Catholic Church vs Anglican Church — what is the difference?
By Vinay Koshy, Editor
The Catholic Church in Australia and the Anglican Church of Australia are Australia's two largest Christian denominations. They differ in three core ways: authority, sacraments, and clergy. Catholics are in communion with the Pope, recognise seven sacraments, and require celibate priests in the Latin rite. Anglicans reject papal authority, historically emphasise two dominical sacraments, and permit married clergy. Catholics outnumber Anglicans roughly two-to-one, 5.08 million to 2.50 million by the 2021 Census.
Last verified: 2026-07-02. Membership figures sourced from the 2021 Australian Census; parish counts from the Australian Church Directory as of July 2026.
Comparison at a glance
| Aspect | Catholic Church in Australia | Anglican Church of Australia |
|---|---|---|
| Founding in Australia | 1788 (First Fleet). First bishop (John Bede Polding) appointed 1834. Full national episcopal conference established mid-20th century. | 1788 (First Fleet, as Church of England). Autonomous Australian church from 1 January 1962; renamed Anglican Church of Australia in 1981. |
| Origin | Continuous succession from the Church founded by the apostles; in Australia, arrived with Irish and English Catholic settlers and convicts from 1788. | Continuation of the Church of England, which broke with Rome in 1534 under King Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy and was reformed under Edward VI and Elizabeth I. |
| Authority | In full communion with the Pope in Rome (currently Pope Leo XIV, elected 2025). The Pope is the visible head of the Church on earth. | No single individual is head of the Church. Rejects papal authority. Part of the worldwide Anglican Communion under the symbolic primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury. |
| Governance | Hierarchical episcopal polity. Bishops appointed by the Pope. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) coordinates national matters. Around 35 dioceses and eparchies including 7 Latin metropolitan archdioceses and Eastern Catholic eparchies. | Synodical episcopal polity. Bishops share authority with clergy and laity through diocesan synods and the national General Synod. 23 dioceses in 5 provinces plus Tasmania. |
| Members (2021 Census) | 5,075,907 (20.0% of Australians). Largest single religious identification in Australia. | 2,496,273 (9.8%). Second-largest Christian group after Catholics. |
| Parishes listed in this directory | 2,141 active Catholic parishes across Australia. | 1,928 active Anglican parishes across Australia. |
| Sacraments | Seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation (Confession), Anointing of the Sick, Holy Orders, and Matrimony. Teaches transubstantiation — the bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Christ. | Two dominical sacraments (Baptism and Eucharist) recognised by all Anglicans, with five further sacramental rites practised across the tradition. Eucharistic theology varies from real presence (Anglo-Catholic) to memorialist (evangelical). |
| Women priests / ministers | The Catholic Church does not ordain women as priests or deacons. | Permitted from 1985 on a diocese-by-diocese basis. Sydney and North-West Australia do not ordain women as priests. |
| Clergy marriage | Latin-rite priests are required to be celibate. Eastern Catholic priests may be married before ordination. Deacons in both rites may be married. | Priests, bishops, and deacons may marry. |
| LGBTQ+ ministry and marriage | Does not perform same-sex marriages and does not ordain openly partnered gay or lesbian clergy. | No national same-sex marriage rite. Position varies sharply by diocese. |
| Worship style | Highly liturgical. The Mass follows the Roman Missal (post-Vatican II vernacular liturgy is standard; the older Latin Mass is available in some parishes). Rich sacramental and Marian devotion. | Liturgical using A Prayer Book for Australia (2005) and An Australian Prayer Book (1978). Style ranges from Anglo-Catholic (very close to Roman Catholic worship) to evangelical (Bible-centred, minimal ceremonial). |
| Wider church body | Part of the worldwide Catholic Church of about 1.4 billion members. | Part of the worldwide Anglican Communion of about 85 million members. |
| Community services | Catholic Health Australia (largest non-government provider of hospitals and aged care), St Vincent de Paul Society, Caritas Australia, and a national Catholic school system educating around 765,000 students. | Anglicare Australia and many diocesan agencies, plus a substantial Anglican school system. |
Origin and history
The Catholic Church traces its unbroken succession to the apostles and to Peter as its first bishop of Rome. In Australia, Catholic life began with the First Fleet in 1788, though public Catholic worship was restricted in the early colony. The first Catholic bishop, John Bede Polding OSB, was appointed in 1834. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) is the national episcopal conference, coordinating around 35 Latin-rite and Eastern Catholic jurisdictions today.
The Anglican Church of Australia descends from the Church of England, which broke communion with Rome in 1534 under Henry VIII’s Act of Supremacy. The immediate cause was the Pope’s refusal to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon; the broader theological reformation followed under Edward VI, Mary I (briefly reversed), Elizabeth I, and the settlement enshrined in the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. The Church of England arrived in Australia with the First Fleet in 1788, became an autonomous national church on 1 January 1962, and adopted its current name in 1981.
Authority — Pope or synods?
