and Bernanden Occino to educate the younger generation of theologians in the Protestant faith. The 42 rules of faith established in Russia already contain purely evangelical teaching, but at the same time the episcopal structure was retained, as well as most of the previous rituals. Queen Mary's (-) attempt to restore Catholicism was unsuccessful. During her reign, up to 400 opponents of the papacy died as martyrs, including Thomas Cranmer, Bishops Hooper of Gloucester, Ridley of London and Latimer of Worcester. After Mary's death, Anne Boleyn's daughter, Elizabeth, ascended the throne, whose power was vainly contested by Catholics in favor of the Scottish Queen Mary Stuart. During her long and energetic reign (-), the Reformation victoriously withstood the struggle against Catholicism. The Episcopal order, as well as most of the Roman rites, images, crucifixes, candles, church vestments, etc., were retained. On the contrary, the queen was again given supreme power in the church, limited only by laws, and the confession of Edward VI, formulated in 39 articles at the synod assembled in London in the city, was put under protection in the city with various cautious mitigations on controversial issues between the Reformed and Lutherans parliament. The same order of things was introduced in Ireland, despite the resistance of the Catholic population there.

At the same time, even under Elizabeth, new Reformed sects appeared in the person of the Puritans, Presbyterians and Independents, who went even further along the path of reform, rejecting royal power in the church, the order of bishops and Catholic rites as the “legacy of the Antichrist,” and, despite strict measures, taken against these dissenters, or nonconformists, as well as against Catholics, the “royal Reformation” was in danger for a long time on both sides. Under James I (-), the son of Mary Stuart, who disappointed the hopes of the Scottish Presbyterians, the hatred of Catholics erupted in the Gunpowder Plot, and his son and successor Charles I, for his devotion to Catholicism and unlimited supreme power, laid down his head on the scaffold (). The Puritans, who had a predominance in parliament since then and tried at the Westminster Synod (-) to change in their spirit church institutions, cult and teaching, had to give way to more zealous reformers, Independents, whose political leader, Oliver Cromwell, ruled the English republic (- ) as a theocratic dictator. The restoration of the monarchy () was tantamount to the restoration of the episcopal system. New attempts by the Stuarts to make the country Catholic and rule unlimited were put an end to the second revolution. In the agreement that was concluded by Parliament with William of Orange (), the Catholic line was declared forever deprived of the rights of succession to the throne and the structure of the state and the state church was established. Issued by Parliament in the year Testakte, by virtue of which anyone who does not acknowledge the royal authority over the church and does not receive holy communion in the Episcopal Church is not admitted to any public office, was amended in favor of the Protestant dissenters and remained in force against the Catholics alone. It was only by the Acts of Parliament of 9 May and 13 April that Catholics were admitted to enter Parliament and to hold most public offices, upon the condition of taking an oath that they would do no harm to the Protestant religion or the Government of the United Kingdom, and in particular to renounce the idea that the pope has any temporal or civil jurisdiction in the British monarchy, or that princes whom the pope excommunicates or denounces may be deposed or put to death. But even now Catholic priests cannot sit in parliament, members of foreign monastic orders are prohibited from staying in the country, and native monks are placed under strict supervision; The wearing of ecclesiastical titles is prohibited under fear of heavy financial fines. Despite, however, all these precautions, the secret or open sympathy of the Anglican clergy and high-ranking secular officials for Catholicism, even numerous cases of conversion to the Catholic faith could not be prevented. Pope Pius IX, in view of the success of Catholicism in England, divided it into eight church districts and appointed in the city, in the person of Cardinal Wiseman (he was succeeded by Cardinal Manning) Archbishop of Westminster and Primate of the Catholic Church in England; public opinion was greatly outraged by this invasion of the order established by state laws.

The internal structure of the Church of England has changed since the legislation only in a few points of no essential importance. Bishops have long sat in the House of Lords as barons of the realm. At their head is the Archbishop of Canterbury as primate of all England and first peer of the kingdom. The district he governs includes 21 bishoprics. He is given the prerogative of coronating kings. He is followed by the Archbishop of York, to whom 7 bishoprics are subordinate. Ireland since Church-Temporality-Akte divided into 2 archbishoprics and 12 bishoprics; but only one archbishop and three bishops always sat as representatives of Ireland in parliament. By an act of parliament of July 26, the Irish state church was abolished. The mentioned princes of the church are joined by colonial bishops subordinate to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the number of which reaches 53. The volume of church power of the highest clergy, despite all the movements in the spirit of the Reformation, remained almost untouched: the right of confirmation, ordination, church discipline and court. The appointment of the highest clergy is made formally by the chapter, but in reality depends on the royal authority, which indicates to the chapters the person who should be elected, and in case of refusal holds them accountable. The lower clergy is divided into cathedral and parish. At the head of the first is the dean ( dean), and behind him the archdeacon ( archdeacon). Parish clergy ( Clergy) is divided into parish priests ( incumbent), their assistants, vicars ( curate) and chaplains ( chaplain). There are differences between churches:

1) parish churches ( parish church), receiving either full income according to the position ( rectory), or only part of this income and having a spiritual or secular owner ( appropriator or rector) above oneself ( vicarage), partly, having no income of their own, are supported by the patron ( perpetual curacy); 2) district churches, the income of which consists of church fees ( district church); 3) churches that belong to the parish of another church, but with a separate spiritual flock ( chapel of ease and parochial); finally 4) chapels ( chapel of ease simply), in which only sermons are read. This also includes house churches of the highest aristocracy, bishops, etc., churches on royal estates and churches of private individuals.

