Globally there are numerous religions practiced. The beliefs, rituals, practices, etc., are much more different from every other religion.
Abbey vs Cathedral
The difference between Abbey and Cathedral is that Abbey is a place where it serves many functions, while in a Cathedral, it is more often used for worship only. The leader of the Abbey is an abbot, while on the other hand, the leader of the cathedral is a bishop or pope.
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Abbey is another kind of monastery where the leader is known as abbot or abbess. An abbey is a religious place where Christian monks and nuns live.
Cathedral is used as a synonym for the church across the world. And to be precisely defining a cathedral, it can be stated that a place with a set for bishop or pop is a cathedral.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Abbey | Cathedral |
|---|---|---|
| Etymology | Latin word ‘abbatia’ | Latin word ‘cathedra’ |
| Meaning | Means Father | Means Seat |
| Leader | Abbot | Bishop |
| More Like | Monastery | Church |
| Purpose | Serves various functions | Worship only |
What is Abbey?
Abbey is a place where Christian monks and nuns used to live in. It is considered as same as monasteries. That is why they both are used synonymously.
Some of them like have a separate monastery of its own, a convent, a place where all the gifts are received from the offerors, a separate place for worship, a place for religious activities and functions, and many more.
If the in charge of the place or abbey is a Christian monk is called abbot (spiritual father), but if by a nun, it is known as abbess (spiritual mother).
What is Cathedral?
Cathedral is referred to as a Christian church that also has a seat for bishop or pop. The cathedrals are more often like a church. That is why they are synonymously used for one another.
Also, a cathedral with a seat of bishop or pop is considered as the central church of the given particular area and is responsible for the fulfillment of the religious need.
The difference between the church and a cathedral is just the administrative part, which is given to a cathedral, not to a church.
Main Differences Between Abbey and Cathedral
- An abbey is more referred to as a monastery, while the cathedral is more like a church.
- The purpose of the abbey is to serve many functions, while the cathedral is only used for worship.
- https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.2307/766867?journalCode=ges
- https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/eb058206/full/html
- https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.7208/9780226668208-005/html
- https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00665983.1890.10852430?journalCode=raij20
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Chara Yadav holds MBA in Finance. Her goal is to simplify finance-related topics. She has worked in finance for about 25 years. She has held multiple finance and banking classes for business schools and communities. Read more at her bio page.
