Any Anglican Catholics out there? Service of all souls? Requiem?

[happyinherts]

I dont quite understand the beliefs of Anglican Catholics. In fact I wasn't aware of their existence until recently.

I have been invited to an all soul's service next Thursday. It's called requiem mass, I think, for all those in the parish who have died during the year. I am included to attend as I organised the funeral of my dear grandmother who lived in the same street as the church and was known by many parishioners.

I would quite like to attend as I understand her name will be read out and a candle lit, but she had no affinity with 'organised' religion. She was a very moral and spiritual person - aiming to do a good deed for someone every day -but struggled with the ritual side of things. I thought the church in question was Anglican, but recently have discovered the Catholic element. I am somewhat confused.

Can anyone shed any light on the format of such a service? I'm more from an evangelical / baptist background and I doubt I could cope with a service with Latin or chanting or crossing myself or with different beliefs about death and heaven than I do. I don't wish to offend anyone here at all - I will respect all faiths, but I just wouldnt personally feel right about entering into a service which doesn't encompass my own feelings.

Can anyone help?

Right, well, I'll try and help.
The Anglican Church (Church of England) is spoken of as a 'broad church'. The two opposite wings of this are Evangelical and Anglo-catholic. There is middle ground between the two -sometimes labelled 'central'.

Even within these groups/labels there is variety. On the Anglo-catholic wing of the church the great divide concerns the ordination of women as priests. There are many women priests, including myself, who would describe themselves as catholic. Equally, there are many on the catholic wing who believe that the priesthood should be exclusively male.

All Souls' Day. This is November 2nd, the day after All Saints' Day. Many churches hold a service on All Souls' and invite those recently bereaved. It isn't always a Requiem, but in the catholic wing of the Church of England it often is. I would be very surprised -amazed even - if the service was in latin. Much more likely to be in contemporary English from the current service book, Common Worship. Having said that, the choir might sing something in Latin - much church music does have the text in Latin. People may indeed cross themselves - but many won't and you certainly don't have to.

A Requiem Mass is offered for the repose of the souls of those who have died. There may be an opportunity to receive communion. but you don't have to. You could go to the altar rail for a blessing - but again, you don't have to.

I would say go to the service; take from it what you will. Use the time in whatever way is helpful. I would hope that those leading the service would be sensitive to those attending, make you feel welcome and loved.

Do come back if you have further questions and I will try to help.

It's another name for the High Church, Oxford Movement "smells and bells" type of service.

There is no Latin, the service is similar to ordinary CofE, though it will be the "traditional language" version (or possibly Book of Common Prayer version).

Genuflecting and crossing totally optional.

I hope you find solace in the service.

I don't think I will find solace and my Christian friends have advised me not to go so as I don't disturb my peace.

My nan was a deeply spiritual person but did not really go along with the rituals and trappings of High Church. Jesus did not dress ornately or tell his followers to would have been her viewpoint, etc, and I don't think she'd be happy with this, or to see me in turmoil. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think of her as she was everything to me, my world.

I can go along with a non-denominational rememberance service but I doubt this is going to be one. I'm also worried in case the catholic element is present and something upsets me - like where do deceased souls go? Do some go to purgatory? Things like that which I don't understand fully or know what the format of the service is until it's too late.

My evangelical friends say the holy spirit does not wish me to attend and not to upset the peace that I have. I wasnt aware I had a great deal of peace being that I miss her so much, but I'm assuming they mean I shouldnt go as I'm likely to be confused and upset - as well as being rather hypocritical. They asked me whether I'd go to a synagogue or a temple or mosque to remember any of my relatives, and I'd answer no to that one, so I guess I should answer no to this one too.

Thanks for replies though

It's not catholic as in Roman Catholic. It is a high church version of the Church of England service. It will not mention purgatory as this is not part of CofE dogma.

No human can tell you what the Holy Spirit wishes.

You do not have to go to this service though. If you do not believe it will help you, it would be better not to.

