Introduction
An examination of the rituals and dogmas practiced by each religion elucidates the distinctions that exist between the Catholic and Protestant faiths. Both Catholicism and Protestantism may lay claim to the title of being the global religion that has the greatest number of adherents or believers. Both faith in Jesus and the idea that His sacrifice on the cross atoned for the sins of humanity. Throughout the years, each religion has made efforts to find common ground, yet at its core, both religions have profound beliefs.
In the same way, as Catholicism and Protestantism are two distinct branches of Christianity, Shia and Sunni are two distinct branches of Islam. Protestantism is an umbrella word that refers to many forms of Christianity that are not subject to the authority of the Pope. In contrast, the Pope is the leader of the Catholic Church.
Catholic Church vs Protestant Church
The Catholic Church is known for its strict adherence to tradition and doctrines, in contrast to the Protestant Church, which does not follow such guidelines. This is the primary distinction between the two branches of Christianity. Catholics have several different beliefs, some of which include purgatory, praying to saints, and worshipping Mary. Such ideas are categorically rejected by Protestants, who refer to Mary only as Jesus' biological mother.
The mission of the Catholic Church is to carry on and uphold the work that Jesus Christ began on Earth. The Catholic Church remains faithful to the word of God by relying on both the Bible and tradition. They believe that the teachings of the Catholic Church, particularly those of its hierarchy, are just as authoritative as the Bible. According to Catholic teaching, the redemption of humanity depends on following both the Bible and its norms.
In the latter half of the 16th century, the Protestant Church came into being. Before they decided to leave the church, they were members of the congregation there. The basis for the break was disagreements in both beliefs and interpretations of the scripture. They thought that the practices and doctrines of the church were not proper. Mary is solely Christ's biological mother, thus they do not adore her because of that fact alone.
Difference Between Catholic Church and Protestant Church in Tabular Form
| Parameters of Comparison | Catholic Church | Protestant Church |
| Main source worship | Altar. | Pulpit. |
| Ritual | Masses are performed. | Masses are not performed. |
| Belief | They believe that Mary was a virgin throughout her pregnancy with Jesus and that his birth was a miraculous occurrence. | They think that Mary was not a virgin. |
| No. of sacraments | Seven in total. | They have only two sacraments. |
| Services | It requires more time to complete. | It requires much less time in comparison. |
What is Catholic Church?
Jesus Christ assembled his first disciples more than two thousand years ago to form what is now known as the Catholic Church, which spans the whole globe. There are over 1 billion people who follow the Catholic faith in our world. The Catholic Church is made up of members from a diverse range of ethnic and cultural origins. The Catholic Church is frequently described as a "large tent" since it encompasses a broad variety of political opinions, all of which are bound by a shared religious belief or teaching. Despite this, the "big tent" metaphor is not always accurate.
The Catholic Church is an institution that follows the teachings of Christianity. The Catholic Church was the first Christian denomination, and it is from this foundation that all other Christian faiths have branched out through the course of history. The teachings of Jesus Christ, who was born and raised in the province of Judea under the control of the Roman Empire in the first century CE, are the basis of the history of the Catholic Church.
The Catholic Church now asserts that it is the continuance of the first Christian civilization that Jesus established. One of the most important duties that a priest has in the Catholic Church is to re-enact the immense suffering and self-sacrifice of Jesus Christ during the Eucharistic liturgy that is celebrated regularly. A Eucharistic liturgy, also known as a Mass, is when Catholics gather together to worship God by hearing passages from the Bible read aloud and receiving Communion, which symbolizes Jesus in the form of bread and wine.
During the celebration of the Mass, Catholics believe that the bread and wine are miraculously transformed into the flesh and blood of Jesus. The assembly then receives the consecrated bread and wine, exactly as Jesus did the night before he was crucified together with his twelve disciples. This is a symbolic reenactment of the Last Supper. This ritual is at the heart of the Catholic faith and the devotion that it entails.
The history of the Catholic Church is long and illustrious, spanning many decades and being filled with many interesting events. To further the mission of preaching the word of God and, in doing so, the Catholic religion, the apostles and early Christians journeyed to many different parts of the globe. The religion swiftly expanded over the world like wildfire, and the primary tenet of its faith is that Jesus Christ established the church. Throughout the early years of Christianity, the church faced a great deal of opposition, which, after being granted official status by Emperor Constantine I, became far less of an issue. According to the teachings of the Catholic Church, the first day of worship occurred on Sunday; hence, the Catholic Church considers Sunday to be the first day of the week even to this day. Because early Christian communities were very loosely structured, this led to a variety of approaches to understanding the Bible as the word of God.
When it comes to what should be considered authoritative, the Catholic Church places its faith in the word of God as found in the Bible and the church's tradition. They hold the belief that the teachings of the Catholic Church are just as authoritative as the word of God when it comes to a good number of the church's beliefs. Purgatory, praying to saints, adoration, and devotion to Mary, the mother of Christ, are all practices that are central to the Catholic religion. Catholics believe that both the Bible and their traditions play a vital part in the redemption of humanity, even though nearly none of those activities can be traced back to any meaningful foundation in the Bible.
