Christianity is the core of the Abrahamic religion, which follows the life and teachings of Jesus. But Catholicism is a branch or stem of Christianity. All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics.
Christianity and Catholicism have the same roots and are based on the teachings of Jesus Christ. While the basic beliefs are similar, some critical differences between the two religious beliefs set these two branches apart.
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Difference Between Christian and Catholic
| Christian | vs | Catholic |
| Originated in the Roman province of Judea. It currently includes- Israel, Lebanon, and Palestine | Place of Origin | Also originated in the Roman province of Judea. |
| Follower of Christ | Literal meaning | Catholic is derived from the Greek word- Katholikos meaning universal or general |
| Anglicanism, Protestantism and other branches of Christianity completely reject the concept of the Pope as the head of the church. | Head of the Institution | In Catholicism, the Pope is the head of the Roman Catholic church. He is considered the moral and spiritual authority of the institution. |
| The other denominations of Christianism completely reject the authority of the Pope | Authority of Pope |
The successor of St. Peter |
| You’ll meet Bishops, priests, nuns, monks, and ministers | Clergy | You’ll meet the Bishops, deacons, nuns, monks, and priests |
| Legislation in the Christian faith varies based on different denominations | Legislation |
In Catholicism, legislation is regulated by the Papal law, Diocesan law, and Canon law |
| Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic were the original language | Language | Greek and Latin were the original languages |
| Different denominations prefer to confess to different mediums. For instance, Anglicans prefer to confess to the priests, whereas Protestants prefer to confess directly to the God | Confession | Catholics confess to a priest. The priest, in return, asks them to perform charitable actions to get forgiveness for their sins |
| Some Christians (Protestants) prefer to pray to God directly while others worship Mary and Saints | Worship of Virgin Mary and Saints | Catholics worship Mary and Saints and believe these two work as a medium to connect to God |
| Church, cathedral, chapel, personal dwellings, reading Bible at home | Places of worship |
Church, cathedral, chapel, basilica |
| Eternal life in heaven or hell | After Death | Eternal salvation in heaven and eternal damnation in hell. The temporal third stage for those who want purification from their sins. |
| To love and obey the commandments of Jesus and spread them among others so that others can also attain salvation | Religious goal | Always glorify God and share a life with him |
| Not viewed as a sacrament by most non-Catholics Some Christian denominations affirm same-sex marriage |
Concept of Marriage | A holy sacrament between a man and a woman. There is no rule of divorce in Catholicism. But there is a provision called Annulment under which it is believed that the marriage was invalid even to begin with Considers marriage as a holy sacrament, and divorce is allowed in other branches of Christianity |
| Differs for different denominations, but typically follow the Bible, which includes the Ten commandments | Religious law | Ten commandments, Papal law, Canon law, Catechism of the Catholic church |
| Death by crucifixion, resurrection, & ascension to heaven | Death of Jesus | Death by crucifixion, resurrection, & ascension to heaven |
| Affirmed | The second coming of Jesus | Affirmed |
| Love and justice | Virtue on which the religions are based | Love |
| Over 2 billion worldwide | Followers | 1.33 billion worldwide |
| The Bible | Sacred Scriptures | The Bible, 73 canonical books (27 in New Testament and 46 in Old Testament) |
| Christmas, The Lord’s Day, Advent, Lent, New Year, Easter, Pentecost | Official Holidays | Christmas, Advent, Lent, Easter, Holy Week, Pentecost, and Sunday Day (The Lord’s Day) |
What is Christianity?
The Christian religion is all about following the teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians believe that Jesus, the son of God, came to earth to save all humanity. He suffered, was crucified, died, and was resurrected to save us as prophesied in the Old Testament.
Christians believe in the Holy Trinity. One of their core beliefs is that God has three correlated but distinct entities- The Father (God), Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit.
Gradually due to conflict in religious opinions, the Christian church was split into different denominations, and Catholicism or the Catholic church is one of its primary denominations.
Branches of Christianity
- Protestantism
- Anglicanism
- Methodism
- Jewish Christianity
- Evangelicalism
- Oriental Orthodoxy
- Eastern Orthodoxy
- Pentecostalism
- Mormon
- Gnostic
What is Catholicism?
With over 2.1 billion baptized adherents, Catholicism is the largest branch of Christianity.
The main difference lies in how we perceive the word of God that will decide our faith after death. We can achieve either heaven or hell from our actions in this world. One of the central beliefs of Catholics is that Lord Jesus Christ has died for our sins, so we must not let temptations distract us from our religious paths.
Catholicism Basics
- The Catholic Church has declared itself independent and a pre-denomination of Christianity.
- The Pope is the highest authority of The Catholic Church.
- The Pope resides at the Vatican in Vatican City. People all over the world follow Catholicism.
- The Catholic Church has seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing the Sick, Holy Orders, Marriage
- Catholic Mass centers on the celebration of the Eucharist, also known as Holy Communion
The Catholic Lifestyle
Catholics are more rigid in their religious beliefs and don’t believe in a life of abundance or indulgence. Catholics follow a more sober life and believe in charitable actions. Plus, the Catholic church does not allow its priests, bishops, archbishops, and deacons to get married or to involve in any sexual activities.
The Catholic church also doesn’t allow women to become priests. Still, they can participate in other religious practices if they become nuns.
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