EZ CATHOLICISM FOR DUMMIES LIKE YOU

Just kidding, you aren't a dummy

Main differences between Catholicism and Protestantism

Before we continue, I'm going to assume that you do not know what a Protestant is and don't want to look it up yourself!
Google says: Protestant is a member or follower of any of the Western Christian churches that are separate from the Roman Catholic Church and follow the principles of the Reformation, including the Baptist, Presbyterian, and Lutheran churches.

Please make it clear that I don’t need to explain the Reformation or the fact that there are 30,000 different denominations… please.

Authority

Catholic

Catholics hold that authority comes from scripture, apostolic tradition, and the teaching office of the Church. Most Protestants, by contrast, maintain that scripture alone is sufficient.
The New Testament writings, produced by early Christian leaders and disciples in the late 1st and early 2nd centuries, were later compiled and recognized as canon by the Catholic Church. This process was solidified in the late 4th and early 5th centuries, especially through the Council of Rome (382), the Synod of Hippo (393), and the Councils of Carthage (397, 419), which formally affirmed the 73 books of the Old and New Testaments still accepted today. (Protestant Bibles have 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New Testament. They exclude the deuterocanonical books (Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach/Ecclesiasticus, Baruch, 1 & 2 Maccabees, and parts of Esther and Daniel) that Catholics include...)

Protestants

Jesus preached mainly to ordinary people of His time, many of whom were poor and illiterate. While He taught orally, His disciples and early followers preserved His message in writing. The Bible is authoritative and essential, but treating it as the sole authority is incomplete and irresponsible.
By the way, if you couldn't tell, the sole authority to Protestants is the Bible.

Sacraments

Catholics

Catholics have 7 sacraments...

Catholic Sacraments

Catholic Baptism is the first sacrament that is gateway to the rest. It removes original sin (we are all born of sin since Adam and Eve) usually done with water poured (or immersion) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And it can be received only once.

The Catholic Church teaches that in the Eucharist, the bread and wine are not mere symbols but truly become the Body and Blood of Christ, as He said: “this is my body… this is my blood” (Matthew 26:26–28).

Confession is necessary because sin, especially mortal sin, separates us from Christ. Sins are not automatically removed after Baptism. Through confession, the sinner is reconciled with God (John 20:22–23) and sanctifying grace is restored. It fosters accountability, humility, and spiritual healing, and can provide guidance from the priest as a trained spiritual minister. The grace of this sacrament also strengthens the penitent to resist future temptation.

Anointing of the Sick is rooted in James 5:14–15, “is anyone among you sick? let him call for the elders of the Church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.” And who are the elders of the Church? That is why there is hierarchy, so there is less chaos in the house of God.

Holy Orders are the sacraments that ordain men as deacons, priests, or bishops to guide the Church. It gives authority to teach, sanctify, and govern in the Church. It is rooted in Christ, as He gave authority at the Last Supper. It passes on Apostolic Succession. Apostolic Succession is the unbroken line of authority passed down from the apostles through the laying on of hands, ensuring that bishops today continue the same mission and authority that Christ entrusted to the apostles.

Matrimony is marriage. It is a covenant before God, ordered toward the good of the spouses and the procreation and education of children. Christ elevated natural marriage to a sacrament in Matthew 19:6, “what God has joined together, let no one separate.” It is indissoluble once validly contracted and consummated.

Protestants have... 2

Protestant Sacraments

Baptism is seen as an outward sign of inward faith. Catholics teach it removes original sin, while Protestants usually see it as a symbol of cleansing and new life in Christ. Some denominations believe Baptism conveys grace, but Baptists hold it to be symbolic only.

The Lord’s Supper is generally understood as metaphorical or symbolic, or as a spiritual presence rather than a physical one. It is celebrated less frequently than in Catholicism.

Protestants also practice other rites such as confirmation, marriage, ordination, confession, and anointing of the sick, but they do not consider them sacraments. These are valued as important practices, but not as direct channels of sacramental grace.

Church

Catholic

the central act of worship for Catholics is the Eucharist. they also have communal prayers (repetition with things in the Bible and meditating on the Bible cannot physically or spiritually be evil; it is not knowing what the words mean and repeating things in vain like the Pharisees did to look good, which was condemned in Matthew 6:7), confession to a priest before or after mass, listening to scriptures and homilies, and community gathering. through traditional worship, the community is less self-focused on human things like gossip and bullying.

Protestant

Protestant churches emphasize contemporary worship music and personal expression of faith, which is good but it lacks tradition. the community and fellowship Protestants have lead to cliques, bullying, gossip, and judgement because of a lack of trained spiritual leadership. they have classes that focus on scripture and a pastor's sermon (i enjoy that the pastor is always a flawed individual that shares his story with Christ loudly). they have sacraments and ordinances that are rarely performed and done so symbolically instead of grace. the scripture is central, emphasis on personal interpretation and application. groups and studying the Bible (that they don't have all the books in btw) is common.

Mary and Saints

Mary, her unique role in bringing Jesus into the world gives her a special place in the Church. Honoring Mary does not replace God because all prayer and devotion directed to her ultimately points to Him. Catholics do not see her as a source of grace on her own; she prays for believers and points them toward Christ. (Our Lady of Guatemala converted millions of people to Christianity!)

Saints show that ordinary humans can follow the narrow path to heaven and imitate Jesus. We can’t all relate to Jesus’ perfect life, but Saints show that imperfect humans can still live faithfully. Worship (latria) is for God alone. Veneration (dulia) given to Mary or the Saints honors their closeness to God and their example without making them God. It’s like asking a friend to pray for you. They can help, but you still rely on God.

Eucharist

Baptism

Confession / Penance

Anointing of the Sick

Confirmation

Holy Orders

Matrimony

Mary and Saints

Purgatory / Prayers for the Dead

Salvation / Grace

Home

RETURN TO TOP