What is Protestant Church?
In the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church and the Protestant church went their ways due to fundamental disagreements in faith and justification. A few of the denominations that comprise the Protestant church include the Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Lutherans, Baptists, Methodists, and Wesleyans. Others include Wesleyans. Protestants are very spiritual people who place equal importance on attending church services as they do on maintaining their own homes.
The Bible is the reference standard by which all Christian behavior must be assessed, according to Protestants, who consider it as having that role. The Protestant Church is home to a diverse collection of rituals and customs, and its members observe significant holidays like Christmas and Easter. Among these festivals, the Protestants emphasize family and community. The practice of democratic order within the church is often emphasized in Protestant congregations, and these congregations tend to be more insular.
It is believed that there are about 40,000 different Protestant denominations around the world. This number is continually increasing and shifting. Traditional church services are held on Sundays throughout the week for Protestant Christians. There is a broad variety of ways that worship may be expressed within the Protestant church; nonetheless, the majority of services will involve readings from the Bible, a sermon, singing hymns, praying, and taking regular communion.
It is required of all Christians to assist one another and those who need assistance, since serving others is a central tenet of the Christian faith. There are a lot of Christians who frequently volunteer their time at organizations or work on a variety of projects with the faith-based organizations they belong to promote social justice and peace.
In the latter half of the 16th century, the Protestant Church was established. When they decided to break away from the Catholic Church, however, they were already members of the church. Differences in views and interpretations were the root of the problem, which led to the split. They were under the impression that the church's doctrines and practices were in some way flawed. They objected to the activities that were being carried out by the church and held the belief that the Bible alone is the source of knowledge, and not historical personalities or traditions. These protesters established their church and preached in a manner that they believed to be morally sound and consistent with the truth.
When it comes to matters of authority, Protestants subscribe to the doctrine known as "Sola Scriptura," which states that only the Bible has this kind of power. They think that the word of God ought to be the only source of our religion and that traditions are of no relevance whatsoever. They do not worship the Virgin Mary since she is just Christ's biological mother and nothing more than that. Protestants think that the Catholic Bible contains texts that are not blessed by God to become His word and that because of this, such books should not be considered to be part of the Bible.
Main Differences Between Catholic Church and Protestant Church in Points
- In the Catholic Church, worship is presided over primarily by the altar, but in the Protestant Church, the pulpit serves as the primary location for such activities.
- In contrast to Protestant churches, the Masses that are performed in the Catholic Church are done so in a liturgical manner.
- Catholics believe that Mary did not engage in sexual activity throughout her whole life, hence the conception of Jesus Christ is seen as a genuine miracle. On the other hand, members of the Protestant Church do not hold the belief that Mary remained a virgin following the birth of Jesus.
- The Catholic Church recognizes seven sacraments, whereas the Protestant Church recognizes just two.
- Members of the Catholic Church tend to have a wider variety of views. Because of this, the services held in Catholic churches often go far longer than those held in Protestant churches.
- The Apocrypha, which is a collection of seven complete books and additions to others, is included in the Bible translation used by the Catholic Church. The Apocrypha is also known as the "lost books." These works do not appear in any translations that are considered Protestant.
- Both Protestants and Catholics adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ as they have been passed down through the Old and New Testaments and Rome and the Vatican. Protestants adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ as they have been passed down through the Old and New Testaments. Catholics adhere to the Catechism.
- The day of worship for Catholics is Sunday, and personal sacrifices are encouraged during the season of Lent. The day of worship for Protestants is traditionally Sunday, but other days are acceptable provided they are approached with the same degree of emphasis on worship.
Conclusion
The Holy Scriptures are regarded as the word of God by both the Catholic and Protestant faiths. There are certain basic differences between the beliefs and practices of Catholics and Protestants that need to be discussed, even though both groups agree on the identity of Jesus. The Catholic Church adheres to the doctrine that every prophet who is named in the Holy Bible should be taken seriously. This is a belief that is held by the Protestant Church. On the other hand, the Protestant Church holds Muhammad in low esteem and considers him to be a false prophet.
As both sides fight for what they believe to be right and real, it is possible to see several differences. A person's religion is the single most significant consideration. It does not matter what religious organization a person belongs to; what matters is the individual's trust in their religion. Whether they believe in a supreme god or a real person who died on the cross for human salvation, they need to have a firm conviction in whatever it is that they believe in.
Even while Catholics and Protestants agree on many fundamentals of the traditional Christian faith, there are important concerns that continue to differentiate the beliefs and practices of the two groups.
References
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/20486884
- https://books.google.co.in/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EjZSCwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT4&dq=Difference+Between+Catholic+Church+and+Protestant+Church+&ots=qUxc2RyJGH&sig=iAyGU7wz3x0WOVGJsEJwee4F2SE&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Difference%20Between%20Catholic%20Church%20and%20Protestant%20Church&f=false
