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Communication
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Worldwide Anglican Church
Click here to find the Anglican Cycle of Prayer.
The Anglican Communion is a world-wide organization of Anglican Churches. There is no single "Anglican Church" since each national or regional church has full autonomy; as the name suggests, rather, the Anglican Communion is an association of these churches in full communion with each other and particularly with the Church of England, which may be regarded as the "mother church" of the worldwide communion.
As a result, all rites conducted in one member church are recognized by the others. Some of these churches are known as Anglican, specifically recognizing the link to England; others, such as the American and Scottish Episcopal churches, or the Church of Ireland, prefer a specific name. Each church has its own doctrine and liturgy, based in most cases on that of the Church of England; and each church has its own legislative process and overall episcopal leadership from a local primate.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, religious head of the Church of England, is recognized as a symbolic head for the worldwide communion. Among the other primates, he is primus inter pares, or "first among equals." If the Archbishop of Canterbury is compared with other religious leaders such as the Pope, it is only because of his prominent figurehead role in the media. He has no formal authority outside his own province.