The royal power is responsible for the appointment of a third of the cartridges; other places are filled by bishops, chapters and private patrons. The clergy are introduced by the patron, admitted by the bishop, and then are identified and assumed office. Before their determination, they are required to sign 39 articles and swear that during divine services they will strictly adhere to the breviary (that is, revised and introduced by acts Prayer-book). Until recently, parish communities coincided with political communities, so that the rights and obligations of a member of the community were not affected by affiliation with the state church or dissenters. But by an act of parliament of July 31, dissenters were exempted from church tax. The community assembly (originally convened in the vestry), chaired by the parish priest, elects community officials (and in other places the priests themselves) and determines taxes. To the acceptance of community positions, of which the position of church elders ( church warden), managers of community property, and the position of trustee of the poor ( overseer) are the most important, every Protestant Englishman undertakes, with the exception of members of parliament, doctors and clergy. Church property is distributed extremely unevenly: while chapters or rectors often have huge incomes and occupy many places that are pure sinecures, parish priests and vicars often need the bare necessities. To eliminate these inconveniences, a church commission was appointed in the city, which destroyed many sinecures, limited too abundant incomes and, with the help of the funds thus freed, established a general treasury from which subsidies are issued to poor parishes. Church legislation according to the constitution is left to the so-called convocation, or spiritual parliament. It consists, like the secular parliament, of an upper and lower house; in the first, the highest clergy sits, and in the second, the lower clergy. However, the convocation was held only for the sake of form and was immediately dissolved.

Spiritual judicial power, which in former times was very extensive, now extends almost exclusively only to cases of spiritual wills, marriage and disciplinary matters. Divorce cases based on the Act of Parliament of August 28 are subject to the jurisdiction of a special secular court. Divorced spouses can remarry, but no priest is charged with the duty of marrying them. Permission to marry, as well as the wedding, however, still depends on the clergy; Along with this, there is a civil marriage for dissenters. The right to impose punishment by the spiritual court is limited almost exclusively in relation to the clergy themselves. Excommunication and interdict, although not abolished by law, have long fallen out of use. But episcopal courts have the right to temporarily prohibit the performance of spiritual duties and remove them from office, and archbishop's courts have the right to permanently remove clergy from office for immoral or dogma-violating offenses and deprive them of the clergy. Bishops can also be removed from office, but retain their rank. Church courts are very diverse; a number of their instances from the archdeaconal court or other lower courts goes back to the episcopal and from the episcopal to the archbishop's; on the contrary, the high court or judicial commission of the Privy Council, which pronounces judgments on behalf of the royal power, is an institution consisting only of secular members. The cult is regulated by a breviary, Prayer book, last revised in Ordinations formular in the same year it was presented in its current form. The Catechism of the city is valid only for the church, but was not approved by parliament; the same relationship exists for many canonical decrees. With the exception of these last cases, all institutions of the state church are under the protection of parliament, which therefore takes part in resolving all issues of church legislation.

As regards the internal theological development of the Church of England, its steadfast orthodoxy has become proverbial. It is common for the English national character to generally pay much more attention to church life and its forms than to the further development of internal teaching, with the exception of some small sects, for example. Quakers and others; the difference between the various church communities concerns almost exclusively church structure and liturgy. England, earlier than Germany, had its own enlightenment period ( Aufklärungsperiode), but the freethinkers and deists there belonged exclusively to the secular class, partly to the upper strata of society, while this movement almost did not affect the clergy at all. Done latitudinarii an attempt to soften church orthodoxy by returning to the biblical basis common to various religious interpretations in the 18th century. she met temporary sympathy from the Cambridge clergy, but was soon suppressed; on the other hand, the Methodists, with their doctrine of all-conquering grace, were forced to leave the state church. The Evangelical Union founded in the city received more importance, which, on the basis of the teachings of Old Protestant orthodoxy set out in 9 articles, called on all pious Christians belonging to different evangelical church denominations to a common struggle against growing Catholicism. This union, which had its ramifications also in

Before learning about the ideas of Anglicanism and the history of this religious movement, it is necessary to understand the conditions under which it was formed and with what other Christian movements it competed.

Protestantism

The emergence of Protestantism was facilitated by the Reformation in the 16th and 17th centuries. This spiritual and political ideology was one of the defining ones both in the life of European states and in the life of countries on other continents. For centuries, various Protestant movements have offered their views on resolving religious issues and providing for the spiritual needs of Christians.

