Why do we call our Faith the Catholic Faith? Because the word Catholic means 'according to the whole' or 'fullness.' The word Catholic also means 'Universal' or 'worldwide.' The Catholic Faith is the Faith once delivered unto the Saints, which has been believed by all Christians, in every place, for all time. Those who believe the whole Faith given by Christ to the whole world are called Catholics. The Catholic Faith has been believed everywhere, always and by all.
Our Holy Mother is the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church:
The Church is One, because her members agree in One Faith, have the same Sacrifice and Sacraments, and are members of the One Christ.
The Church is Holy, because she teaches holy doctrine and offers to all her children means of holiness.
The Church is Catholic, because she endures through all ages, teaches all nations, and is the one Ark of Salvation for all.
The Church is Apostolic, because she holds the doctrine of the Apostles and derives her Orders and Mission from them.
The Catholic Faith, that is, the Faith of Christ's Church, is shown forth with traditional ceremonies, which include the vestments of the Priests, the Altar and its candles, Cross, and cloths, and special music and ritual. Anglicans show great respect and dignity to the Altar, which represents Christ. The centre and heart of the Catholic Faith is the Holy Eucharist, or the Holy Mass, which is celebrated every Sunday and Holy Day. The Mass has always been the chief service of the Church. We best prepare for Mass and Holy Communion by going to our Priest for Confession, in which we confess our sins to God and receive Absolution, or the grace of forgiveness for our sins from God.
Many Priests of the Catholic Revival have worked very hard to spread this Faith we believe. Father Charles Lowder (1820-1880) formed a special group of Priests called the Society of the Holy Cross for this purpose. He built a lovely parish Church in the poorest part of London and gave his life in service to the poor. He helped bring back the beauty and reverence of Anglican services. Other wonderful Priests like Father Robert Dolling (1851-1902) and Father Arthur Stanton (1839-1913) built
up the Catholic Faith in the poorest parts of some of the poorest cities in the world. The saintly Bishop of Lincoln, Edward King (1829-1910), lived the Catholic Faith in his ministry and amongst his people. Wonderful laymen like Charles Lindley Wood (1839-1934) put together groups like the English Church Union to spread the Faith. These are but a few heroes of the Anglo-Catholic way.
The Anglican Church is not protestant; she differs from protestants in that she keeps Apostolic Succession and her book of worship teaches the traditional faith. The Anglican Church keeps the doctrine and morals which she had before the Reformation. Anglicans believe that the Mind of Christ is the Mind of the Whole Church. Only that which has been taught at all times, in all places, by all good teachers, and confirmed by the Bible, is held by Anglicans to be true belief and teaching. No individual person can claim to be the only authority for the Church; individual people cannot make up the Faith for themselves. Only the Church as a whole has authority to define the Christian Faith. All Churches that keep the Apostolic Succession and the Creeds share a common belief about what is essential for Christians to believe. For Anglicans, the final authority for what we believe and how we act is the universal, or Catholic, teaching of the whole Church throughout all ages. Nothing less than this will do.
But there is also freedom in the Anglican Church. Since only that which the whole Church of all times has believed is what is required, things which the whole Church has not decided on can be left up to people to believe or not to believe. 'In essentials, unity, in non-essentials, diversity, and in all things, charity or love.' The Catholic faith is the same, yesterday, today and forever. In the end, it wins.
To be Catholic means to include in the Church many different ideas and points of view concerning those things which are not essential to salvation. We call this inclusiveness or being inclusive. Another word for it is 'comprehensive.' The Church comprehends, that is, brings together, different ideas or views in one Family. One of the Anglican Church's greatest strengths is her freedom of thought, ideas and expression. People may differ on how many candles should be on the Altar or what kind of vestments a Priest may wear, but, in the Anglican Church, with a shared Prayer Book, Creed, and Ministry, they agree on what is really important. And that's also being whole, complete, entire, full - Catholic.
Now you know a lot about the Anglican Church!
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