The Church of Ireland (Irish: Eaglais na hÉireann) is an autonomous province of the Anglican Communion, operating seamlessly across the border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Irish (ga ''Gaeilge'' is a Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family originating in Ireland and historically spoken by the Irish. See also Anglicanism The Anglican Communion is an international association of national Anglican churches Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. Northern Ireland (Tuaisceart Éireann Ulster Scots: Norlin Airlann) is a Country within the United Kingdom, lying in the northeast of Like other Anglican churches, it considers itself to be both Catholic and Reformed. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs As a Christian Ecclesiastical term Catholic —from the Greek adjective, meaning "general" or "universal"—is described The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time ^[1] In fact, in the Preamble and Declaration affixed to its constitution, it is identified as "the Ancient Catholic and Apostolic Church of Ireland" and "a reformed and Protestant Church". ^[2]

When the Church in England broke with the Pope and communion with the Roman Catholic Church, the Church in Ireland likewise underwent reformation, with those adhering to the new rules becoming the State Church and holding possession of official Church property, even as doctrine was changed, while the majority of the population remained loyal to the Roman Catholic Church and continue to do so to this day. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican History See also History of the Papacy Catholics recognize the Pope as a successor to Saint Peter, who Jesus named as the "shepherd" and A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially As the reformed Church of Ireland took possession of practically all official Church property, it retains a great repository of religious architecture and other items.

Despite its numerical minority, however, the Church of Ireland remained the official state church until it was disestablished on 1 January 1871, by the Liberal government under William Gladstone. Disestablishmentarianism refers to the withdrawal of state support of an established church that was formerly part of the state establishment New Year See also New Year The Ancient Romans began their consular year on January 1st since 153 BC Year 1871 ( MDCCCLXXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Today the Church of Ireland is, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest tradition in the island of Ireland (the third-largest in Northern Ireland after Catholicism and Presbyterianism). It is governed by a General Synod of clergy and laity and organized into twelve dioceses. The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. It is led by the Archbishop of Armagh (styled "Primate of All Ireland"), at present the Most Reverend Dr Alan Harper; the church's other archbishop is the Archbishop of Dublin, the Most Reverend Dr. The Archbishop of Armagh in the Church of Ireland is the Primate of All Ireland and the leader of that church as well as being the diocesan Bishop Primate of All Ireland is a title held by the Archbishops of Armagh, in both the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland traditions and signifies that within Alan Edwin Thomas Harper, OBE (born 20 March 1944) is the Church of Ireland 's Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough in the Church of Ireland. John Neill. John Robert Winder Neill (born December 17 1945) is Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Bishop of Glendalough, Primate of Ireland

History

Early history

The Church of Ireland traces its origins back to the missions of Saint Patrick. Saint Patrick (Patricius Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Roman Britain -born Christian Missionary and is the Patron saint As a monastically-centered institution, the early Celtic Church of Ireland had a unique calendar and usages, but was a full part of the wider Western Church, but with links to the Coptic and Syriac churches. Celtic Christianity, or Insular Christianity (sometimes called the Celtic Church or the British Church) broadly refers to the Early Medieval

In 1166, basing his action on the Papal Bull Laudabiliter, which was claimed to give him lordship over Ireland, Henry II of England invaded Ireland and in 1171 made himself Lord of Ireland. Laudabiliter was a Papal bull issued in 1155 by the English Pope Adrian IV purporting to give the Angevin King Henry II of England The Norman invasion of Ireland was a Norman military expedition to Ireland that took place on 1 May 1169 at the behest of Dermot MacMurrough The Lordship of Ireland ( 1171 - 1541) was the nominally all-island Irish state created in the wake of the Norman invasion of Ireland in 1169-71