The emergence of new branches of Protestantism continues to this day. The most widespread Protestant movements are Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism. Zwinglianism also played a significant role in the development of Protestantism, but you will learn more about it below.

a brief description of

Initially, the concept of “Lutheranism” was synonymous with Protestantism (in the countries of the former Russian Empire, this formulation was relevant almost before the start of the revolution). The Lutherans themselves called themselves “evangelical Christians.”

The ideas of Calvinism were widespread throughout the world and influenced the history of all mankind. Calvinists made a great contribution to the formation of the United States of America, and also became one of the ideologists of the tendency to fight against tyranny in the 17th-19th centuries.

Unlike Calvinism and Lutheranism, Anglicanism appeared at the behest of the ruling elite of England. It is the king who can be called the founding father of this movement. After its creation, the church institution became the national stronghold of the royal monarchy, in which the supremacy of Anglican power began to belong to the king, and the clergy was subordinate to him as an important component of the apparatus of monarchical absolutism.

Zwinglianism is slightly different from other Protestant movements. If Calvinism and Anglicanism were at least indirectly connected with Lutheranism, then Zwinglianism was formed separately from this movement. It was widespread in southern Germany and Switzerland in the 16th century. By the beginning of the 17th century it merged with Calvinism.

Protestantism today

Currently distributed in the United States of America, Scandinavian countries, England, Canada, Germany, Holland and Switzerland. North America can rightfully be called the main center of Protestantism, since the largest number of headquarters of various Protestant movements are located there. Today's Protestantism is characterized by a desire for universal unification, manifested in the creation of the World Council of Churches in 1948.

Lutheranism

This movement originated in Germany, forming the basic foundations of Protestantism as such. At its origins stood Philip Melanchthon, Martin Luther, as well as their like-minded people who shared the ideas of the Reformation. Over time, Lutheranism began to spread in France, Hungary, Austria, the Scandinavian countries and North America. There are currently approximately 75,000,000 Lutherans on our planet, 50,000,000 of whom are members of the Lutheran World Union, formed in 1947.

Lutherans have several spiritual books, but the essence of their doctrine is set out in most detail in the “Book of Concord.” Adherents of this movement consider themselves to be theists who support the idea of ​​a triune God and profess the Theanthropic essence of Jesus Christ. Of particular importance in their worldview is the concept of Adam’s sin, which can only be overcome through God’s grace. For Lutherans, the most reliable criterion for the correctness of faith is Holy Scripture. Other sacred sources, which are entirely consistent with the Bible and not vice versa, also enjoy special authority (the Holy Tradition of the Fathers can be cited as an example). The judgments of churchmen who are directly related to the origins of the confession also lend themselves to critical assessment. These include the works of Martin Luther himself, whom members of this movement treat with respect, but without fanaticism.

Lutherans recognize only two types of sacraments: baptism and communion. Through baptism a person accepts Christ. Through the sacrament his faith is strengthened. Compared to other confessions, Lutheranism stands out in that not only holders of holy orders, but also ordinary Christians can receive communion with the chalice. According to Lutherans, a priest is exactly the same person who is no different from ordinary laity and is simply a more experienced participant in the religious community.

Calvinism

Of the holy Protestant trinity “Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism,” the second movement played a fairly important role in the reformation processes. Originating in Germany, the flames of the Reformation soon consumed Switzerland, giving the world a new Protestant movement called Calvinism. It arose almost at the same time as Lutheranism, but developed largely without the influence of the latter. Due to the many differences between these two Reformation branches, their official separation occurred in 1859, cementing the independent existence of the Protestant movements.

Calvinism differed from Lutheranism in its more radical ideas. If Lutherans demand to remove from the church that which does not correspond to biblical teaching, then Calvinists want to get rid of that which is not required in this very teaching. The basic foundations of this movement were set out in the works of Genet Calvin, the main of which is the work “Instruction in the Christian Faith.”

The most important doctrines of Calvinism, distinguishing it from other Christian movements:

1. Recognition of the holiness of only biblical texts.
2. Ban on monasticism. According to adherents of Calvinism, the main goal of a man and a woman is to create a strong family.
3. Lack of church rituals, denial that a person can be saved only through the clergy.
4. Approval of the doctrine of predestination, the essence of which is that the predestination of human life and the planet occurs according to the will of God.

According to Calvinist teaching, eternal life requires only faith in Christ and works of faith are not needed for this. Good works of faith are necessary only to show the sincerity of one's faith.

Zwinglianism

When it comes to Christian movements, many remember Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism, but they forget about another quite important movement called Zwinglianism. The founding father of this branch of Protestantism was Ulrich Zwingli. Despite its almost complete independence from the ideas of Martin Luther, Zwinglianism is in many respects similar to Lutheranism. Both Zwingli and Luther were adherents of the idea of ​​determinism.

