what are the major differences between Catholic beliefs and Protestant beliefs?

Answer 1

"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 2

This question assumes that Protestant beliefs are as singular as the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church, but that is not the case.

Protestant Churches can include Baptists, United Church or Christ members, Lutherans, United Methodists, Quakers and Presbyterians. Many of these churches are more different from each other than they are from the Roman Catholic Church.

The differences are more based on history than on creed. The same is true with the Orthodox church, by the way.

If you're looking for beliefs which separate the churches, I'm afraid you'll need to read up on individual denominations

Answer 3

We Christians all believe Jesus is God. This is why both Catholics and Protestants are Christians. I guess Martin Luther and Henry the VIII were the first Protestants, they were Catholics first. We believe God is Love and if we give love away we give God away. We pray for unity between the Christians. Catholics have 7 sacraments. Mary is the Mother of God to the Catholics and the Mother of all. She is the Queen of Heaven and earth. In the Eucharist, Catholics receive the real Body of Christ, Soul and Divinity. Catholic means universal so the Catholic Church is for all people. Christians and Catholics are apostles because the Church is apostolic. Catholics believe the Pope is the vicar of Christ and inspired by the Holy Spirit so he is an authority when it comes to faith and morals. We believe God forgives all our sins as long as we ask for His forgiveness, but the absolution from the priest gives us an assurance that God has forgiven us. We pray that all men will be saved. God's peace be with you.

Answer 4

Roman Catholicism is #1 in the major branch of Christianity



Christianity began in the 1st century AD as a Jewish sect, and shares many religious texts with Judaism, specifically the Hebrew Bible, known to Christians as the Old Testament (see Judeo-Christian).

There is a diversity of doctrines and practices among groups calling themselves Christian. These groups are sometimes classified under denominations, though for theological reasons many groups reject this classification system.Christianity may be broadly represented as being divided into three main groupings:

1) Roman Catholicism: The Roman Catholic Church, the largest single body, includes the Latin Rite and totals more than 1 billion baptized members.

2) Eastern Christianity: Eastern Orthodox Churches, Oriental Orthodox Churches, the 100,000 member Assyrian Church of the East, and others with a combined membership of more than 300 million baptized members.

3) Protestantism: Groups such as Anglicans, Lutherans, Reformed/Presbyterians, Congregational/United Church of Christ, Evangelical, Charismatic, Baptists, Methodists, Nazarenes, Anabaptists, Seventh-day Adventists and Pentecostals. The oldest of these separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century Protestant Reformation, followed in many cases by further divisions.

Estimates of the total number of
Protestants are very uncertain, partly because of the difficulty in determining which denominations should be placed in this category, but it seems to be unquestionable that Protestantism is the second major branch of Christianity (after Roman Catholicism) in number of followers.

Answer 5

Roman Catholicism, the Bible, and Tradition
One of the great differences between Protestant and Catholic doctrine is in the area of Tradition. The Protestant church maintains that the Bible alone is intended by God to be the source of doctrinal truth (2 Tim. 3:16). The Catholic Church, however, says, "Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture make up a single sacred deposit of the Word of God . . ." (Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 97. Note, all citations in this article are from this Catechism).

The Catholic Church reasons thus:



1. "The apostles left bishops as their successors. They gave them their own position of teaching authority.'" (Paragraph 77)

2. "This living transmission, accomplished through the Holy Spirit, is called tradition..." (Par. 78)

3. "Both Scripture and Tradition must be accepted and honored with equal sentiments of devotion and reverence." (Par. 82).



Within the Catholic scope of Tradition, many doctrines have been "revealed" to the Church over the centuries. For example, there is the veneration of Mary, her immaculate conception and her bodily assumption into heaven. There is also the apocrypha, transubstantiation, praying to saints, the confessional, penance, purgatory, and more. Protestantism as a whole differs with Catholicism in these additions.

Answer 6

Look into Martin Luther's life. At the time of the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic church had become extremely corrupt. In order to raise money for new churches, they sold pardons from hell to the ignorant masses. People couldn't read, so the church could just tell them anything they wanted and the people would believe it, giving all their money to the church , thinking they could buy their way out of hell. Martin Luther read the Bible and saw that salvation was about grace, not doing good works. Thus began the split.

Answer 7

Catholics belive that putting body parts from old dead saints and popes in the reliquery somehow make the sanctity of the church HOLY!

Did you know that a church in Italy claimns to have the foreskin of Jesus Christ in it's reliquiery ( gold box of relics on altar)

Surely the rabbi wouldn't have given it to a Roman to pass on the the Vatican for distribution?
How can they believe this barbaric body part snatching can in anyway be something that is Holyy?

Pope innocente the X is interred in the catacombs of the Vatican and some of his body parts have been disseminated around the Catholic churches of the world This is in accordance with the rhetoric a vatican tour guide .

It's like voodo without the drums, but the mumbo jumbo and the smoke signals are all there though

Protestants do not collect body parts and inter them in little gold boxes to consecrate altars.

Answer 8

Protestantism is such a vague term that probably the best you can do is to say, a protestant is a Christian who is neither Catholic nor Orthodox

when you look at the vast range of Protestant beliefs, you'll see what i mean

Answer 9

Catholics hold tradition as equal to the Bible-Protestants don't.
Catholics include extra books (the Apocrypha) in their Bible,Protestants don't
Catholics believe that the death of Christ created merit that is shared with sinners through sacraments.Protestants believe that it is only Christ's sacrifice,and it is not shared through the catholic sacraments.
Catholics believe that salvation is received at baptism; may be lost by mortal sin; regained by penance.Protestants believe in salvation by faith alone.
Catholics believe that the Catholic church is the one true church,Protestants believe that there are true Christsians in every denomination.
Catholics believe that priests are mediators between God and man,Protestants hold to 'priesthood of all believers'.
Catholics believe that in Communion,the bread and wine becomes the actual body and blood of Jesus.Protestants believe that Communion is just a rememberance of Jesus' death.
Catholics believe in purgatory,Protestants don't.
Catholics pray to Mary and the saints,Protestants don't.

Answer 10

The hierarchy of the church, and supplication to saints for intercession. Protestants generally believe only Jesus can intercede on their behalf, but Catholics also ask for intercession from other righteous individuals. Each protestant denomination has its own structure of leadership, but the Catholic church structure is the same as it has been for centuries.