Reformation and beyond

In 1536, during the Reformation, Henry VIII was named the head of the Irish church by the Irish Parliament. The English Reformation was the series of events in 16th century England by which the Church of England first broke away from the authority of the Pope Henry VIII (28 June 1491 &ndash 28 January 1547 was King of England and Lord of Ireland, later King of Ireland and claimant to the Kingdom of When the Church of England was reformed under Edward VI so too was the Church of Ireland. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Edward VI (12 October 1537 &ndash 6 July 1553 became King of England and Ireland on 28 January 1547 and was crowned on 20 February at the age of nine All but two of the Irish bishops accepted the Elizabethan Settlement and there is continuity and Apostolic succession in the Church of Ireland, separate from that of the Church of England and the doubts raised by Roman Catholics re the validity of the form and intention in consecrating of Matthew Parker as archbishop of Canterbury (i. The Elizabethan Religious Settlement was Elizabeth I ’s response to the religious divisions created over the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and Mary The Nag's Head Fable was a fiction which purported that Anglican Archbishop Matthew Parker was not consecrated solemnly but instead was consecrated Matthew Parker ( 6 August 1504 &ndash 17 May 1575) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1559 until his death in 1575 e. the English didn't have Rome's permission and didn't do it the way Rome did consecrations). However 2 of the 4 bishops who consecrated Parker had themselves been consecrated in the 1530s using the Roman Pontifical.

The established church in Ireland underwent a period of more radical Calvinist doctrine than occurred in England. An established church is a church officially sanctioned and supported by the government of a country e Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the James Ussher (later Archbishop of Armagh) authored the Irish Articles, adopted in 1615. James Ussher (sometimes spelled Usher) (4 January 1581–21 March 1656 was Anglican Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland The Archbishop of Armagh in the Church of Ireland is the Primate of All Ireland and the leader of that church as well as being the diocesan Bishop In 1634 the Irish Convocation adopted the English Thirty-Nine Articles alongside the Irish Articles. The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion were established in 1563 and are the historic defining statements of Anglican doctrine in relation to the controversies of the After the Restoration of 1660, it seems that the Thirty-Nine Articles took precedence, and remain the official doctrine of the Church of Ireland even after disestablishment. ^[3]

The Church of Ireland undertook the first publication of Scripture in Irish. The first Irish translation of the New Testament was begun by Nicholas Walsh, Bishop of Ossory, who worked on it until his untimely death in 1585. Nicolas E Walsh MD is a noted American physiatrist. Dr Walsh is currently a Professor and Chairman of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine The Bishop of Ossory is the leader of the Diocese of Ossory in south central Ireland. The work was continued by John Kearny, his assistant, and Dr. Nehemiah Donellan, Archbishop of Tuam, and it was finally completed by William O'Domhnuill (William Daniell, Archbishop of Tuam in succession to Donellan). The Church of Ireland Diocese of Tuam Killala and Achonry is an Anglican diocese in the west of Ireland with its see at Tuam. Their work was printed in 1602. The work of translating the Old Testament was undertaken by William Bedel (1571-1642), Bishop of Kilmore, who completed his translation within the reign of Charles I, although it was not published until 1680 (in a revised version by Narcissus Marsh (1638-1713), Archbishop of Dublin). William Bedell ( 1571 - February 7, 1642) was an Anglican churchman Kilmore is a historic Diocese in central Ireland It lay in the Province of Ulster, and County of Cavan. Charles I, (19 November 1600 &ndash 30 January 1649 was King of England, Scotland and Ireland from 27 March 1625 until his execution. Narcissus Marsh (1638&ndash 2 November 1713) was an English clergyman who was successively Church of Ireland Bishop of Ferns, William Bedell had undertaken a translation of the Book of Common Prayer in 1606. The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. An Irish translation of the revised prayer book of 1662 was effected by John Richardson (1664 - 1747) and published in 1712. Year 1712 ( MDCCXII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap

The English-speaking minority mostly adhered to the Church of Ireland or to Presbyterianism and the Irish-speaking majority remained faithful to the Latin liturgy of Roman Catholicism, which remained the majority denomination in Ireland.