If we talk about checking church rules for their truth, then Zwingli considered correct only what is directly confirmed by the Bible. All elements that distract a person from deepening into himself and arouse strong emotions in him had to be completely removed from the church. Zwingli advocated the cessation of church sacraments, and in the churches of his like-minded people, visual arts, music and the Catholic Mass were abolished, which was replaced by sermons on the Holy Scriptures. The buildings of former monasteries became hospitals and educational institutions, and monastery belongings were given to charity and for education. At the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th century, Zwinglianism became part of Calvinism.

Anglicanism - what is it?

You already know what Protestantism is and what its main directions are. Now we can move directly to the topic of the article, and more specifically to the features of Anglicanism and the history of this movement. Below you can find all the detailed information.

Origin

As mentioned earlier, Anglicanism is a movement that is a purely English property. In Britain, the founder of the Reformation was King Henry VIII Tudor. The history of Anglicanism is very different from the history of other Protestant movements. If Luther, Calvin and Zwingli wanted to radically change the Catholic church system, which at that time was in a state of crisis, then Henry went for it because of more personal motives. The English king wanted Pope Clement VII to divorce him from his wife, but he did not want to do this in any way, because he was afraid of anger from the German Emperor Charles V. In order to achieve the desired goal, Henry VIII in 1533 issued an order on the independence of the church institution of England from the papal protectorate, and already in 1534 he became the sole head of the newly formed church. After some time, the king issued the basic tenets of Anglicanism, the content of which was in many ways reminiscent of Catholic ones, but with an admixture of Protestant ideas.

Church reform

Despite the fact that Anglicanism was the idea of ​​Henry VIII, real church reforms were undertaken by his successor Edward VI. When he first began to rule, Anglican dogmas were described in 42 articles, bearing the characteristic features of both Catholicism and Protestantism. During Elizabeth's reign, some of the rules of the English Confession were revised, until only 39 articles remained, which are still in force today. The new religion set forth in these articles is a mixture of Catholicism, Calvinism and Lutheranism.

Features of Anglicanism

Now let's look at the main dogmas and rules drawn from one or another Christian movement.

From Lutheranism Anglicanism took the following:

1. Acceptance of the Bible as the main and only true source of faith.
2. Approval of only two necessary sacraments: baptism and communion.
3. The abolition of the veneration of saints, the veneration of icons and relics, as well as the doctrine of purgatory.

From Calvinism:

1. The idea of ​​predestination.
2. The idea of ​​achieving the Kingdom of Heaven through faith in Christ without performing godly deeds.

From the Catholics, the Anglicans retained the classical church hierarchy, but at its head was not the Pope, but the King of England. Like the main Christian denominations, Anglicanism adheres to the idea of ​​a triune God.

Features of worship in Anglicanism

It was already mentioned earlier that this religious movement has its own rules and laws. The features of worship and the role of the priest in Anglicanism are described in the Book of Common Prayer. This work was based on the Roman Catholic liturgical rite, which operated in Britain before the birth of the Protestant movements. In addition to the English translation of old ideas, religious reform in England was manifested in the reduction of existing rites (for example, in the abolition of most rituals, traditions and services) and in the change of prayers according to new rules. The creators of the Book of Common Prayer wanted to significantly increase the role of Holy Scripture in Anglican worship. The Old Testament texts were divided in such a way that each year part of them was read once. The Gospel, with the exception of the Revelation of John the Theologian, from which only some points were taken, is divided so that it is read three times during the year (while holiday and Sunday readings of the Apostle and the New Testament are not counted). If we talk about the book of psalms, then it had to be read every month.

The liturgical system of Anglicanism is more a copy of the Protestant system than of the Roman Catholic or Orthodox. But despite this, this branch of Christianity retained some elements that were unacceptable in Protestantism. These include the church clothes of the priests, which they wore during worship, the denial of the devil and the blessing of water during baptism, the use of a wedding ring at marriage, etc.

The English church government is divided into two parts: Canterbury and York. Each of them is governed by archbishops, but the head of the Canterbury branch is the main church hierarchy of the Church of England, whose influence extends beyond England.

Among the Anglicans, three parties were created long ago, which exist to this day: the Low, Broad and High churches. The first party represents the radical views of Protestantism and wants the Anglican Church to rely more on Protestantism in its teaching. The second party is not even a party as such: it includes ordinary people who, in essence, are indifferent to existing rituals, and Anglicanism in the form in which it exists now completely satisfies them. The High Church, unlike the Low Church, on the contrary, tries to move as far as possible from the ideas of the Reformation and preserve the characteristic features of the classical church that appeared before the birth of Protestantism. In addition, representatives of this movement want to revive those rules and traditions that were lost many centuries ago, as well as to bring Anglicanism as close as possible to the common universal church. Among the high-church people in the 30s of the 19th century, the “highest” church appeared. The founder of this party was the Oxford lecturer Pusey, and its members called themselves Puseyists. Because of their desire to revive old church rituals, they also received the name “ritualists.” This party wanted at all costs to prove the significance of the Anglican religion and even unite it with the Eastern Church. Their views are very similar to the ideas of Orthodoxy:

1. In contrast to Lutheranism, Anglicanism of the highest church standard recognizes not only the Bible, but also Holy Tradition as its authority.
2. In their opinion, to gain eternal life, a person needs not only to believe, but also to perform godly deeds.
3. “Ritualists” advocate the veneration of icons and holy relics, and also do not reject the worship of saints and prayers for the dead.
4. They do not recognize predestination in the Calvinist sense.
5. They look at communion from the point of view of Orthodoxy.

