What is a difference between Catholic and Lutheran?

Answer 1

deja vu! I believe this question was already asked.

The differences between Roman Catholicism and Lutheranism:

Authority of the Bible:
RCC- Accept the Bible as the source of truth interpreted in the light of tradition.
Lutheran- Accept the Bible as the sole source of truth. The Holy Spirit interprets scripture and scripture interprets scripture.

Sacraments:
RCC- Celebrate seven sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, Eucharist, Marriage, Orders and Anointing of the Sick.
Lutheran- Celebrate two sacraments (means of Grace): Eucharist and Baptism.

Eucharist:
RCC- Believe in Real Presence, that the consecrated bread and wine turns into the body and blood of Christ
Lutheran- Believe in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. The consecrated elements (bread and wine) is the bread and the wine and the ACTUAL Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. People really need to stop confusing the Lutheran belief on the Eucharist with the other Protestants (excluding the Anglicans and some Presbyterians).

Church Government:
RCC- College of Bishops shares authority with the Pope as the head of the College (called collegiality). Ultimately, the Pope is the visible head on earth of the Roman Catholic Church.
Lutheran- Congregational form of church government. I would like to point out that the Lutheran Church gets its Apostolic Succession through the Bishops of the Church of Sweden (Svenska kyrkan). See Gustavus Vasa 1527 and Pope Clement VII's decree on the Swedish Bishops.

The Priesthood:
RCC- Restricted to males who are forbidden to marry. From what I understand, there are some exceptions to this ruling if a married priest converts to Roman Catholicism, since they would have to divorce to remain celibate.
Lutheran- Ministers are allowed to marry. It can be pointed out that some Liberal Synods ordain women as ministers. It has to be pointed out that ordaining women is contrary to Scriptures and not a Confessional Lutheran belief.

The Virgin Mother:
RCC- Teach that the Virgin Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of her son Jesus Christ. They teach and believe that the Virgin Mary was born with out original sin (Immaculate Conception) and at the point of conception she was redeemed (full of grace, see Luke 2). Some Roman Catholics pray to Mary and over emphasis her role and claim she is a Co-Redempterix.
Lutheran- The Virgin Mary being a "Perpetual Virgin" is not taught in the Lutheran Church as cannon law. It is not discouraged if members believe she continued as a virgin after Jesus' birth. The doctrine of the Immaculate Conception and Co-Redempterix is not confessed or affirmed by the Lutheran Church.

Faith/Forgiveness of Sins/Means of Grace:
RCC- Faith not only can come by the Word and the sacraments, but Icons can be a visual representation of the Gospel.
Lutheran- Faith comes by the hearing of the Word and the receiving of the sacraments.

Papal Authority:
RCC- The Roman Catholic Church claims the Pope is the Vicar of Christ, has primacy of honor (universal immediate jurisdiction) and infallibility on matters of Christian living and faith. They claim the Pope is the direct successor of St. Peter (the first Pope).
Lutheran- Because Lutherans affirm Apostolic Succession, the Popes before the Reformation are considered first among equals. They do not affirm primacy of honor, infallibility and the title of Vicar of Christ.

I am sure there are tons more difference between these two church bodies.

There are similarities between the two churches:
1. Doctrine of Justification
2. Both churches trace their history back through the Western (Latin) Church.
3. Both churches practice the public or private confession of sins.
4. Infant Baptism


To answer some people's comments.
Jennifer-

The Lutheran Church was NOT established in 1517. It wasnt until closer to the 1530's that the Lutheran Church started to take form. Although you can't pin point a date or time when the church was founded most look to the Diet of Augsburg, when the Apology of the Augsburg Confession was refused to be read at the Diet. It was at this point that most on the Lutheran side felt that reconcilliation with Rome was not going to happen. Because Luther, the other Lutheran Reformers and the people living in certain areas were cut off from churchly institutions.