From the birth of the United Kingdom

The Dublin area saw many churches like Saint Stephen's, built in the Georgian style during the 18th century. Georgian architecture is the name given in most English -speaking countries to the set of Architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840

As before the Reformation, some clergymen of the Church of Ireland sat as Lords Spiritual in the Irish House of Lords; under the provisions of the Act of Union 1800, one archbishop and three bishops chosen by rotation would be Lords Spiritual in the newly united United Kingdom House of Lords in Westminster, joining the two archbishops (Canterbury and York) and the twenty-four bishops from the Church of England. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Lords Spiritual of the United Kingdom, also called Spiritual Peers, are the 26 Clergymen of the established Church of England The Irish House of Lords (Irish Teach na dTiarnai) was the Upper house of the Parliament of Ireland that existed from mediæval times until 1800 The phrase Act of Union 1800 (or sometimes Act of Union 1801) (Acht an Aontais 1800 is used to describe two complementary Acts whose official United Kingdom titles are The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927 The House of Lords is the second house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom and is also commonly referred to as "the Lords" The Archbishop of Canterbury is the chief bishop and principal leader of the Church of England, the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the The Archbishop of York is a high-ranking cleric in the Church of England, second only to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican

In 1833 the British Government proposed the Irish Church Measure to reduce the 22 archbishops and bishops who oversaw the Anglican minority in Ireland to a total of 12 by amalgamating sees and to use the revenues saved for the use of parishes. Year 1833 ( MDCCCXXXIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common This sparked the Oxford Movement which was to have wide repercussions for the Anglican Communion. The Oxford Movement or Tractarianism was an affiliation of High Church Anglicans, most of whom were members of the University of Oxford, who sought

As the official established church, the Church of Ireland was funded partially by tithes imposed on all Irish citizens, irrespective of the fact that it counted only a minority of the populace among its adherents; these were a source of much resentment which occasionally boiled over, as in the "Tithe War" of 1831-36. A tithe (from Old English teogoþa "tenth" is a one-tenth part of something paid as a (usually voluntary contribution or as a Tax or levy The Tithe War in Ireland ( 1831-36) refers to a series of periodic skirmishes and violent incidents connected to resistance to the obligation of Catholics Eventually, the tithes were ended, replaced with a lower levy called the tithe rentcharge. The Irish Church Disestablishment Act 1869 came into effect in 1871 and ended the role of the Church of Ireland as state church. The Irish Church Disestablishment Act 1869 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed during William Gladstone 's administration This terminated both state support and parliamentary authority over its governance, and taking into government ownership much church property. Compensation was provided to clergy, but many parishes faced great difficulty in local financing after the loss of rent-generating lands and buildings. The Church of Ireland made provision in 1870 for its own government, led by the General Synod, and financial management by the Representative Church Body. With disestablishment, the last remnant of tithes were abolished and the church's representation in the House of Lords also ceased.

Like other Irish churches, the Church of Ireland did not divide when Ireland was partitioned in 1920, and continues to be governed on an all-island basis. The Partition of Ireland took place on 3 May 1921 under the Government of Ireland Act 1920.

The Church today

Saul church, a modern replica of an early church with a round tower, is built on the reputed spot of St Patrick's first church in Ireland. Saul (in Irish: Sabhall, ie a barn is a small Village in County Down, Northern Ireland. This is about Irish-style round towers See Round tower for other types of towers Saint Patrick (Patricius Irish: Naomh Pádraig) was a Roman Britain -born Christian Missionary and is the Patron saint

The contemporary Church of Ireland, despite having a number of High Church (often described as Anglo-Catholic) parishes, is generally on the Low Church end of the spectrum of world Anglicanism. " High Church " relates to Ecclesiology and Liturgy in Anglican theology and practice The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism (or sometimes possibly incorrectly High Church &mdashsee below describe people Low church is a term of distinction in the Church of England or other Anglican churches initially designed to be pejorative Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Historically, it had little of the difference in churchmanship between parishes characteristic of other Anglican Provinces, although a number of markedly liberal, High Church or evangelical parishes have developed in recent decades. Evangelicalism is a theological movement tradition and system of beliefs most closely associated with Protestant Christianity, which identifies with the Gospel It was the second province of the Anglican Communion after the Anglican Church of New Zealand (1857) to adopt, on its 1871 disestablishment, synodical government, and was one of the first provinces to ordain women to the priesthood, in 1991. A synod (also known as a council) is a council of a church, usually a Christian church convened to decide an issue of doctrine administration or application