Now you know the definition of Anglicanism, the history of this Christian movement, as well as its characteristic features and characteristics. We hope you found this article useful!

A medieval ceremony marked the beginning of the installation of Justin Welby as Archbishop of Canterbury.

The College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral unanimously elected Bishop Welby as the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.

The 35-member College of Canons, made up of senior clergy and laity of the Diocese of Canterbury, in accordance with a thousand-year-old tradition, held an electoral meeting in the house of the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, built in the 14th century.

The procedure for electing a new Archbishop of Canterbury by the College of Canons is recorded in its constitution as an indispensable condition for the installation of a new Primate of the Church of England. It can only take place after receiving an official letter from the British monarch.

The ceremony was presided over by the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, Robert Willis. By tradition, the candidate was not invited to take part in the ceremony.

The new first hierarch of the Church of England was elected by the canons of Canterbury on a non-alternative basis: only one name was indicated on the ballot papers.

Dean of Canterbury Cathedral Dr Robert Willis said: “The decision we have made this morning will be formally communicated to London. In the Cathedral of St. Paul on February 4th I will present him to the Queen's Commission. They will say that it is valid, legal and correct, and at that moment Justin Welby will become fully Archbishop of Canterbury."

Reference: Anglican Church is a worldwide family of autonomous churches under the leadership of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who has supreme status among the heads of the remaining Anglican churches. Their parishes, mostly English-speaking, number more than 70 million people.

The parent English church has its roots in the Celtic Christianity of the ancient Britons and in the Roman form of worship that was brought to England by Augustine of Canterbury.

The Church of England claims to be both Catholic and Reformed. Like the Catholic Church, it has orders of archbishops, priests and deacons, but its liturgy has been significantly reformed: the Book of Common Prayer by Archbishop Thomas Cranmer (1489-1556) preserves most of the texts relating to the medieval church , but in a purely Protestant version. Today's Anglicanism includes three directions: Anglo-Catholic, liberal and evangelical. For this reason, he is often seen as a link between Protestants, Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

state church in England. It arose during the Reformation in the 16th century. In terms of cult and organizational principles, it is closer to the Catholic Church than other Protestant churches. A hierarchy reminiscent of the Catholic one remains. The head of the AC is the king, who appoints bishops. Primate (honorary title of the most important bishop) A. Ts. - Archbishop of Canterbury. A significant proportion of bishops are members of the House of Lords. There are 3 churches: high, closest to Catholicism, low - close to Puritanism, and broad - which is the dominant trend in A.C., striving to unite all Christians. There are also formally separated A.C. in Scotland, Wales, Ireland, USA, Canada, Australia - in total 16 countries. Actively participates in the ecumenical movement, uniting supporters of the unification of Christian denominations. One of the trends in A.C. is Anglo-Catholicism.

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Anglican Church

Church of England

(Church of England) - the dominant Church of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and the North. Ireland; Established in 1662 during the reign of King Charles II.

Formation of A.Ts. is associated with the penetration of the ideas of the Reformation into England (in this regard, Anglicanism is often considered in line with Protestantism), but at the same time, the Anglicans themselves consider A.C. as successor to Ecclesia Anglicana, ancient English Church founded by Augustine of Canterbury. Basic dogmas. theses by A.Ts. first appeared in the Book of Common Prayer, published in 1549 (revised and expanded in 1552, 1559, 1662, 1872, 1928).

During the reign of Elizabeth I (1558–1603), a theological theology was developed. a compromise between Catholic and Protestant-oriented movements in A.C.: in 1571 Parliament adopted 39 articles, which were a kind of fusion of the ideas of Lutheranism and Calvinism with Catholicism. dogmatics, and then the destruction of icons and sculptures in churches stopped.

Basic flows inside the A.C. decided on the end XVII century They received the names: “High Church”, “Low Church” and “Broad Church”. The “High Church” was formed by representatives of the Anglican Church. hierarchy, who defended such features of the A.C. as state. character, absolute supremacy of the crown, episcopal structure, direct continuity from the Middle Ages. Churches. In contrast to the “High Church”, in the beginning. XVIII century the term “Low Church” arose to designate a movement ideologically close to radical Protestantism; this name was associated with the “minor” role assigned to Catholics. heritage in A.Ts.

