Church vs Cathedral: Difference and Comparison

There is a large variety of religions, and every religion has its own beliefs, ideology, particular method of worship, etc. For example, Christians have Church, Hindus have temples, in Islam, there is a mosque, etc. 

Within these religions, the places of worship, which is also a sacred place for them, are very peculiar, and every religion has its place. These places of worship are important as they provide room for their God.

In Christianity, they have a Church, although, in earlier times, they did not have any particular place for worship. As the religion got acceptance by the government, the importance of sacred places grew.

Within Christianity, the sacred place is not confined to the church. Rather, they have different places for worship at different levels, such as churches, cathedrals, basilicas, etc.

These places are all meant for worshipping but still have some differences.

Key Takeaways

1. A church is a general term for a place of worship for Christians, while a cathedral is a specific type of church that serves as the central church of a diocese or bishopric.
2. Cathedrals are larger and more architecturally elaborate than ordinary churches, reflecting their importance within a religious hierarchy.
3. In addition to religious services, cathedrals may serve as centres for community activities, education, and cultural events.

Church vs. Cathedral

Church is a building or a place where Christians perform their religious duties. It is a sacred place with beautiful architecture for Christian community. Cathedral is a religious and sacred space of Christians with a grander position than a church. It’s an important and chief church where bishop’s practice their power.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Church	Cathedral
Number of building	Many	One
Purpose	Religious purpose	Administration purpose and religious purpose too
Authority	Pastor and priest	Pope and Bishop
Celebration of mass	Every Sunday	Everyday
Types of city	Small city or large city	Large city

What is Church?

The church is a building, or people worship a place where uh got; it is a building of Christian public worship. Search is also a religious organization, congregation, or community meeting at a particular place or location.

Many churches are formally organized and set up under governance and law. The church is also called a Christian religious community as a whole body or a community. 

Jesus Christ led the actual foundation of the Church; he gave the concept of the Church being a Christian religious body. Thus, the Church is also referred to as the body of Christ.

He declared that he would build a Church on his own with the help of other people.

Other than serving as a place of worship for Christians, the Church has also served as a body for many guilds for their meetings; the church also served as a banquet and sometimes even a storehouse for storing grains.

Churches have been made in many shapes. The architecture always varied; some churches are cross-shaped with a dome, some are in a circle shape, and so on. Every shape has its meaning which is demonstrated by the religious authority.

In religious terms, Church is not just a building but a body uniting the believers of Christ; the role of the church is to worship God,

nurture and edify and reach out to a suffering world with the Gospel’s message and practical compassion and Mercy exemplified in Christ. 

Many images of the church are mentioned in the Bible, like; The church as the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and The people of God. In all of them, the head of the Church is Christ.

What is the Cathedral?

Cathedral Church has a seat for a bishop in bureaucratic terms. Cathedral is only one in one City as the bishop is Responsible for an area bureaucratically.

The cathedral can also be classified as a church with administration duties. 

The misunderstanding is created that Cathedral is a larger space than a church, but the reality is that the Cathedral has the administration part as well, which a church does not have; this is what makes the difference between Cathedral and a church. 

In Britain’s settlement, a region with the cathedral was known as a city; this system started when King Henry VII was in power and when he founded dioceses in some towns and gave them city status.

Buildings of the Cathedral can be small or large; it does not necessarily have a large area; the Episcopalian churches that changed to Presbyterian still retain the names of cathedrals instead of churches, even though they do not have a bishop.

Cathedral churches are of different degrees of dignity where there are Cathedral churches of simple diocesan bishops, archbishops, or metropolitans of primates, patriarchs, and in the Roman Catholic church of the Pope.

In the Roman Catholic Church, Canon law plays an important role; according to it, there is no architectural specification for the Cathedral. The only chemical requirement is that the Cathedral be consecrated and adequately endowed.

The Pope has the right to designate the cathedral, and choices made by the Bishop are approved by Pope only. The bishop should perform all the ordination in the cathedral and be present in his Cathedral on all the holy occasions of Christianity.  

The Eastern Orthodox Church Cathedral is the main Church of the city, and all the festivals and occasions are celebrated in the cathedral only under the Bishop and Pope. 

Main Differences Between Church and Cathedral

1. The Church is more of a religious body, whereas the Cathedral also plays an important role in the administration.
2. There can be more than one church in an area or city, but there is only one Cathedral in one City.
3. Churches can be found in small or large cities, but cathedrals are found in larger cities.
4. Churches have pastors or priests on the other hand Cathedral have bishops and Pope as the authority.
5. Most churches celebrate mass every Sunday, whereas the Cathedral celebrates mass thrice daily.

References

1. https://www.bcin.ca/bcin/detail.app?id=40504
2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=Qc-zKmTasVoC&oi=fnd&pg=PR11&dq=Church+and+Cathedral&ots=kKq1Ut-zOG&sig=q2AJIOLk5aGGMA_ATs6k9LGAWzg