One has priests, bishops, cardinals, and a Pope, an established hierarchy with a chain of command, but Protestant churches typically just have a Congregation-appointed minister and the congregation is free to dissent.
There are large differences. Catholicism sees the pope as the direct descendant (in authority at least) of Peter. Peter is the foundation on which the church exists. The Catholilc hutch holds that all scripture and all tradition is inspired by God. The protestant church holds that scripture is the one and only authority.
The catholic bible contains many sections as scripture that the protestant bible does not. Protestants do not all answer to the queen of England. This is only true of the Anglican church I believe. The Lutherans (the original protestants) do not hold any such belief nor do the majority of christian denominations.
The catholic catechism declares salvation by faith and works. The Protestant doctrine is by faith alone.
The number one difference is that of Sola Scriptura vs. Sola Fide.
Sola Scriptura is the position that only what is in the scriptures is religiously valid and useful for discerning the truth.
Sola Fide is the position that while the scriptures are the starting point of that truth, one cannot and should not dismiss the understanding built up around those scriptures, and that Tradition plays an important role in understanding the scriptures.
Those who mention the pope in their answer to this question forget that not all Catholics answer to the Roman Church. The Eastern Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox churches, amongst others, answer to one more more of the various Patriarchs.
Catholics (and there are several types, not just "Roman" catholics) practice something called "apostolic succession"; it is kind of like a genealogy of the chief bishopricICCexcept it isn't passed down from father to son, obviously). Whoever is the "head bishop" (like the Pope is the chief bishop of the western Catholic church) has a definite successor when he dies.
Protestants believe in the priesthood of ALL believers, not the limited priesthood of SOME believers.
Catholicism is simply full Christianity, as founded by Jesus Christ and as lived by the Apostles and the early Christian/Catholic Church. History plainly reveals this. Protestantism is a modern man made tradition founded upon umbilical concepts like so la Scripture and so la Fidel, that no Christian on earth ever heard of before the 16Th Century. Each Protestant church has rejected many of the original beliefs and practices of Christianity, so is actually only "semi-Christian" in their beliefs and practices, and each of them decides for itself which beliefs will be rejected and replaced by new traditions of men, and which original Christian beliefs will be retained. The result, as we can plainly see, is doctrinal chaos, with some Protestant churches differing from other Protestant churches more than they differ from Catholicism.
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Roman Catholic church (RCC) uses the bible and tradition they claim that was taught by church fathers.
Protestants believe in so la Scripture=bible only-if tradition goes against bible then it is wrong.
Examples;
1-Mary worship:-the RCC pray to Mary, say she is sinless, that she was taken up to heaven without death (one has to have sin to die) none of this is biblical, that she was in a sexless marriage to Joseph and that Jesus was her ONLY son. Bible says Jesus was her Firstborn son and that Joseph did not have sex with her UNTIL Jesus was born. RCC pray to Mary makes idols of Mary and names church after her. Then bend their knees and worship her: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Roman%20Catholicism/a_picture_says%20it_all.htm
Bible says that there is one mediator to God-Jesus, "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" -1st Timothy 2:5
The RCC also pray to saints. Bible says the dead no not what is under the SUN.
2-the pope
RCC uses the term, "holy father" when addressing the pope. Jesus said, concerning religious teachers, to call no one father except God in heaven, Mat 23:9 "And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. "
The RCC says Peter was the first pope, He was married and did not start the church in Rome! he wrote a letter saying he wanted to go there but didn't.
3-Purgatory
Not in bible. What sin could one do that Jesus didn't die for?
Jesus told the man on the cross next to him"today you will be with me in paradise" bible says to be absent from the body is to be present with the lord.
4-Priest do not marry
This is not biblical-Paul said do either-be married or not be married.
5-Idols
bible says to have no graven image.
What are the fundamental differences between Catholicism and Protestantism?