This is the difference from which every other difference flows. Catholics hold that Christ established the Pope as visible head of the Church on earth and that the Pope (with the college of bishops) holds a teaching authority that Anglicans do not recognise. Bishops in the Catholic Church are appointed by the Pope; doctrine is defined by papal and conciliar teaching.
Anglicans reject the universal jurisdiction of the Pope. Authority in the Anglican Church of Australia is exercised through synods that combine bishops, clergy, and lay representatives. Doctrine and practice are set through the national General Synod and the 23 diocesan synods. The Archbishop of Canterbury is a symbol of unity for the Anglican Communion worldwide but has no juridical authority over the Australian church.
Sacraments and worship
Catholic worship centres on the Mass, the celebration of the Eucharist under a doctrine of transubstantiation: the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ while retaining the appearance of bread and wine. The Catholic Church recognises seven sacraments and requires the sacrament of Reconciliation (Confession) before receiving Communion in a state of grave sin.
Anglicans recognise two “dominical” sacraments (Baptism and Eucharist) instituted by Christ, with five further sacramental rites — Confirmation, Ordination, Marriage, Reconciliation, and Anointing of the Sick — practised across the tradition. Eucharistic theology varies within Anglicanism: Anglo-Catholic parishes hold a doctrine of real presence very close to Catholic teaching, while evangelical parishes tend toward a receptionist or memorialist understanding.
Where they overlap
Both share the historic creeds (Apostles’, Nicene, Athanasian), the Trinity, the divinity and resurrection of Christ, the authority of the Bible, infant baptism, and regular celebration of the Eucharist. Both have bishops in apostolic succession (though Catholic teaching does not recognise the validity of Anglican orders since the papal bull Apostolicae curae of 1896). Both maintain substantial school and welfare systems in Australia. The Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) has produced agreed statements on many doctrinal questions since 1970, though the churches remain in different ecclesial bodies.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Catholic and Anglican Churches the same?
No. The Catholic Church in Australia is in full communion with the Pope in Rome and is part of the worldwide Catholic Church of about 1.4 billion members. The Anglican Church of Australia rejects papal authority and is part of the Anglican Communion of about 85 million members under the symbolic primacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury. They are separate denominations with different histories, governance, and sacramental theology.
What is the main difference between Catholic and Anglican in Australia?
The decisive difference is authority. Catholics recognise the Pope as the visible head of the Church on earth and are bound by his teaching authority. Anglicans recognise no single individual as head of the church — decisions are made by bishops in council with clergy and laity through the General Synod. Sacraments, clergy marriage, women’s ordination, and worship style all flow downstream from that authority question.
Which is bigger in Australia, Catholic or Anglican?
Catholic is significantly bigger. The 2021 Australian Census recorded 5,075,907 people identifying as Catholic (20.0% of the population) versus 2,496,273 identifying as Anglican (9.8%). Catholics are the largest single religious identification in Australia; Anglicans are the second-largest Christian group. The Australian Church Directory currently lists 2,141 active Catholic parishes and 1,928 active Anglican parishes.
Can Catholics receive Communion in an Anglican church, or Anglicans in a Catholic Mass?
The Catholic Church does not offer Communion to non-Catholics because it holds that valid Eucharist requires apostolic succession recognised by Rome, which it does not recognise in Anglican orders. Anglican churches generally offer Communion to any baptised Christian, including Catholics, though Catholic teaching still directs Catholics not to receive Communion outside the Catholic Church except in specific pastoral circumstances.
Do both denominations allow women priests and same-sex marriage?
The Catholic Church does not ordain women as priests or deacons and does not perform same-sex marriages. The Anglican Church has ordained women as priests since 1985 but on a diocese-by-diocese basis — Sydney and North-West Australia still do not. The Anglican Church has no national same-sex marriage rite; individual diocesan positions vary.
Why did the Anglican Church separate from the Catholic Church?
The Church of England — from which the Anglican Church of Australia descends — broke with the Pope in 1534 when King Henry VIII passed the Act of Supremacy declaring himself Supreme Head of the Church of England. The immediate trigger was the Pope’s refusal to annul Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The theological reforms of the English Reformation followed under Edward VI and Elizabeth I. The Church of England came to Australia with the First Fleet in 1788 and became the autonomous Anglican Church of Australia in 1962.
Can I find Catholic and Anglican churches in my suburb?
Yes. The Australian Church Directory lists Catholic and Anglican parishes across all 8 Australian states and territories, with addresses, denominations, and contact details. Browse by suburb or by denomination.
Find a local parish
Use the directory to find a church near you:
- → Browse Catholic parishes in Australia
- → Browse Anglican churches in Australia
- → Guide: Anglican vs Uniting Church — what is the difference?
- → Guide: how to find a Christian church in Australia
- → Browse all churches by state and suburb
Sources
- Australian Bureau of Statistics — 2021 Census, Religious affiliation (Catholic: 5,075,907 / Anglican: 2,496,273).
- Australian Catholic Bishops Conference — catholic.org.au.
- Anglican Church of Australia — anglican.org.au.
- Australian Church Directory — active parish counts (2,141 Catholic / 1,928 Anglican), as of July 2026.
- Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) — agreed statements, 1970–present.