Thread by @kurteichenwald

The @USCCB is demonstrating it is useful to know that an Episcopalian is close to Catholicism. Many become whatever their parents were. Given the politicization of Catholicism, might be time to choose again. So, here are main differences between Catholicism & Episcopalianism…/1

…Episcopals are essentially both Catholic and Protestant. They are Catholic in the sense that they retained much of the liturgical and sacramental understanding of the early church; Protestant in the sense of being a church always open to reformation and renewal…/2

… biggest difference in liturgical belief is in communion. Through concept of transubstantiation, Catholics believe that in the Eucharist they are consuming the actual body and blood of Christ. Episcopals believe in the “real presence” of Christ’s body and blood, but don’t…3

…don’t provide a specific explanation of how that is present in the bread/wine. In other words, if you believe the bread and wine are actually the real body and blood of Christ through transubstantiation, then you need to fight within the Catholic Church to depoliticize it…./4

…the primary differences outside of that issue comes from the Episcopalians refusal to adopt the papal hierarchy of the Catholic Church. Primarily, they do not believe in a Pope. Jesus said that Peter was the rock on which his church was founded, so Peter was the first Pope…5

…Episcopals do have bishops and cardinals who are chosen by the faithful. Catholic bishops are chosen by the Pope. Catholic clergy must be celibate men. Episcopal clergy can be married and, in most churches, clergy can be men of women…./6

….Catholics confess their sins to priests to “cleans their souls” and ask for forgiveness. Episcopals do not believe that the priest is needed as an intermediary and that the only way you can seek forgiveness is to go directly to God. Basically, Catholics go to their priests…/7

…while Episcopals go to God. Essentially, strip away all of the hierarchy , the papacy and the rules developed by that hierarchy, and you are 98%of the way of turning Catholicism into episcopalianism. The very reason for the Reformation came from the corruption of the papacy…/8

…and I would argue that the selective enforcement of rules - ignoring executions literally pushed by Barr while condemning Biden for backing our laws on women’s rights - & allowing the hierarchy to change faith into politics is an element of the original corruption that led…9

…to the Reformation. When USA Bishops believe they literally have the right to determine who is worthy of accepting the grace of Jesus based on a selective picking and choosing of what rules they wish to enforce, they have placed themselves over God. American Catholicism …/10

….is hugely political. It is little different at least in terms of its leadership than American right wing evangelism. Your politics are not your faith. And when your church leaders try to shove their politics down your throat, they are not your faith leaders. Your…./11

….relationship is with God, not with strangers who think they can vote selectively about who gets to accept Gods Grace. I believe we are watching a new corruption, but only of American Catholic Church. And like Martin Luther before you, the solution is simple: leave it.