The “Broad Church” goes back to the movement in A.C. end of the 17th century called latitudinarism (from lat. latitudo - latitude). English The latitudinaria recognized the unity of Christ. Churches, considering interfaith differences insignificant. They were indifferent to disputes over doctrinal issues, Church organization, and liturgical issues. practice, taking a neutral position in the field of theology. In Anglicanism they wanted reconciliation Protest., Catholic. and the Anglican elements themselves, advocating dialogue with nonconformists.

In the 1830s, in contrast to the liberal trend, in A.Ts. The pro-Catholic Oxford movement (Anglo-Catholicism) was formed, advocating rapprochement with the Catholic Church. The result is a liturgist. reforms in A.Ts. in the 20th century was the creation of a new Service Book (Alternative Service Book), published in 1979 and approved by Parliament in 1980.

Basic theses of the teachings of A.Ts. have not undergone significant changes. They are still based on the principles of 39 articles: recognition of the doctrine of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the suffering, death, descent into hell and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His ascension and Second Coming, the inspiration of the books of the OT and NT, the divine establishment of the sacrament of baptism; denial of purgatory and indulgences; communion of the laity under two types; abolition of celibacy, denial of papal authority; recognition of the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit and from God the Son (Filioque), the sufficiency of Holy Scripture for salvation, original sin, justification by faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the meaning of good works as “fruits of faith”, but not means of salvation , about the infallibility of the Ecumenical Councils (except for the first four); denial of the veneration of icons and relics, the prayerful invocation of saints, the Eucharist. transubstantiation, sacrificial meaning of the Eucharist. Decoration of altars and vestments of priests in A.Ts. reminiscent of Catholic ones. View of A.Ts. the priesthood is closer to the Catholic than to the Protestant.

Structurally A.Ts. consists of two provinces, headed by 2 archbishops: bishop. Canterbury, Primate of England - for the South. provinces and bishops York - for the North. The two provinces include 44 dioceses: 43 are located in England, a small part of Wales and the islands and consist of 13,250 parishes; one diocese on the continent includes 260 communities located in different countries of the world. Head A.Ts. is the king (or queen) of Great Britain, who has preserved the Middle Ages. the title of “Defender of the Faith” (Defensor Fidei), he also has the right to appoint (on the recommendation of the Prime Minister) archbishops, bishops and deans of departments. cathedrals Bishops occupy a high position in English society: archbishop. The Canterbury is the First Lord of the United Kingdom, 24 senior bishops sit in the House of Lords English Parliament. Among the lower clergy, the Middle Ages are preserved. job titles: rector, dean, vicar, etc. Since 1867, once every 10 years, archbishop. Canterbury convenes an All-Anglican Conference at Lambeth Palace. The Lambeth Conference is a consultative body whose decisions are not binding until the Holy Synod A.Ts. will not adopt them legislatively. A.Ts. - one of the state Churches of the United Kingdom, along with the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. A.Ts. own large landholdings, real estate, and capital, which are managed by a government commission.

A.Ts. - Member of the Anglican Communion, which unites 37 Churches and 8 churches. communities from 161 countries: the Church of England, the Church in Wales, the Episcopal Church of Scotland, the Church of Ireland, the Episcopal Church in the USA, the Lusitanian Church in Portugal, the Reformed Episcopal Church of Spain, as well as the Syrian Church of St. Thomas the Apostle, the Philippine Independent Church, etc. Unity of Churches, members of the Anglican Communion, is based on the recognition of the Holy Scriptures of the OT and NT as the revealed word of God, the Nicene Creed as a sufficient confession of Christ. faith, two sacraments - baptism and the Eucharist, the episcopal structure of the Church, as well as 4 points of the so-called. Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral (Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral Agreement).

A.Ts. takes an active part in the ecumen. movement, she made a significant contribution to the organization and activities of the World Council of Churches and other ecumen. organizations. Up to the end. XIX century relations A.Ts. relations with the Catholic Church remained quite tense. Since 1889, the President of the English Church Union, Viscount Halifax, together with the Catholic. priest F. Portal and L. Duchesne began private consultations on the issue of recognition of the validity of the Anglican priesthood. In 1895, Pope Leo XIII appointed a special commission to consider this problem, which made a negative decision. 09/13/1896 Pope Leo XIII published the bull Apostolicae curae, in which he recognized all the episcopal appointments of A.C. illegal and unenforceable. This caused counter-controversy in the Anglican environment and led to a new aggravation of relations. In 1921 Viscount Halifax, with the support of Card. Mercier and St. F. Portal renewed attempts to establish a dialogue with the Catholic Church. Anglican-Catholic meetings, which had no official status and called the “Malin Conversations” were terminated with the death of the card. Mercier (1926). In 1932, an agreement was concluded on Eucharistic communion between the Old Catholics and the Apostolic Church, which was important for the Anglicans due to the controversy about the apostle. succession English episcopate.

