“Church in England, and the Church of England, have been the same entity”
It’s a plain and simple lie. Sure, it’s been a lie promoted since the Elizabethan era, but it’s still a lie.
“The same bishops”
Not so. Elizabeth executed all the Catholic priests and bishops.
“same cathedrals”
Henry VIII confiscated them from the Catholic church.
“which were once in communion with Rome, broke communion with Rome—with the Act of Supremacy in 1534”
Then why were Catholics loyal to the pope executed by Henry VIII and Elizabeth if this were so?
“than the CofE goes back nearly 2000 years”
Pure fantasy. The CofE originates with Henry VIII, who appointed Cranmore to the bishopric (he was not a bishop prior).
“well CofE hasn’t been a Church in nearly 500 years.”
False dilemma. Neither is true. A church can exist out of communion with Rome. That the RCC existed long before the Anglican church is historical fact. That the English Catholic church (look at the confessor), existed, is a fact. That Henry VIII confiscated church property (which has not been returned), is a fact. That the Plantagenets (who were from France and not England), were Catholics, is a fact. So were the Saxons for that matter.
Cranmore was not a RCC bishop prior to Henry VIII - he was appointed that position by Henry. You’re saying ‘the same bishops’ were in the Anglican church - this is false.
Thank you. The fiction that the Church in England organically grew out of English soil and is not the progeny Rome is pure fiction. It’s also fiction to ignore the murder and theft who h produced the CoE.
The Apostolic Succession of the Bishops of the C of E according to the Roman Catholic POV, did not end abruptly, but rather slowly faded with Henry VIII's successors, had a major comeback with Mary Tudor, and then died out for good.
Many Catholic clergy took the King's Oath, a good number did not. Fascinating chapter in the History of Religion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Vicar_of_Bray_%28song%29#Text_and_melody
Satirical perhaps, but an accurate reflection of the way many "practical" churchmen handled the shifting religious tides and fashions!