the Church of England
noun(abbreviation CE, C of E)
[singular]the official Church in England, whose leader is the Queen or King 英国国教会；英格兰圣公会 CultureThe Church of England is the official Protestant church in England, which became independent of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century at the time of Henry VIII. The king or queen is the Supreme Governor of the English, or Anglican, Church and it is led by the Archbishop of Canterbury and governed by the General Synod of bishops, clergy and laity (= ordinary church members). England is divided into parishes, each based around a parish church and with a vicar or rector in charge. Parishes are grouped into 42 dioceses each led by a bishop. There is also a Diocese in Europe. Church of England priests are allowed to marry and members of the clergy usually wear a white collar, known as a dog collar. Services are given in English, the most important of them being Holy Communion, often just called Communion, at which people 'take Communion' (= share bread and wine in memory of Christ). People become members of the Church at a baptism ceremony. Later, when they are old enough to understand the Church's teachings, they are confirmed and are allowed to take Communion. Many people are baptized as babies but are not confirmed and do not go to church regularly, but they use the church at important times in their lives such as when they get married or when members of their family die.Culture religion in Britainreligion in Britain The established (= official) church in England is the Church of England. Members of the Church may describe themselves as C of E. In Scotland the official church is the Presbyterian Church of Scotland, known by Scots as ‘the Kirk ’. There is no established church in Wales and Northern Ireland. In Wales the Anglican Church is known as the Church in Wales. The Church is involved in political life as archbishops and some bishops are members of the House of Lords and are chosen by the Queen or King following the advice of the Prime Minister. The Queen or King must be a member of the Church of England and is its official head. Christian religious education is provided in state schools but children do not have to take part. There are also Roman Catholic schools. Only a very small percentage of British people go to church regularly. They rarely discuss religion and feel that a person's religious beliefs are a private matter.Protestant groups other than the Church of England are called Free or Nonconformist Churches. The Free Churches include the United Reformed Church, the Baptist church and the Methodist church. Nonconformist churches are also sometimes called chapels.Many Muslims, Sikhs and Hindus in Britain are from families who came to Britain after World War Two from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. There has been a Muslim community in Britain since the 16th century, and Muslim people continue to come to Britain from many parts of the world. The history of Jews in Britain goes back to Roman times but many Jews in Britain today are from families who came to Britain as refugees from other countries in Europe at various times in the 19th and 20th centuries. Synagogues, mosques, Hindu temples and gurdwaras (= Sikh places of worship) are found in cities and many towns. The first mosque built in Britain was in 1889 in Woking and the first gurdwara in London in 1911. The Chief Rabbi is the main representative of British Jews and there are many religious organizations that represent particular religious groups. The Muslim Council of Britain and the Hindu Forum of Britain are among the largest of these.Topics Religion and festivalsc2