The Church of Ireland is an Anglican denomination that ascribes to both Catholic and Protestant teachings. It, however, does not recognize the authority of the pope. This implies that the Church of Ireland considers itself as Catholic because it follows a continuous tradition of faith and practice of traditions enshrined in the Catholic creed. On the other hand, the church is protestant considering that it opposes doctrines that seem contradictory to the scripture.
The Church of Ireland originated from the Anglican church of England. This church traces its history to St Patrick, who is believed to be the father of Irish Protestants. During its inception, this church adopted primary monastic structure before it finally turned to a diocesan structure with bishops and the helm of the church’s authority.
The dominance or popularity of the Church of Ireland all started during the reign of King Henry VIII after he desired independence from the papacy. King Henry was theologically Catholic, and the practices of the church during his reign were founded on Catholic doctrines. However, his successors proved to be more, and this proved essential in the introduction of Protestantism to the Church of Ireland.
The reforms split the Irish church, and the state fully supported the established Church of Ireland. The Church of Ireland became increasingly popular in the North –Ulster, where the crown’s authority was the strongest.
The Church of Ireland was separated from the Church of England through the passage of the Irish Church Act. This made the Church a self-governing body that had no ties with the state. The church adopted a unique form of government, which was later adopted by other Anglican Churches.
