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Church of England

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   The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in
   England, and acts as the "mother" and senior branch of the worldwide
   Anglican Communion, as well as a founding member of the Porvoo
   Communion.

Theology and sociology

   The Church of England considers itself to stand both in a reformed
   tradition and in a catholic (but not Roman Catholic) church tradition:
     * Reformed insofar as many of the principles of the early Protestants
       as well as the subsequent Protestant Reformation have influenced
       it, and insofar as it does not accept Papal authority.
     * Catholic in that it views itself as the "unbroken continuation of
       the early apostolic and later medieval" "universal church", rather
       than as a "new formation".

   Canterbury Cathedral from the southwest. It houses the cathedra or
   throne of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and is the mother church of the
   Diocese of Canterbury (east Kent) and the Church of England, and the
   focus for the Anglican Communion.
   Enlarge
   Canterbury Cathedral from the southwest. It houses the cathedra or
   throne of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and is the mother church of the
   Diocese of Canterbury (east Kent) and the Church of England, and the
   focus for the Anglican Communion.

   In both beliefs and practices, or forms of churchmanship, the Church of
   England is mixed: in some of its congregations worship remains closer
   to Roman Catholicism (see High Church) than most Protestant churches,
   but in others it is difficult to distinguish between the Anglican forms
   in use and the uses of other Evangelical bodies (see Low Church). Its
   constitution affirms many relatively conservative theological beliefs,
   its liturgical form of worship is traditional, and its organisation
   embodies a belief in the appropriateness of the historical episcopal
   hierarchy of archbishops, bishops, and dioceses.

   In many people's eyes the Church of England has as its primary
   distinguishing heritage its breadth and "open-mindedness". Today,
   beliefs and practices range from those of the Anglo-Catholics, who
   emphasise liturgy and sacraments, to the far more preaching-centred and
   less ritual based services of Evangelicals and the high-octane
   gatherings of the Charismatics. But this " broad church" faces various
   contentious doctrinal questions raised by the development of modern
   society, such as conflicts over the ordination of women as priests
   (accepted in 1992 and begun in 1994), and the status of non-celibate
   homosexual clergy (still unsettled today). In July 2005 the divisions
   were once again apparent, as the General Synod voted to "set in train"
   the process of allowing the consecration of women as bishops; in
   February 2006 the Synod voted overwhelmingly for "further exploration"
   of a scheme that would also allow parishes that did not want a woman
   bishop to opt for a man instead.

Governing and administration

   The spiritual head of the church is the Archbishop of Canterbury, who
   is the Primate of All England and Metropolitan. He is also the focus of
   unity for the worldwide Anglican Communion of independent national or
   regional churches. The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Dr Rowan
   Williams has served as Archbishop of Canterbury since 2002.

   The British monarch (at present, Elizabeth II), has the constitutional
   title of " Supreme Governor of the Church of England".

   The Church of England has a legislative body, the General Synod.
   Measures of Synod have to be approved but cannot be amended by the UK
   Parliament before receiving the Royal Assent and becoming part of the
   law of England. The church has its own judicial branch, known as the
   Ecclesiastical courts, which likewise form a part of the UK court
   system, and have powers especially in relation to the care of churches
   and churchyards and the discipline of the clergy.

   In addition to England proper, the jurisdiction of the Church of
   England extends to the Isle of Man, the Channel Islands, and a few
   parishes in Flintshire, Wales. In recent years, expatriate
   congregations on the continent of Europe have become the Diocese in
   Europe.

Appointments

   All Rectors and Vicars are appointed by Patrons, who may be private
   individuals, corporate bodies such as cathedrals, colleges or trusts,
   by the bishop, or even appointed by the crown. No clergyman can be
   instituted and inducted into a parish without swearing the Oath of
   Allegiance to Her Majesty, and taking the Oath of Canonical Obedience
   "in all things lawful and honest" to the bishop. Usually the archdeacon
   inducts into the actual possession of the benefice property - Church
   and Parsonage. Curates are appointed by Rectors and Vicars, but if
   priests-in-charge then by the bishop after consultations with the
   patron. Cathedral clergy are appointed some by the Crown, some by the
   bishop, and some by the Dean and Chapter themselves. Clergy officiate
   in a diocese either because they hold office as beneficed clergy, or
   are licensed by the bishop when appointed (e.g. curates), or simply
   with permission.

   The process of appointing diocesan bishops is more complex, and is
   handled by a body called the Crown Nominations Committee, which submits
   names to the Prime Minister (acting on behalf of the Crown) for
   consideration. This process is described in the article Appointment of
   Church of England Bishops.