The Church of Ireland has two cathedrals in Dublin: within the walls of the old city is Christ Church Cathedral, the seat of the Archbishop of Dublin, and just outside the old walls is St. Patrick's Cathedral, which the church designated as a National Cathedral for Ireland in 1870. Christ Church Cathedral ( The Cathedral of the Holy Trinity commonly known as Christ Church, Cathedral of the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough and Metropolitical Saint Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin, formally known as The National Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Saint Patrick Dublin or in the Irish language Cathedrals also exist in the other dioceses. The church operates a seminary, the Church of Ireland Theological College, in Rathgar, in the south inner suburbs of Dublin, and the church's central offices are in Rathmines, adjacent to the Church of Ireland College of Education. Rathgar ( Ráth Garbh in Irish, meaning "Rough Ringfort" is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland, lying about 3 kilometres south of the city Rathmines ( Ráth Maonais in Irish) is a suburb on the southside of Dublin, about 3 kilometres south of the city centre

Membership

The Church of Ireland experienced major decline during the 20th century, both in Northern Ireland, where 75% of its members live, and in the Republic of Ireland. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on However, the Church of Ireland in the Republic has shown substantial growth in the last two national censuses and its membership is now back to the levels of sixty years ago. ^[4] There are various reasons for this. One is the relaxation of the Ne Temere regulations, which stipulated that children of mixed Roman Catholic-Protestant marriages should be brought up as Roman Catholics. Ne Temere (literally meaning "not rashly" in Latin) was a decree (named for its opening words of the Roman Catholic Congregation of It is also partly explained by the number of Anglican immigrants who have moved to Ireland recently. In addition, some parishes, especially in middle-class areas of the larger cities, report significant numbers of Roman Catholics joining ^[5]. A number of clergy originally ordained in the Roman Catholic Church have now become Church of Ireland clergy ^[6] and many former Roman Catholics also put themselves forward for ordination after they have become members of the Church of Ireland ^{[7] [8]}.

The 2006 Census in the Republic of Ireland showed that the numbers of people describing themselves as members of the Church of Ireland increased in every county. The highest percentage growth was in the west (Counties Galway, Mayo and Roscommon) and the largest numerical growth was in the mid-east region (Wicklow, Kildare and Meath). Co Wicklow is the county with the highest proportion of Church of Ireland members (6. 88%) and Greystones Co. Greystones (Na Clocha Liatha is a coastal town in County Wicklow, Ireland. Wicklow has the highest proportion of any town (9. 77%).

In 2007 twenty candidates were ordained into the Church of Ireland, as opposed to only nine Roman Catholic priests in the Republic. ^[9]

Structure

The polity of the Church of Ireland is Episcopalian church governance, which is the same as other Anglican churches. Episcopal polity is a form of church governance which is hierarchical in structure with the chief authority over a local Christian church resting in a Bishop (Greek Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs The church maintains the traditional structure dating to pre-Reformation times, a system of geographical parishes organized into dioceses. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches In many rites of the Roman Catholic Church and in Anglican churches, a diocese is an administrative territorial unit administered by a Bishop. There are twelve of these, each headed by a bishop. This page is a List of Church of Ireland Dioceses. The Church of Ireland 's diocesan system is based on the 900-year-old boundaries drawn set up by a series of mediaeval A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight The leader of the five southern bishops is the Archbishop of Dublin; that of the seven northern ones the Archbishop of Armagh; these are styled Primate of Ireland and Primate of All Ireland respectively, suggesting the ultimate seniority of the latter; although he has relatively little absolute authority, the archbishop of Armagh is respected as the church's general leader and spokesman, and is elected in a process different from those for all other bishops. Archbishop of Dublin is the title of the senior cleric who presides over the United Dioceses of Dublin and Glendalough in the Church of Ireland. The Archbishop of Armagh in the Church of Ireland is the Primate of All Ireland and the leader of that church as well as being the diocesan Bishop Primate of Ireland is a title possessed by the Roman Catholic and the Anglican Church of Ireland Archbishops of Dublin. Primate of All Ireland is a title held by the Archbishops of Armagh, in both the Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland traditions and signifies that within

