Christianity is one of the most widely practised religions on the planet. It was founded in the early century and is currently divided into various groups.
As a result, Catholicism is the most popular form of Christianity. While both are founded on Jesus Christ’s life & teachings, some differences have led to the fragmentation of many Christian sects.
Key Takeaways
- Catholicism is a branch of Christianity that is based in Rome.
- Catholicism has a hierarchical structure with the Pope at the top, while other branches of Christianity do not have a centralized authority.
- Catholicism has additional beliefs and practices, such as the veneration of saints and the use of sacraments, that are not found in other branches of Christianity.
Catholic vs Christian
The difference between Catholics and Christians is that Catholics originated from Christians, as they are the major denominations of Christianity. Catholics believe Mary was sinless, whereas Christians believe Mary, like us, had sin. Catholicism law is founded on canon law, diocese law, and papal decree, but Christian law differs depending on denomination.
The major Christian denomination is Catholicism. A Catholic is a Christian who practices the catholic religion, which has been passed down via the Pope’s succession.
The Pope leads the Catholic Church, which originates in the Roman province of Judea. Deacons, monks, nuns, priests, and bishops make up the Holy Order’s hierarchical clergy.
Christianity is the world’s most popular religion. It refers to a group of Christians who adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Catholic, protestant, Anglican, Orthodox, and Mormon churches are just a few examples of Christian churches.
The adherents believe in a single God who is both father and son and the Holy Spirit. The hierarchical clergy comprises priests, bishops, ministers, monks, and nuns.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Catholic | Christian |
|---|---|---|
| Inter-connection | Catholics emerge from Christianity | It did not emerge from any religion. |
| Mary | Believed that she was sinless. | Believed that she was a sinful woman. |
| Hierarchical | Believe in the Pope’s authority as the ultimate authority figure. | Any new testament-based church can be followed. |
| Leader | The Pope is the Vatican’s highest-ranking official. | The church council elects the leaders. |
| Salvation | Baptism is how you get there. | Achieved by trusting and believing in Christ. |
What is Catholic?
Catholicism is the major Christian denomination, with approximately 1.2 billion adherents spread across parts of Africa, Europe, and Latin America.
Pre-denominational is viewed as itself by Holy Catholic Church, an independent church hierarchically organised worldwide.
The Pope — the Bishop of Rome – is the leader of the Catholic Church, and he is the ultimate authority in all questions of administration and morals.
Catholic theory states that the first bishops were chosen by Jesus Christ and later chose their successors on an “Apostolic Succession” basis. In the so-called “East-West schism,” or “Great Schism,” the Catholic Church was established in 1054.
However, the Christian Church had already endured internal politics, and theological and cultural divisions before the recognized separation between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.
The primary distinction between Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy is that Pope’s authority isn’t acknowledged in the Eastern churches.
Pope is the heir and infallible successor of Saint Peter. Preist listens to the sins of Catholics, who later instructs them to undertake charity acts to atone for their transgressions.
Greek and Latin were the first languages of Catholicism. Catholics believe that Mary and the Saints can mediate between God and men.
What is a Christian?
The world’s largest monotheistic religion is Christianity. It is founded on Jesus Christ’s life and teachings, and approximately 2.5 billion people practise it in over 160 nations.
The central Christian belief is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came to earth as a man to save humanity, just as the Old Testament predicted.
Jesus came to earth, suffered, was crucified, died, and was resurrected to give people eternal life, according to Christian doctrine.
The concept of “trinity” is one of the Christian faith’s cornerstones. Christianity, being a religion, has faith that the one and only God is made up of three separate but co-existing entities.
The Christian church is divided into several denominations due to differing perspectives and beliefs, including Eastern Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, Oriental Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and Methodism.
Jesus Christ’s teachings are the base of all the denominations and are still monotheistic religions, and significant variances could be seen between them.
Furthermore, both the Orthodox Church and Catholic Church regard themselves as separate churches, pre-denominational.
The Pope’s authority is fully rejected by Protestants, while the Orthodox regard him as the foremost among equals. They both reject his infallibility and supremacy. Other denominations trust that priests serve as intercessors between God and humans.
Main Differences Between Catholic and Christian
- In the Catholic Church, ‘s Pope is the spiritual leader and moral. Pope is the infallible heir of Saint Peter, although protestants fully deny the Pope’s authority, while Christians reject his supremacy and infallibility.
- The Diocesan law, Canon law, and Papal authority govern the Catholic world, but the Christian world’s laws differ depending on the denomination.
- Greek and Latin were the first languages of Catholicism, and many parts are still said in Latin of the Mass, whereas Christianity’s first languages were Aramaic, Hebrew, and Greek.
- While Catholicism has its roots in the Roman province of Judea and is tied to the Apostles, particularly St. Peter, Christianity has its roots in the Judea of Rome, which now comprises Palestine, Lebanon, and Israel.
- Catholics confess their faults and sins directly to God, whereas Christians believe that the priest functions as an intercessor in between, so their confessions of sin are made in front of the priest.
- https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781315240497/counter-reformation-wright
- https://www.jstor.org/stable/25017788
Last Updated : 09 October, 2023
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It’s fascinating to see the historical background of these two different Christian denominations.
The article does a great job in explaining the history.
It’s a very interesting read for sure.
It’s very easy to tell the differences between Catholics and Christians.
It’s not that easy, people have been fighting for centuries over it.
Christians, Catholics, and Orthodox are all the same to me. Who cares about these differences anyway?
This is a great article, it’s very informative and enlightning
Thanks for providing these clear and concise tables, it really helped me understand the difference between Catholicism and Christianity.
I don’t understand why people can’t just accept that different denominations believe different things. What’s the big deal?
Yes, the comparison table is really helpful.
I’m afraid the article has some inaccuracies. The origin of Christianity and Catholicism is not clear