Dialogue A.Ts. Archbishop resumed his meeting with Rome. Canterbury G. Fisher and Pope John XXIII in Rome in 1960 and with the subsequent arrival of observers from A.C. at the Second Vatican Council. In March 1966, Archbishop. Canterbury M. Ramsay met with Pope Paul VI; This event is considered the beginning of officialdom. contacts. In 1968 the first Anglican-Catholic document was published. dialogue - Malta report; in 1970, the Advisory Committee of the Anglican Communion and the Pontifical Secretariat for Promoting Christian Unity created a joint organization - the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC I), which adopted a number of documents. After the meeting, Archbishop. Canterbury R. Runcie with Pope John Paul II in Canterbury (1982) the second commission (ARCIC II) began its work, developing dialogue under the general title Increasing in Communication. During Rome. meeting 1992 archbishop. Canterbury G.L. Carey signed a common Declaration of Unity with Pope John Paul II; however, the decision of the General Synod of A.Ts., adopted in the same year. about the possibility of female priesthood and subsequent ordination to the priesthood. The 32 women in Bristol Cathedral in 1994 created new obstacles to bilateral dialogue.

In 1997, the Anglican Communion numbered approx. 400 bishops, of which 110 are in the territory. United Kingdom, 11 thousand clergy (in Great Britain), approx. 70 million believers (approx. 26 million in Great Britain).

Literature: Anglicanism. L., 1935; The Oxford Dictionary of Christian Church. Ox., l977, p. 57–58, 290–293; Aveling J.C.H. et al. Rome and the Anglicans: Historical and Doctrinal Aspects of Anglican-Roman-Catholic Relations. B.–NY., 1982; The Study of Anglicanism. L.–Minneapolis, 1988; The Anglican Tradition. L., 1991; Church of England Year Book, 1999. L., 1999.

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ANGLICAN CHURCHES, Christian communities that are in eucharistic communion with the archbishop's see in Canterbury (England) use a single missal ( Book of Public Worship), stand on similar theological positions, adhere to a single form of church organization. The Communion of Anglican Churches includes a number of churches and ecclesiastical bodies in all parts of the world; in North America it is represented by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA.

Anglican Reformation.

The beginning of the famous conflict between King Henry VIII and the Pope dates back to 1529; In 1559, when Queen Elizabeth I ascended the throne, the organizational structure of the Church of England was established in forms that have largely survived to the present day. During these 30 years, many changes took place, but the Anglicans have always maintained the opinion that their church is not a new one, but the same church that existed in England for more than a thousand years; its reform was carried out to return to the model of the church presented in the New Testament. In support of this continuity, Anglicans refer to their creed, priesthood and liturgy.

Still, a number of major changes were made. The parishioners received the Bible in English, and the clergy began to teach them to regard it as the highest authority in matters of faith and life. Divine services were now conducted in the local language. The Church of England insisted and insists on the independence of national churches in internal affairs, on the right of churches to act at their own discretion in relation to rituals and liturgical practice. The pope's jurisdictional claims over English territory were rejected. However, due to the dual nature of its reformation, the Church of England claims to be called both Catholic and Protestant.

Fundamentals of the Anglican Faith.

The Anglican faith rests on Holy Scripture, which contains everything necessary for salvation and is the highest authority in matters of faith and church life; three historical creeds (Apostolic, Nicene and Athanasian), briefly setting out Christian doctrine; the confessional provisions of the four ecumenical councils of the early church (Nicaea, Ephesus, Constantinople and Chalcedon), which approved the foundations of church doctrine; 39 articles Churches of England: they are not a complete statement of this doctrine, but indicate the intermediate position taken by the church in the interfaith disputes of the 16th century: between Rome, on the one hand, and radical Protestantism, on the other; a single service book - Book of Public Worship(The Book of Common Prayer). Anglicans do not separate theology from worship. This missal, largely the product of the labors of Archbishop Thomas Cranmer, who died a martyr in 1556, is as liturgically excellent as it is theologically profound. Studying it is the best way to understand the life of the Anglican churches.

The character of Anglicanism.

The Anglican tradition owes much to Cranmer. He put forward two great principles: 1) nothing in the old church order can be changed unless it clearly contradicts the word of God; 2) any definitions should be avoided unless God himself gave them in Scripture. This means that many issues are subject to different interpretations within Anglican churches. For example, the Church of England, in its interpretation of the nature of the presence of Christ in the Eucharist, rejects, on the one hand, the doctrine of transubstantiation of the Roman Catholic Church, which allows for the identification of external signs (bread and wine) with the gift of grace (the Body and Blood of Christ), and on the other, Zwinglianism , which seeks to completely separate the signs from the gift; Anglicanism does not define with precision the nature of Christ's presence or the manner in which the gift of his Body and Blood is conveyed to the worshipers participating in worship. One may criticize the vagueness of Anglican doctrine on this point, but it shows a reverence for mysteries too deep for human understanding. At the same time, the absence of extremes in resolving theological issues contributes to the openness of Anglicans to new ideas, because they believe that the truth is always higher than the level of its understanding achieved. The Anglican theological tradition includes a number of great theologians, starting with J. Jewel and R. Hooker in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and ending with W. Temple (1881–1944) in the 20th century.

