Catholic vs. Anglican / Episcopal
A side-by-side comparison of Catholic and Anglican / Episcopal teaching on 16 questions, from Scripture and salvation to baptism, communion and church government.
Catholic
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian body, led by the pope as bishop of Rome and organized around the seven sacraments. It traces its line of bishops to the apostles and teaches that Scripture and Sacred Tradition together carry God’s revelation.
Anglican / Episcopal
The Anglican Communion descends from the Church of England, which broke with Rome in the 1530s while keeping bishops and much of the older liturgy. The Episcopal Church is its American branch. It describes itself as both catholic and Reformed.
At a glance
Where they differ: Authority: Scripture and tradition; Books of the Bible; How a person is saved; Sacraments or ordinances; Church government; Death, purgatory and hell.
Varies within one or both: Predestination and free will; Communion (the Lord’s Supper); Clergy and women in ministry; Mary and the saints; The Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts.
Where they agree: The Trinity; Can a saved person fall away?; Baptism; Style of worship; Day of worship.
Side by side
| Question | Catholic | Anglican / Episcopal |
|---|---|---|
| Authority: Scripture and traditionDiffer | Scripture and Sacred Tradition together form one deposit of faith. The Magisterium, the teaching office of the pope and bishops, interprets both authoritatively. | Scripture holds first place, and it is read with the help of tradition and reason. This threefold approach is often traced to the theologian Richard Hooker. |
| Books of the BibleDiffer | 73 books: the 66 Protestant books plus seven deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and 1 and 2 Maccabees) and additions to Esther and Daniel. | 66 books as Scripture. The Thirty-Nine Articles say the Apocrypha may be read “for example of life and instruction of manners,” but not to establish doctrine. |
| The TrinityAgree | One God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Spirit is said to proceed from the Father and the Son (the filioque clause added to the Nicene Creed in the West). | One God in three persons. The creeds are recited in worship and are part of the Book of Common Prayer. |
| How a person is savedDiffer | Salvation is God’s gift, received through faith and baptism. The believer cooperates with grace through works of love, and the sacraments are the ordinary channels of that grace. Justification is understood as a real inner renewal, not only a declaration. | Article XI teaches that we are justified by faith only. Anglicans differ on how this fits with the sacraments, with Evangelicals stressing faith and Anglo-Catholics stressing baptism and the Eucharist. |
| Can a saved person fall away?Agree | Yes. A person can lose the grace of God through mortal sin, and it is restored through repentance and the sacrament of reconciliation (confession). | Yes. Article XVI says a believer may depart from grace given and fall into sin, and by God’s grace rise again and amend his life. |
| Predestination and free willVaries | God knows and wills the salvation of the elect, and human free will genuinely cooperates with grace. The church condemns the view that God predestines anyone to damnation. | Article XVII affirms predestination in gentle terms. Anglicans range from Calvinists to Arminians, and the church has never enforced one view. |
| BaptismAgree | A sacrament that cleanses original sin and begins new life in Christ. Infants are baptized, usually by pouring water, and adults are baptized after instruction. | A sacrament of new birth into the church. Infants and adults are baptized, by pouring or immersion. Anglicans differ on how closely baptism is tied to regeneration. |
| Communion (the Lord’s Supper)Varies | The Eucharist. Bread and wine become the body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation), and the whole Christ is truly present under their appearance. | The Eucharist. Anglicans affirm Christ’s presence but leave the manner open, from real presence among Anglo-Catholics to a spiritual or memorial view among Evangelicals. |
| Sacraments or ordinancesDiffer | Seven sacraments: baptism, confirmation, Eucharist, penance, anointing of the sick, holy orders and marriage. | Two sacraments “ordained by Christ,” baptism and the Eucharist. Five other rites, including confirmation and marriage, are called sacramental rites, and Anglo-Catholics often count all seven. |
| Church governmentDiffer | Governed by bishops in communion with the pope, who is the successor of Peter and holds universal authority. Priests serve under bishops. | Governed by bishops, with a presiding archbishop in each province. The Archbishop of Canterbury is a symbolic leader of the communion, without authority over other provinces. |
| Clergy and women in ministryVaries | Priests and bishops must be men, and priests in the Latin Church are celibate. Women serve as religious sisters, teachers and lay leaders, but not as ordained clergy. | Varies. Many provinces ordain women as priests and bishops, while some do not. Clergy may marry. |
| Mary and the saintsVaries | Mary is honored as Mother of God, and Catholics pray to her and the saints to intercede. Catholic teaching includes the Immaculate Conception, the Assumption and Mary’s perpetual virginity. | Varies. Anglo-Catholics ask for Mary’s and the saints’ prayers, while Evangelical Anglicans do not. Official teaching honors the saints, but Article XXII calls the invocation of saints “a fond thing vainly invented,” so Anglo-Catholic practice goes beyond the formal doctrine. |
| Death, purgatory and hellDiffer | Those who die in grace but are not fully purified go through purgatory before heaven. The living pray for the dead. Hell is eternal separation from God. | Article XXII rejects the “Romish doctrine concerning Purgatory.” Some Anglo-Catholics pray for the dead and hold a gentler view of the intermediate state. |
| Style of worshipAgree | Highly liturgical. The Mass follows a set order, with readings, a homily and the Eucharist at the center. Worship uses vestments, incense and candles on many occasions. | Liturgical, following the Book of Common Prayer or a modern equivalent. Styles range from ornate “high church” to simple “low church” services. |
| The Holy Spirit and spiritual giftsVaries | The Spirit works through the sacraments, and the church recognizes gifts (charisms) of healing and prophecy. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal, begun in 1967, welcomes tongues, but it is not the norm. | Varies. Anglicanism includes a large charismatic wing, and other Anglicans give little emphasis to gifts. |
| Day of worshipAgree | Sunday, the day of the resurrection. Catholics are obliged to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days. | Sunday. |
| Best known for | Papal authority, the seven sacraments, the Mass, Marian devotion and a worldwide network of schools, hospitals and charities. | The Book of Common Prayer, bishops, and a middle path between Catholic and Protestant traditions. |
“Agree” means the two traditions take the same broad position, although the wording above may still note finer differences. “Varies” means at least one of the two is itself divided on the question, so no single position can be given. These summaries describe typical teaching, and individual churches may vary. For an authoritative statement, consult each denomination’s own confessions.
Learn more on this site
- The Inspiration and Inerrancy of Scripture
- The Reliability of Scripture
- The Canon
- Textual Variants and "Lost Books" (Gnostic Gospels, Apocrypha)
- What Does the Bible Say About Salvation?
- Grace
- Justification
- Baptism
- What Does the Bible Say About Heaven?
- What Does the Bible Say About Hell?
- What Does the Bible Say About Judgment Day?
- The Trinity
- The Deity of Christ
- Free Will, Predestination, and Divine Sovereignty
- What Does the Bible Say About Worship?
- Sabbath
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