Non-Catholics, Thank the Catholic Church.

[ICTHUS]

[quote name='Archangel' date='Dec 25 2004, 03:11 AM'] Where were these first missionaries from and who sent them? [/quote]
Their names were Phagan and Deruvian, they were sent in 167, and they were sent by the Roman Bishop, I will grant you that last. However, the Celtic Church existed for hundreds of years independent of the See of Rome - she was independent, much as the Eastern Orthodox today are. She only sought Rome's authority when it became politically expedient for her, and then when the Pope decided to overstep his bounds and interfered too much in the affairs of the English Church, she again became independent.

I don't see how this makes us any worse in your estimation than the Eastern Orthodox, however.

At any rate, Anglicans are not Romans. We have our own Liturgy, our own Prayerbook, and we adhere to the Creeds. You don't see the Pope constantly hounding the Byzantines to change themselves and become Romans. Why should he hound us?

Edited December 25, 2004 by ICTHUS

[hyperdulia again]

the celtic church was roughly analagous to the suis iuris eastern churches of today; it was as catholic as the roman rite, but it developed it's own ecclesial structures (monasteries not bishops dominated) and theological language while recognizing the SUPREME ROMAN PONTIFF as the final arbiter in all disputes, and the earthly head of the one fold, outside of which there is no salvation.

protestant ignorance of history never ceases to amaze me.

*sips coffee*

[Archangel]

[quote name='ICTHUS' date='Dec 24 2004, 11:34 PM']Their names were Phagan and Deruvian, they were sent in 167, and they were sent by the Roman Bishop, I will grant you that last.[/quote]

So, the Anglican church has Roman roots. It had to start from somewhere.

[quote]She only sought Rome's authority when it became politically expedient for her, and then when the Pope decided to overstep his bounds and interfered too much in the affairs of the English Church, she again became independent.[/quote]

Who was this Pope who "decided to overstep his bounds and interefed too much in the affairs of the English Church"?