You could contact the vicar to ask what the form of the service and its trappings will be, and decide on the basis of that information. You might like to consider going elsewhere to make a private act of remembrance at the time the service is happening. The form of the prayer or other act of remembrance is far less important than the substance, and that is something that can occur from your heart anywhere.

You seem to have had a bit of a change of heart since your first post. I think if you want to go, then you should. It is not as though you would be going to a synagogue, temple or mosque, you would just be going to another church that worships Jesus in a slightly different way. I'm not CofE but have gone to high church services occasionally (family reasons). My background is CofS which doesn't go in for bells and smells. To be honest, the thing that made me feel most uncomfortable was the prayers with the spoken responses - I didn't know where to find them in the prayer book in front of me and felt a bit awkward as I didn't know what to say when everyone else about me did. That aside though, I got a lot of of the service and I am not at all sorry that I went. It was interesting to see how other people worship. I think we can often learn a lot from other people and their services. Occasionally, this may involve being a little bit brave and doing something that we wouldn't do normally. It may well be that the vicar will make the service very easy to follow as there could be quite a lot of people like you who don't normally go to that church. What about praying about it?

Maybe I have had a change of heart, I was deeply soul searching it.

I think from the point of view it is not what my nan would have liked nor wanted, it's not right for me to attend, and I remember her every day anyway.

It's an invitation given in love. Take it or leave it.

Why so blunt MindtheGapp

This is a forum to ask advice and learn from other people's knowledge and experience, which was why I enquired. Do you think I can't figure out "take it or leave it" by myself. I wanted more information. Sorry, is that not allowed or something. Why is there always one?

I have decided to leave it, thanks, having given it consideration.

I feel that you think there is something sinister about Anglo-Catholics and somehow their faith is not good enough.

But you were reached out to in love.

Revelation 3:20 "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

No one is forcing you. It is up to you to accept the invitation.

I hope I didn't portray anything to the effect I didn't think any other faith isn't good enough. I said I didn't want to offend anyone and I respect all faiths. I had no knowledge of this faith being dedicated and baptised into the evangelical brethren movement. I was merely seeking advise and asking questions. I'm aware of the bible. I'm also aware that my nan didn't hold with organised religion and I would feel that because this service is being held with her name in mind, I don't feel right about it. It's not that I don't feel their faith isn't good enough at all. I think you're being defensive and that upsets me too, as all I wanted was advice and a bit of insight.

happyinherts - I am so sorry about your nan. You clearly loved and cared for her very much, and it's clear that you want to do right by her.

I don't think that you should feel compelled to go to this service if you don't want to, and if you think that your nan wouldn't have liked it. The offer has been made to you in good faith, because some people would indeed find it comforting (even, I think, some who are not regular church-goers), but if you don't feel like going, then you could simply say, 'thank you for inviting me, but I don't think it's for me' or something like that.

On the practical side, if you do decide to go you should feel comfortable just being there, and perhaps using the time to remember your nan (though I take your point that you do this every day anyway). You don't have to join in with any of the prayers if you don't want to, and you do not have to cross yourself or to genuflect or to go up to the front if there is communion. (I go to a fairly 'high' Anglican church, having been brought up in the CofE but in a much 'lower' tradition; I don't cross myself or genuflect as it's not something I've ever done, and looking around about half the congregation cross themselves and about a tenth genuflect... it's really up to the individual and no-one looks askance at you, whatever you do.) So, if you felt that it was a nice thing to do in remembrance of your nan, you could easily just go along, sit in an unobtrusive place and just thank God for your nan's life and the influence she had on you (which was clearly a very positive one).

Incidentally, I used to be married to someone whose family were Brethren, and I know that there is a certain amount of - I am not sure what the right word is, sorry - 'mistrust' (?) towards Catholicism among Brethren. I don't know enough to comment on that (it just comes from some things my ex-h told me years ago) but his dad preached at our wedding which took place in a CofE church, so I don't think that there is any ill-feeling between Brethren and Anglicans... (I don't know if this is at the root of your worries. Please don't take offence - I really know very little, but am just trying to be understanding.)

Anyway... hope this helps and, once again, sorry about your nan.