The IERE also claims itself to morally be the
continuing church of the ancient pre-Spanish Church by maintaining the
sacramental system as handed down through the Mozarabic Rite. Due to its Reformed tradition, some would say this is largely a Church that places itself within the confines of the Evangelical stream of Anglicanism.
The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church was formed "...being born of individuals who left the Church of Rome for reasons of Biblical conscience but desired epsicopacy and an ordered vernacular liturgy for which Anglicanism provided the original precedent."[5] The IERE considers its origin to be in 1868 when the "Consistorio General de la Iglesia en España" (General Consistory of the Church in Spain) was formed by
Juan Bautista Cabrera in
Gibraltar.[6]
At the Synod of 1880, Cabrera was elected the first bishop of the IERE, under the pastoral care of
William Plunket, 4th Baron Plunket, then
Bishop of Meath and later
Archbishop of Dublin. He had been interested in the two Iberian churches and determined to act to consecrate a bishop in Spain. The church remained without a bishop for a time after Cabrera died in 1916 and was placed under the authority of the
Church of Ireland.[8] For a lengthy period from 1935 to 1951 there was not a single episcopal visit to Spain.[9] Fernando Cabrera, son of the Church's first bishop, was elected to be the next bishop, but he died in 1954 before being consecrated. Fernando Cabrera served as rector of the
Anglican Cathedral of the Redeemer for close to a half-century.[10]
Previous to its organization, there were several translations of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer into Spanish in 1623[15] and in 1707.[16]
In 1881 the church combined a Spanish translation of the
1662 edition of the Book of Common Prayer with the Mozarabic liturgy, which had recently been translated. This is apparently the first time the Spanish speaking Anglicans inserted their own "...historic, national tradition of liturgical worship within an Anglican prayer book."[17] A second edition was released in 1889, and a revision in 1975. This attempt combined the Anglican structure of worship with indigenous prayer traditions.[18]
An experimental "Rito 1" or "Rite 1" for the church dating from 1984 has a few interesting aspects. One item is that after the president (a presbyter or the bishop if he is in the presbyter seating) prays for the absolution of the sins of the congregation, the assembly responds by praying in turn for the absolution of the sins of the president: "God have mercy on you also, forgive you your sins through Jesus Christ and give you eternal life by the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen."[19]
Organisation
The IERE has a democratic,
synodical (parliamentary) polity. The Synod is the highest authority in the Church; the
laity and clergy have equal representation in it.[20] The
parishes are represented by one cleric and by one lay person. The Synod elects the Standing Committee, which governs the Church between synods.[21] The IERE is not a Church with an episcopal government, like the
Catholic Church, but is a synodical Church governed by a bishop in synod. The bishop and the synod are required to work together in close co-operation. The current diocesan bishop is Carlos López Lozano, a Madrilene who was ordained as bishop by the
Archbishop of Canterbury in November 1995.[22]
de Olaiz Fresno, Miguel. La Iglesia Catedral del Redentor. IERE: Madrid, 1994.
Estruch, Juan. 1968.
"HOW CAN THERE BE PROTESTANTS IN SPAIN?" The Ecumenical Review. 20, no. 1: 53-62. Notes: Mr. JUAN ESTRUCH is a layman of the Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church and is Youth Secretary for his Church. At present he is studying religious sociology at Louvain.
Iglesia Española Reformada Episcopal, and William Conyngham Plunket Plunket.
The Revised Prayer-Book of the Reformed Spanish Church: (As Authorised by the Synod of That Church, May, 1889). Dublin: Alex. Thom, 1894. Notes: Added t.p.: The Divine Office and administration of the sacraments and other ordinances in the Reformed Spanish Church. Madrid: Printed by J. Cruzado, 1889. Other Titles: Divine offices and administration of the sacraments and other ordinances in the Reformed Spanish Church. Oficios divinos y administracion de los sacramentos y otros ritos en la Iglesia Española reformada.
Palomino, Rafael.
Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church. 2011. Abstract: The Spanish Reformed Episcopal Church belongs to the Anglican Communion and preserves the ancient Christian liturgy of the Visigoths and Mozarabs.
Plunket, William C.
The Divine Offices and Other Formularies of the Reformed Episcopal Churches of Spain and Portugal... (The Divine Offices and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Ordinances in the Spanish Church. 1882. Responsibility: translated in a condensed form by R. Stewart Clough. - The Book of Common Prayer, administration of the Sacraments, and other divine offices for the use of the Lusitanian Church. Translated from the Portuguese by the Rev. T. Godfrey P. Pope.) With an introduction by ... Lord Plunket ... Bishop of Meath.