Spread of Anglicanism.

Anglicanism was initially the state religion of England and Ireland (although the majority of the Irish population remained affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church). But it quickly began to spread throughout the world through colonization, since the colonists, of course, adhered to their familiar forms of Christian beliefs, and also through missionary work, which began with the founding of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel (1701). The Anglican Church in England is national, it is protected and supported by the state, although the Anglican bishops and priesthood are not on state support. In all other countries, such a connection with the state has completely disappeared, and now not a single Anglican Church in them is connected in any way with the British Crown. In Scotland, Presbyterianism became dominant in 1689; the small Episcopal Church suffered persecution because of its allegiance to the exiled royal house of Stuart. But she managed to survive these difficult times, and at the end of the 18th century. The era of religious tolerance has arrived. Naturally, after the American Revolution, the Episcopal Church of America took shape as a free and independent association from the Church of England, although it did not proclaim as its goal the rejection of the foundations of its doctrine and liturgical traditions. In 1857, the Church of New Zealand became an independent diocese, which did not leave the commonwealth with the Church of England. In 1869, the Church of Ireland separated from the state and began to consider itself independent. This process continued until independent and self-governing Anglican churches were formed in almost every part of the world. To date, the distribution of archbishoprics (church provinces) of the Anglican Church by country and region is as follows: England (2), Scotland (1), Ireland (1), Wales (1), Canada (4), USA (9), West Indies (1), Africa (6), Sudan (1), Indian Ocean (1), Burma (1), Brazil (1), China (1), Japan (1), Australia (5), New Zealand (1) ; The diocese with jurisdiction over the Middle East is called the Council of the Episcopal Church of Jerusalem and the Middle East.

An ecclesiastical province can be formed from a minimum of four dioceses. It elects its own bishops, approves the canons of local church government, and has the right to revise the missal in accordance with local traditions. No ecclesiastical province can impose its rules on another, and everyone recognizes that significant changes in doctrine or church worship may entail the loss of ties with all others. Some dioceses, for example on the island of Mauritius, are not part of any ecclesiastical province and are subordinate to the church either in England or in the United States.

Community of Anglican Churches.

The Anglican churches have formed a vast fellowship of churches throughout the world. Today all the bishops in Japan are Japanese, and all the bishops in China are Chinese. Four African bishops head dioceses in Nigeria, and there are also twelve African auxiliary bishops. The Bishop of Jamaica is a Negro from the West Indies. In 1958, the first Filipino was consecrated to the rank of suffragan bishop. This process is ongoing; Once churches in Asia and Africa achieve independence, they tend to create ecclesiastical associations that differ quite significantly from European and American models.

The unity of such a vast association helps maintain friendly relations. Anglican churches have neither a pope nor a Vatican. They are not held together by any generally accepted law. But they feel their unity, sharing a common faith, adhering to a similar tradition of worship, and changes are made to it based on the revision of the missal in different church provinces. With the permission of the local bishop, an Anglican priest can officiate in any part of the Anglican world. Every ten years (or so) this friendly relationship is reaffirmed at the Lambeth Conference of Anglican Bishops, gathering from around the world. The first conference took place in 1867, during a troubled time for the church. Its meetings take place at Lambeth Palace, the London residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury, who is ex officio (ex officio) their chairman and sends out invitations on his own behalf. The conference is not a synod; it cannot make any decisions binding on all churches. But it does provide an opportunity for mutual consultation and frank discussion. Its reports and resolutions enjoy great authority, and many of its decisions are accepted for implementation by various churches. Today, changes are taking place in the forms of organization; permanent committees on interchurch relations within the Anglican churches and on missionary activities have been established. Amid growing ecumenical sentiment, the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church established a joint committee on theology in 1967 to take the first steps towards restoring full unity between the two faiths.

The meaning of Anglicanism.

From the very beginning, the Anglicans set as their goal the unification of all followers of Christ on earth. Archbishop Cranmer developed a grandiose plan for the cooperation of all the churches that had gone through the Reformation; his attempts were unsuccessful due to the lack of interest in him on the part of some German church leaders. Anglican churchmen are holding discussions for closer union with various leaders of a wide range of churches, including the Roman Catholic Church. Some of these interviews led to positive results. The Anglican churches entered into full Eucharistic communion with the Old Catholic Churches and the Polish National Catholic Church; many of the Anglican churches maintain partial eucharistic communion with the churches of Sweden and Finland; partial intercommunion with the Syrian Church of Mar Thoma in South India. The American Church has established special friendly relations with the Independent Church of the Philippines. Four American dioceses joined the new united Church of South India; this church is not in full eucharistic communion with any of the Anglican ecclesiastical provinces, but over time contacts between them become increasingly closer. Anglican communities in Burma and Sri Lanka have entered into negotiations with other churches, which could lead to the creation of united churches in these countries.