Meg Michaels-
Martin Luther did not brake away from the Roman Catholic Church. He was warned by Pope Leo X to recant 41 errors by the Papl Bull Exsurge Domine on June 15, 1520. He was excommunicated by Pope Leo X by the Papal Bull Decet Romanum Pontificem on January 3, 1521. Up until that point, Maritn Luther considered himself a faithful Roman Catholic to the church and the Pope. His view goal was to reform certain aspects of the Roman Catholic Church, not destroy it or form another church.
No matter how much you or other's trash and attack the character of Martin Luther, it does not deminish what the Lutheran Church stands for. We are not a cult to Martin Luther and I know its hard for Roman Catholics (and others) to understand that you don't deconstruct a church by its founder or leader, but by its Doctrinal stances and documents. Lutherans consider Jesus Christ the head and founder of their church, just as the Roman Catholics do.

Thaliax-
Please see my section on the Eucharist. You confuse other Protestants with Lutherans. We have always confessed that the Eucharist is the true body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Answer 2

The main difference is Lutherans try to tell what The Catholic faith believes and the Catholic faith leaves the Lutherans alone. I am a Catholic convert from Lutheran. Lutherans should not I repeat not run around telling untruths about the Catholic faith. This website really is bearing false witness against others in telling things they know nothing about.

Answer 3

What is the difference between catholic and Lutheran

Answer 4

Luther never desired to split from the Catholic church--just reform it. Lutherans emphasize the grace of God, rather than salvation by works. However, we believe Christians should do good works as an appropriate response to the grace of God. Also, most Catholics believe that the bread and wine *become* the body and blood of Christ, while Lutherans believe that the bread and wine remain bread and wine, but Christ is present in, under and through the bread and wine. Frankly, the differences between most Christian denominations are significantly less important than the basics of the faith--belief in a loving God who would reach out to humanity in a radical way to offer reconciliation (eg, forgiveness of sins).

(BTW, Lutherans do have bishops, but they don't have nearly the authority that Catholic bishops have.)

Answer 5

When Martin Luther failed to convince the Catholics to remove all the things their leadership added to the Bible over the years, Luther's followers created the Lutheran religion. Unlike the Catholics and all their riturals the Lutherans simply believe that the original Bible is the Word of God. Lutherans don't add to or take away from the Bible, they just try to live life as Jesus did.

God Bless!

Answer 6

The Roman Catholic Church is headed by the Vicar of Rome (i.e., the Pope), whereas the Lutheran Church split from Papal authority during the Reformation. There are also sacramental differences; for instance, the Lutherans see the Eucharist as more symbolic, rather than the Host literally becoming the body and blood of Christ, as the Catholics do. Lutherans are also more likely to rely upon Scripture alone, rather than upon centuries of established Church tradition and teachings (as in the Catholic magisterium).

Answer 7

The Lutheran church was founded by Martin Luther. He had some specific complaints, of which some were addressed in the reformation. Others were not.

I think they main thing is that Lutherans don't have the notion of infallible leadership, and they take confessions a little differently...

Answer 8

The Catholic church was founded after the death, and based on the teachings, of Christ Jesus by his Apostles.

The Lutheran church was founded in 1517 by Martin Luther. A German monk who wanted to see the church reform it's practices.

Check out the link below for the full story. It's way too long to post here.

Answer 9

"What separates us as believers in Christ is much less than what unites us." (Pope John XXIII)

Almost all important doctrine is completely agreed upon between Catholic Christians and other Christians.

Here is the joint declaration of justification by Catholics (1999), Lutherans (1999), and Methodists (2006):

By grace alone, in faith in Christ's saving work and not because of any merit on our part, we are accepted by God and receive the Holy Spirit, who renews our hearts while equipping us and calling us to good works.

There are many minor doctrine issues and some major cultural traditional differences which, I believe, do not matter that much.

A Catholic worships and follows Christ in the tradition of Catholicism which, among other things, recognizes that Christ made Peter the leader of His new Church and Pope Benedict XVI is Peter's direct successor.

With love in Christ.

Answer 10

there are actually a lot of differences.. a ton lol.

for starters, the Lutherans don't use the 7 deuteronomical extra books that the catholics have in the Bible.

they also don't have a major organization.. as in they don't have popes, bishops, or the like.

their services are different too although i don't know too much about that.

there are lots of differences, and lots of similarities lol.