What is the difference between Catholicism and Christianity?

1. The history is different. Initially, Christianity had only one church. In 1054, the western and eastern churches split. The western church centered on Rome called itself the Catholic Church, while the eastern church centered on Constantinople called the Orthodox Church. In the 16th century, the religious reform movement took place in Western and Northern Europe, and the Reformed Church separated from Catholicism, collectively known as Protestantism. In my country, Protestantism is generally called Christianity.

2. Church forms are different. The Catholic Church still retains a unified church, claiming to be "the most holy, catholic, and one church, handed down from the apostles", and the Holy See is the center of world Catholicism. There has been no unified church since the birth of Protestantism.

3. Religious languages ??are different. Catholicism uses Latin as its religious language, but now it also allows people to pray in national languages. Since its birth, Protestantism has advocated using the languages ??of various ethnic groups as religious languages.

4. Different understandings of the church and the priesthood. Catholicism believes that people must communicate with God through the church and clergy, so the church and clergy are sacred. Protestant Christianity believes that people can communicate with God through faith and do not need to go through the church and clergy. The church is just a group of believers, and the clergy are just believers who undertake the work of the church.

5. The requirements for priesthood are different. Catholic clergy cannot marry. It is entirely possible for Protestant clergymen to get married. Catholic priests must be men, and women can only be nuns. Protestant women can also serve in the priesthood.

6. The titles of priests are different. Catholics are bishops and priests. Protestantism is called bishop, pastor, elder (Calvinist).

7. The understanding of the Holy Mother and the saints is different. Catholicism worships the Virgin Mary and the saints, and the church has images of the Virgin Mary and the saints. Protestant Christianity believes that the Virgin Mary and saints are human beings and cannot be worshiped. Setting up icons is idolatry, which is contrary to the Bible.

8. The sacraments are different. There are seven sacraments in Catholicism, namely Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Confession, Divine Order, Final Announcing, and Marriage. Christianity only retains two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion (Eucharist).

9. The rituals are different. Catholics use water pouring (pouring water on the head) when baptizing, and unleavened bread is used when consecrating the Eucharist during Mass. The clergy receive the Holy Body and Holy Blood, and believers generally only receive Holy Communion. When praying, they sign the Holy Sign with their entire palms. Make a cross on your chest from top to bottom and from left to right. Christian baptism is usually by water injection, sometimes by immersion. The Holy Communion is commemorative. Unlike Catholicism, which believes in the real presence of Christ's body and blood, no holy sign is used when praying. Catholic crosses often have the image of Christ's crucifixion, but Christian crosses do not have this image.

10. Festivals are different. Catholic festivals are divided into four major festivals (also known as the four major feasts, namely Easter, Christmas, Pentecost, and Assumption of Mary), general festivals (such as Ascension Day, Epiphany, Holy Trinity, Forecast and Deliverance). Nativity, Corpus Christi, Sacred Heart of Jesus, Feast of the Universal King, Feast of the Immaculate Conception, Feast of the Mother of God, etc.), commemorations of saints, etc. The biggest and most important festival is Easter Festival. Christianity only has Easter and Christmas.

11. The versions of the Bible are different. Orthodox and Protestant views on the Old Testament's "The Life of Tobias", "The Life of Friends", "The Life of Maccabeth" (Part 1 and 2), "The Book of Wisdom", "Moral Teachings", and "Baruch" "Considering it to be apocryphal or even apocryphal, it will not be included. Catholicism adopts it completely. Therefore, the Catholic version of the Bible has 7 more volumes than the Orthodox and Protestant Bibles.