Faith 101: What is the Church of England?
The Church of England made headlines after its most senior cleric, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, resigned on Tuesday, November 12, for failing to act on a child abuse scandal.
The 68-year-old cleric was archbishop of Canterbury for 11 years.
What is the Church of England?
The Church of England, which broke away from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century, is the national church of England.
Characterized by a mix of Catholic and Protestant beliefs, it has around 984,000 regular worshipers spread across 42 dioceses, making up 1.7% of England’s population.
Its influence, however, extends to around 85 million people around the world.
This is because the Church of England is also the mother church of the Anglican Communion, a global family of Anglican churches in communion with the archbishop of Canterbury.
The Anglican Communion is found in more than 165 countries worldwide, including the Philippines, with the Episcopal Church in the Philippines as one of its members.
How did the Church of England begin?
The church is said to have begun with the arrival of Christianity in Britain in the third century.
It became independent and more defined in 1534, however, when King Henry VIII decided that it should separate from the Roman Catholic Church. That was because Pope Clement VII refused to annul his marriage to the Spanish-born Catherine of Aragon, so that he can marry Anne Boleyn.
It was the archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer — appointed by Henry VIII and consecrated on March 30, 1533 — who nullified the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine on May 23 of the same year. That was four months after the secret January 25 wedding of Henry VIII and Anne.
Who leads the Church of England?
To this day, the supreme governor of the Church of England, called Defender of the Faith, is the English monarch. It is currently King Charles III.
The most senior clerics of the church are the archbishop of Canterbury and the archbishop of York. They lead the church along with 106 other bishops, according to a primer in the Church of England’s website.
The archbishop of Canterbury, who is the most senior bishop, leads the southern two-thirds of the country. The archbishop of York, the second most senior, oversees the northern third.
The archbishop of Canterbury plays a special role, however, as spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion. – Rappler.com
Do you want to know more about concepts, traditions, or personalities related to any faith? We welcome suggested topics for Faith 101. Drop a note in the faith chat room of the Rappler Communities app!