History

   The Church of England traces its formal corporate history from the 597
   Augustinian mission, stresses its continuity and identity with the
   primitive universal Western church, and notes the consolidation of its
   particular independent and national character in the post- Reformation
   events of Tudor England. This interpretation is disputed by the Roman
   Catholic Church which sees the creation of the Church of England as
   marking a break with English Christianity prior to the Reformation.

   Christianity arrived in Britain in the first or second centuries
   (probably via the tin trade route through Ireland and Spain), and
   existed independently of the Church of Rome, as did many other
   Christian communities of that era. Records note British bishops as
   attending the Council of Arles in 314, and, even more significantly,
   Britain was the home of Pelagius, who nearly defeated Augustine of
   Hippo's doctrine of original sin. The Pope sent Saint Augustine from
   Rome in the 6th century to evangelize the Angles in ( 597). With the
   help of Christians already residing in Kent, he established his church
   in Canterbury, the former capital of Kent (it is now Maidstone), and
   became the first in the series of archbishops of Canterbury.
   Stained glass window in Rochester Cathedral, Kent
   Enlarge
   Stained glass window in Rochester Cathedral, Kent

   Simultaneously, the Celtic Church of St.Columba continued to evangelize
   Scotland. The Celtic Church of North Britain submitted in some sense to
   the 'authority' of Rome at the Synod of Whitby in 644. Over the next
   few centuries, the Roman system introduced by Augustine gradually
   absorbed the pre-existing Celtic Christian churches.

   England adhered to the Roman Catholic church for nearly a thousand
   years, before the church separated from Rome in 1534, during the reign
   of King Henry VIII. A theological separation had been foreshadowed by
   various movements within the English church such as the Lollards, but
   the English Reformation gained political support when Henry VIII wanted
   his marriage to Catherine of Aragon annulled. Under pressure from
   Catherine's nephew Emperor Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Pope Clement
   VII refused the annulment and eventually Henry, although theologically
   a Catholic, decided to become Supreme Head of the Church of England to
   ensure the annulment of his marriage.

   Henry maintained a strong preference for the traditional Catholic
   practices and, during his reign, Protestant reformers were unable to
   make many changes to the practices of the Church of England. Under his
   son, Edward VI, the church became theologically more radical, before
   rejoining the Roman church during the reign of Queen Mary I, in 1555.
   The settlement under Elizabeth I (from 1558) of a mildly Protestant,
   catholic, apostolic, and established church (i.e. subject to and part
   of the state) that accommodates a wide range of theological positions
   has essentially been its character since.

Related churches

   The Church of England's sister church in Ireland, the Church of
   Ireland, also went through the reformation in the sixteenth century.
   Unlike in England, the majority of the populace did not go along with
   this, preferring continued adherence to Roman Catholic, but the Church
   of Ireland retained official established church status in Ireland until
   1871. To this day it remains organised on an all-Ireland basis.

   In Scotland, the Church of Scotland is recognised in law as the "
   national church" although it is not established in the same way as the
   Church of England. The Church of Scotland has a Presbyterian system of
   government. A smaller Anglican church also exists in Scotland, namely
   the Scottish Episcopal Church, which is in full communion with the
   Church of England. Its history is complicated, involving periods of
   official promotion and persecution for a time, because of its
   association with Jacobitism, it had to operate sub rosa.

   When the Episcopal Church in the U.S. became independent of the Church
   of England after the American War of Independence, the leadership of
   the Church of England did not believe itself legally able to consecrate
   new bishops without requiring of them the standard oath of loyalty to
   the crown. Consequently it was the non-juring bishops of the
   non-established Scottish Episcopal Church who consecrated the first
   American bishops, until new legislation allowed the Church of England
   to relax its policy.

   The Church in Wales, previously a part of the Church of England, was
   disestablished in 1920 and at the same time became an independent
   member of the Anglican Communion.

   The Church of England stands in full communion with the other churches
   in the Anglican Communion, and separately with the other signatories of
   the Porvoo Communion. The Church of England is also a full member of
   the Conference of European Churches.

Financial situation

   Hereford is one of the church's forty-three cathedrals, many with
   histories stretching back centuries.
   Enlarge
   Hereford is one of the church's forty-three cathedrals, many with
   histories stretching back centuries.

   The Church of England, although an established church, does not receive
   any direct government support. Donations comprise its largest source of
   income, though it also relies heavily on the income from its various
   historic endowments. As of 2005, the Church of England had estimated
   total outgoings of around £900 million.

