English 
Chinese 
Dutch 
Arabic 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
Russian 
French 
Italian 
German 
Japanese 
Continue reading with a subscription
Get unlimited access to all our premium content and exclusive features.
Enjoy unlimited access, cancel anytime.
Summary
- Catholics and Protestants share the Scriptures (though not the same list of books), the ancient creeds and faith in Christ; they differ mainly over authority (Scripture with Tradition and the Pope, or Scripture alone) and over how a sinner is justified.
- The Catholic Church has seven sacraments and teaches transubstantiation; most Protestant churches have two sacraments, and Lutherans, Reformed Christians and Baptists hold different views of Christ’s presence in Communion.
- Catholic Bibles have 73 books and Protestant Bibles 66; Catholics ask Mary and the saints to pray for them and believe in Purgatory, which Protestant churches reject.
- The split began when Martin Luther sent his Ninety-five Theses on 31 October 1517; the Catholic Church answered at the Council of Trent (1545–1563).
- In 1999 the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation signed a Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification, later joined or affirmed by Methodists, Anglicans and Reformed churches.
- A Catholic may marry a Protestant with the bishop’s permission, but Catholics and Protestants ordinarily do not receive Communion together.
Bibliography (Click to show)
- Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version, BibleGateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16%3A18-19%3BRomans+3%3A28%3BJames+2%3A24%3BGalatians+5%3A6%3B1+Timothy+2%3A5%3B1+Corinthians+3%3A15%3B2+Timothy+3%3A16-17%3BLuke+22%3A19&version=ESV
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 80–82 (Scripture and Tradition). Libreria Editrice Vaticana. https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PL.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 84–95 (the Magisterium). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PM.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 120 (the canon of Scripture). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__PR.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 484–511 (Mary: Immaculate Conception, perpetual virginity, Mother of God). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P1K.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 874–896 (the Pope and the bishops). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2A.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 954–959 (the communion of saints). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2B.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 963–975 (Mary). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2C.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1030–1032 (Purgatory). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P2N.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1129 (the sacraments of salvation). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P33.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1210 (the seven sacraments). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3E.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraph 1271 (Baptism and other Christians). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P3N.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1356–1381 (the Eucharist as sacrifice and presence). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P41.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1398–1401 (intercommunion). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P42.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1987–1995 (justification). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6Y.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1854–1864 (mortal and venial sin). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P6C.HTM
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 2006–2011 (merit). https://www.vatican.va/archive/ENG0015/__P70.HTM
- Code of Canon Law, canons 834–878 (including canon 844). https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann834-878_en.html
- Code of Canon Law, canons 998–1165 (including canons 1055 and 1124–1127 on mixed marriages). https://www.vatican.va/archive/cod-iuris-canonici/eng/documents/cic_lib4-cann998-1165_en.html
- Council of Trent, Fourth Session (8 April 1546), decree on the canonical Scriptures, tr. J. Waterworth. https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/trent/fourth-session.htm
- Council of Trent, Sixth Session (13 January 1547), decree on justification, tr. J. Waterworth. https://www.papalencyclicals.net/councils/trent/sixth-session.htm
- Second Vatican Council, Unitatis Redintegratio, Decree on Ecumenism (21 November 1964). https://www.vatican.va/archive/hist_councils/ii_vatican_council/documents/vat-ii_decree_19641121_unitatis-redintegratio_en.html
- Lutheran World Federation and Catholic Church, Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (1999). Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. https://www.christianunity.va/content/unitacristiani/en/dialoghi/sezione-occidentale/luterani/dialogo/documenti-di-dialogo/1999-dichiarazione-congiunta-sulla-dottrina-della-giustificazion/en.html
- Lutheran World Federation, “Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (JDDJ).” https://lutheranworld.org/what-we-do/unity-church/joint-declaration-doctrine-justification-jddj
- Commission on Theology and Church Relations, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod. The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in Confessional Lutheran Perspective (1999). https://files.lcms.org/dl/f/90BD9722-8E11-4DCF-96D3-869B579EC336
- “Mary (In Catholic-Protestant Dialogue).” New Catholic Encyclopedia, via Encyclopedia.com. https://www.encyclopedia.com/religion/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/mary-catholic-protestant-dialogue
- United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Introduction to the Book of Esther, New American Bible, Revised Edition. https://bible.usccb.org/bible/esther/0
- Lutheran–Roman Catholic Commission on Unity, From Conflict to Communion: Lutheran–Catholic Common Commemoration of the Reformation in 2017 (2013). https://lutheranworld.org/sites/default/files/2022-02/From%20Conflict%20to%20Communion%20EN.pdf
- The Augsburg Confession (1530), Articles IV, X, XI, XXI and XXIV, in the Book of Concord. https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-justification/ ; https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-the-lords-supper/ ; https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-confession/ ; https://bookofconcord.org/augsburg-confession/of-the-worship-of-the-saints/
- The Westminster Confession of Faith, chapters 1, 11, 25, 27, 29 and 32. Orthodox Presbyterian Church. https://www.opc.org/wcf.html
- The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Articles VI, XXV and XXXVI. Church of England. https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/worship-texts-and-resources/book-common-prayer/articles-religion
- Southern Baptist Convention, The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article VII. https://bfm.sbc.net/bfm2000/
- The United Methodist Church, “What do I need to know about Holy Communion in The United Methodist Church?” UMC.org. https://www.umc.org/en/content/ask-the-umc-what-do-i-need-to-know-about-holy-communion-in-the-united-methodist-church
- “Convention affirms closed Communion and biblical sexuality.” Reporter, Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod, 2023. https://reporter.lcms.org/2023/convention-affirms-closed-communion-and-biblical-sexuality/
- Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. Census 2021: Main Statistics for Northern Ireland: Religion. https://www.nisra.gov.uk/system/files/statistics/census-2021-main-statistics-for-northern-ireland-phase-1-statistical-bulletin-religion.pdf
- Central Statistics Office (Ireland). Census of Population 2022 Profile 5: Religion. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-cpp5/censusofpopulation2022profile5-diversitymigrationethnicityirishtravellersreligion/religion/
Leave a Reply