Lots of people get confused about the difference between Catholics and Christians. Are they the same thing? Different religions? It can be tricky to understand.

In this blog post, I’ll explain the key differences between Catholicism and Christianity in plain English so you walk away going “Ohhh, now I get it.” My goal is to make this stuff clear as can be.

Let’s dive in.

Catholics ARE Christians

The most important thing to know is that Catholics are Christians.

Catholicism is a type of Christianity. The name “Catholic” means “universal”. It refers to the “universal” Christian church.

So all Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics. Think of it like squares and rectangles. All squares are rectangles, but not all rectangles are squares. Got it?

Catholicism started in the early centuries after Jesus’ death around the time the Bible was being written. It is one of the oldest branches of Christianity.

Key Catholic Beliefs

Catholics have a few core beliefs that are different from some other Christians. These include:

• The authority of the Pope – Catholics believe the Pope, based in Vatican City, has authority to guide the church on earth.
  
• Sacraments – Catholics practice 7 rituals called sacraments, like baptism, confession, and taking communion.
  
• Mary’s role – Catholics revere the Virgin Mary, Jesus’s mother, more than most Christians and believe she remained a virgin.
  
• Purgatory – Catholics believe some people go to a temporary place of purification called purgatory before entering heaven.
  

Besides these ideas, overall Catholic theology or teachings on God, Jesus, salvation etc. is pretty similar to mainline Protestant Christianity.

Catholic Practices and Traditions

Catholics also have some unique practices including:

• The Mass – Catholic worship services are known as Masses. Priests lead these liturgical rituals.
  
• Saints – Catholics pray to saints and believe they intercede on people’s behalf in heaven.
  
• Relics – Catholics revere objects associated with saints, like clothing or bones.
  
• Rosary beads – Catholics use rosary beads to aid prayer and meditation on Jesus and Mary.
  
• Lent – Catholics fast or give up something for 40 days before Easter during Lent.
  
• Meatless Fridays – Catholics traditionally eat fish, not meat on Fridays as a form of sacrifice.
  

Again, besides these practices, most Catholic moral beliefs, attendance of weekly service, prayer, and Bible reading are like other Christian denominations.

Two Main Catholic Branches

Within Catholicism, there are two primary groups:

Roman Catholic Church – This is the largest church within Catholicism, led by the Pope in Rome. Most people are referring to Roman Catholics when talking about Catholic beliefs and practices.

Eastern Orthodox Church – This smaller branch separated from the Roman Catholic Church around 1000 AD. They have distinct traditions and do not recognize the Pope.

So that covers the key beliefs and practices making Catholicism distinct. But there’s a whole wide world of non-Catholic Christianity too.

Main Branches of Non-Catholic Christianity

There are thousands of Christian denominations with varying beliefs outside of the Catholic church. But these four branches are the largest:

• Protestant – This covers churches that broke off from Roman Catholicism during the Reformation, like Lutherans, Methodists, Baptists, etc.
  
• Evangelical – This describes churches that emphasize the Bible, evangelism, and being “born again”, like some Baptist, Pentecostal, and non-denominational churches.
  
• Anglican – These are Reformation-era churches in the tradition of the Church of England, like Episcopal and Anglican churches.
  
• Eastern Orthodox – As mentioned above, these churches like Greek Orthodox split from Roman Catholicism in 1000 AD but are still considered Catholic.
  
• Messianic – This newer branch incorporates Jewish practices like holidays into Christian worship.
  

There are many more distinct Christian groups too, more than we can list here. But this gives a taste of the diversity beyond Catholicism.

Now let’s compare some key Catholic and non-Catholic Christian beliefs side-by-side:

Key Differences in Beliefs

Catholicism vs Mainline Protestantism

• Authority – Catholics follow the Pope, Protestants do not
• Sacraments – Catholics have 7, Protestants have 2
• Mary – Catholics revere Mary more highly
• Saints – Catholics pray to saints, Protestants pray to God only
• Purgatory – Catholics believe in it, Protestants do not

Catholicism vs Evangelicalism

• Bible – Evangelicals believe Bible is the ultimate authority while Catholics believe in both Bible and Church traditions
• Salvation – Evangelicals believe faith alone leads to salvation, not deeds
• Baptism – Most Evangelicals practice adult baptism by immersion while Catholics practice infant baptism
• Gender – Catholics only allow male priests while some Evangelical churches allow female pastors

Those cover some of the high-level differences. But Catholics and other Christians share core beliefs about God, Jesus, the Resurrection, the 10 Commandments, and more.

Joining All Christians: Core Shared Beliefs

Despite their diversity, here are some of the core beliefs all major Christian branches affirm together:

• Jesus is the divine Son of God who died for humanity’s sins and rose again.
• The Bible is the divinely inspired Word of God.
• God is the almighty all-powerful, all-knowing Creator of the universe.
• Human beings are all sinners in need of salvation by God’s grace.
• Eternal life in Heaven is granted to those who accept Jesus Christ as Savior.
• Baptism and communion are rituals/sacraments commanded by Jesus.
• There is only one God, who exists eternally as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

These common threads unite all Christians despite denominational differences. All major branches affirm basic biblical doctrines on God, Jesus Christ, salvation, and living according to God’s moral law.

In Summary: A Family of Faiths

To wrap up this tour of Catholics vs Christians:

• Catholicism is a form of Christianity dating back to the early church.
  
• Catholics have distinctive beliefs like papal authority but share core doctrines with other Christians.
  
• There are many denominations of Protestant, Evangelical, Anglican, Orthodox, and Messianic Christianity besides Catholicism.
  
• While beliefs differ, all Christians are united by faith in Christ as God and Savior.
  

I hope this simplified explanation helps clarify the relationship between Catholics and other Christians. Let me know if you have any other questions.