Canon law and church policy are decided by the church's General Synod, and changes in policy must be passed by both the House of Bishops and the House of Representatives (Clergy and Laity). The General Synod is the title of the governing body of some church organizations Important changes, e. g. the decision to ordain female priests, must be passed by two-thirds majorities. While the House of Representatives always votes publicly, often by orders, the House of Bishops has tended to vote in private, coming to a decision before matters reach the floor of the Synod. This practice has been broken only once, when in 1999 the House of Bishops voted unanimously in public to endorse the efforts of the Archbishop of Armagh, the Diocese of Armagh and the Standing Committee of the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in their attempts to resolve the crisis at the Church of the Ascension at Drumcree, near Portadown. Year 1999 ( MCMXCIX) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar) The Archbishop of Armagh in the Church of Ireland is the Primate of All Ireland and the leader of that church as well as being the diocesan Bishop Drumcree may also refer to the village of Drumcree County Westmeath Drumcree Church is the parish church of Drumcree a rural Church of Ireland parish Portadown ( is a former market town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland.

Worship and liturgy

The Church of Ireland embraces three orders of ministry: deacon, priest or presbyter and bishop.

Book of Common Prayer

The first translation of the Book of Common Prayer was published in 1606. The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. An Irish translation of the revised prayer book of 1662 was published in 1712.

Doctrine and practice

See also: Anglicanism and Anglican doctrine

The center of the Church of Ireland's teaching is the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Anglican doctrine (also called Episcopalian doctrine in some countries is the body of Christian teachings used to guide the religious and moral practices of Anglicans Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) The basic teachings of the church include:

• Jesus Christ is fully human and fully God in one person. He died and was resurrected from the dead.
• Jesus provides the way of eternal life for those who believe.
• The Old and New Testaments of the Bible ("God's Word written") were written by people "under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit". The Apocrypha are additional books that are to be read, but not to determine doctrine.
• The two great and necessary sacraments are Holy Baptism and The Lord's Supper/Holy Communion/ the Eucharist
• Those "Commonly called Sacraments that are not to be counted for Sacraments of the Gospel" are confirmation, ordination, marriage, reconciliation of a penitent, and unction. In keeping with its prevailing self-identity as a Via media or "middle path" of Western Christianity, Anglican sacramental theology expresses In Christianity, baptism ( Greek, "immersing" "performing Ablutions " is the ritual act with the use of water by which one is admitted The Eucharist, also called Holy Communion or Lord's Supper and other names is a Christian Sacrament by which in a common interpretation those In keeping with its prevailing self-identity as a Via media or "middle path" of Western Christianity, Anglican sacramental theology expresses Confirmation is a Rite of initiation in many Christian Churches normally in the form of Laying on of hands and/or Anointing for In general religious use ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is set apart as Clergy to perform various religious rites and ceremonies NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** The confession of one's Sins is a religious practice important to many faiths e To anoint is to pour or smear with perfumed oil milk water melted butter or other substances a process employed ritually by many religions and races
• Belief in heaven, hell, and Jesus's return in glory. Heaven may refer to the physical heavens the sky or the seemingly endless expanse of the Universe beyond Hell, according to many Religious beliefs, is a location in the Afterlife, which may be described as a place of suffering In Christianity, the Second Coming is the anticipated return of Jesus Christ from Heaven to earth an event that will fulfill aspects of Messianic

The threefold sources of authority in Anglicanism are scripture, tradition, and reason. These three sources uphold and critique each other in a dynamic way. This balance of scripture, tradition and reason is traced to the work of Richard Hooker, a sixteenth century apologist. Richard Hooker (March 1554 – 3 November 1600) was an Anglican priest and an influential theologian. In Hooker's model, scripture is the primary means of arriving at doctrine and things stated plainly in scripture are accepted as true. Issues that are ambiguous are determined by tradition, which is checked by reason. ^[10]

Ecumenical relations

Like many other Anglican churches, the Church of Ireland is a member of many ecumenical bodies, including the World Council of Churches and the Irish Council of Churches. The World Council of Churches ( WCC) is an international They are also a member of the Porvoo Communion. The Porvoo Communion is the community formed through an agreement between twelve European churches none of which are in communion with the Roman Catholic Church or

See also

• List of Church of Ireland dioceses
• Religion in the United Kingdom
• Irish Anglicans
• Fellowship Of Vocation
• Bishops' Selection Conference
• Anglo-Irish

References

Further reading

• Anglicanism, Neill, Stephen. Harmondsworth, 1965.

External links

• Church of Ireland website
• IRISH ANGLE: Church of Ireland news