   Historically, individual parishes both raised and spent the vast
   majority of the Church's funding, meaning that clergy pay depended on
   the wealth of the parish, and parish advowsons (the right to appoint
   clergy to particular parishes) could become extremely valuable gifts.
   Individual dioceses also held considerable assets: the Diocese of
   Durham possessed such vast wealth and temporal power that its Bishop
   became known as the ' Prince-Bishop'. Since the mid-19th century,
   however, the Church has made various moves to 'equalise' the situation,
   and clergy within each diocese now receive standard stipends paid from
   diocesan funds. Meanwhile, the Church moved the majority of its
   income-generating assets (which in the past included a great deal of
   land, but today mostly take the form of financial stocks and bonds) out
   of the hands of individual clergy and bishops to the care of a body
   called the Church Commissioners, which uses these funds to pay a range
   of non-parish expenses, including clergy pensions, and the expenses of
   cathedrals and bishops' houses. These funds amount to around £3.9
   billion, and generate income of around £164 million each year ( as of
   2003), around a fifth of the Church's overall income.

   The Church Commissioners give some of this money as 'grants' to local
   parishes; but the majority of the financial burden of church upkeep and
   the work of local parishes still rests with individual parish and
   diocese, which meet their requirements from donations. Direct donations
   to the church (not including legacies) come to around £460 million per
   year, while parish and diocese reserve funds generate another £100
   million. Funds raised in individual parishes account for almost all of
   this money, and the majority of it remains in the parish which raises
   it, meaning that the resources available to parishes still vary
   enormously, according to the level of donations they can raise.

   Most parishes give a portion of their money, however, to the diocese as
   a 'quota'. While this is not a compulsory payment, dioceses strongly
   encourage and rely on it being paid; it is usually only withheld by
   parishes either if they are unable to find the funds or as a specific
   act of protest. As well as paying central diocesan expenses such as the
   running of diocesan offices, these diocesan funds also provide clergy
   pay and housing expenses (which total around £260 million per year
   across all dioceses), meaning that clergy living conditions no longer
   depend on parish-specific fundraising.
   The old and new Coventry Cathedrals, in the Diocese of Coventry. The
   new cathedral was built next to the ruins of the old, which was
   destroyed in the Second World War.
   Enlarge
   The old and new Coventry Cathedrals, in the Diocese of Coventry. The
   new cathedral was built next to the ruins of the old, which was
   destroyed in the Second World War.

   Although asset-rich, the Church of England has to look after and
   maintain its thousands of churches nationwide — the lion's share of
   England's built heritage. As current congregation numbers stand at
   relatively low levels and as maintenance bills increase as the
   buildings grow older, many of these churches cannot maintain economic
   self-sufficiency; but their historical and architectural importance
   make it difficult to sell them. In recent years, cathedrals and other
   famous churches have met some of their maintenance costs with grants
   from organisations such as English Heritage; but the church
   congregation and local fundraisers must foot the bill entirely in the
   case of most small parish churches. (The government, however, does
   provide some assistance in the form of tax breaks, for example a 100%
   VAT refund for renovations to religious buildings.)

   In addition to consecrated buildings, the Church also controls numerous
   ancillary buildings attached to or associated with churches, including
   a good deal of clergy housing. As well as vicarages and rectories, this
   housing includes residences (called 'palaces') for each of the Church's
   114 bishops. In some cases, this name seems entirely apt; buildings
   such as Archbishop of Canterbury's Lambeth Palace in London and Old
   Palace at Canterbury have truly palatial dimensions, while the Bishop
   of Durham's Auckland Castle has 50 rooms, a banqueting hall and 30
   acres (120,000 m²) of parkland. However, many bishops have found the
   older palaces inappropriate for today's lifestyles, and some bishops'
   'palaces' are ordinary four bedroomed houses. Many dioceses which have
   retained large palaces now employ part of the space as administrative
   offices, while the bishops and their families live in a small apartment
   within the palace; and in recent years some dioceses have managed to
   put their palaces' excess space and grandeur to profitable use as
   conference centres. All three of the more grand bishop's palaces
   mentioned above — Lambeth Palace, Canterbury Old Palace and Auckland
   Castle — serve as offices for church administration, conference venues,
   and only in a lesser degree the personal residence of a bishop. The
   size of the bishops' households has shrunk dramatically and their
   budgets for entertaining and staff form a tiny fraction of their
   pre-twentieth-century levels.

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