This is an Anglo-Catholic blog. “I’ve heard of Roman Catholic. What the heck is Anglo-Catholic?!” you ask? Anglo-Catholic is an Anglican that cherishes the liturgy, rituals, and (to a certain extent) the theology of our Catholic heritage, while rejecting the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome (a.k.a. the Pope). You might be thinking, “Didn’t Henry VIII just create your church because he wanted a divorce?” One could say that’s a common perspective but also a gross simplification. The concept of Apostolic succession is that Christ himself charged his disciples with the creation and propagation of the church and that the existing “Sees” derive their authority from the apostle that founded them. For the Roman church, considerable weight is put on one line of scripture (Matt 16:18) and whether or not it grants the Bishop of Rome special authority amongst (or over) the other Sees. Almost a thousand years ago, the Eastern Orthodox church rejected the (self-declared) power of the Pope. Several hundred years later that was essentially the same conflict in England: The state’s autonomy from foreign ecclesiastical and political control, since religion and politics were much the same thing at the time.

To me, being an Anglo Catholic combines the best of the ancient traditions of the Roman church, while also permitting the individual autonomy and the personal relationship with God of the Protestant tradition. After all, part of the dissatisfaction that sparked the (Protestant) reformation was that the Roman church conceived of itself as an intermediary between God and man, and arguably abused that authority (take a read on indulgences here). I feel more free to approach God directly, and no fear of excommunication when I express by belief in say Christian Universalism, which is probably in conflict with Roman Catholic dogma.

On the other hand, being an Anglo-Catholic gives me freedom from the “scriptural” dogma, which defines the Fundamentalist churches. Christian Fundamentalism, which is often conflated with Evangelicalism, has become a political force in its own right, and has taken on some pretty dubious moral positions, particularly in the United States. Unfortunately, given the predominance of the U.S. media in my country, the Fundamentalist representation of Christianity is how many non-Christians think all Christians are. Rest assured, I too think there’s something very wrong when one rejects the nuance and mystery of faith in favour of a literal (but still selective) interpretation of the bible. Not the least of which is putting one in the absurd position of trying to use science to explain the biblical great flood, or a planet that’s 5,000 years old, or that dinosaurs aren’t real.

So this blog is decidedly Anglo Catholic. I’ll post about cathedrals, inspiring sacred choral music, great works of art, the lives of the saints, the Anglo-Catholic home, and Christian theology from an Anglican perspective. This is the “language” of faith that I speak. Maybe you will too.