What’s the difference between Catholics and Protestants?
Both are Christians who believe Jesus is God’s Son, who died and rose again. They split in the 1500s over how God’s grace reaches people and who has the authority to teach. Catholics look to the Bible, church tradition and the pope. Protestants look to the Bible as the final word. Catholics have seven sacraments. Most Protestants have two.
1 · MindWhat people believe, and how they know
The split began in 1517, when a German monk named Martin Luther posted 95 Theses criticizing church practices. It became the Reformation.
The biggest difference is authority. Catholics trust the Bible and church tradition, taught by the pope and bishops. Protestants say the Bible alone is the final authority. Both say salvation comes by God’s grace. Protestants stress “faith alone,” and Catholics stress faith lived out in love, with the sacraments.
Catholics have seven sacraments, including confession and marriage. Most Protestants have two: baptism and communion. Catholics believe the bread and wine of communion become Christ’s body and blood, while Protestants hold a range of views. Catholics also ask Mary and the saints to pray for them, the way you’d ask a friend. Most Protestants pray to God directly.
In 1999, the Catholic Church and the Lutheran World Federation signed a joint statement agreeing on much of the grace-and-faith question that started it all. Pew counts about 40 percent of U.S. adults as Protestant and 19 percent as Catholic. In 2025, Robert Prevost of Chicago became Pope Leo XIV, the first pope from the United States.
What each tradition or community says
The Church Jesus founded has passed down the faith for 2,000 years. Scripture and tradition go together.
Anyone can read the Bible and come to God directly, through faith in Jesus. Tradition matters, but the Bible has the last word.
There’s a third major branch. The Eastern Orthodox churches separated from Rome in 1054, long before the Reformation.
Catholics and Protestants agree on far more than they disagree on, starting with the Nicene Creed. Many work, pray and serve together.
2 · HeartWhat it feels like
Plenty of families have both: a Catholic grandmother and a Baptist grandson, praying for each other. Old arguments can still sting at a wedding or a funeral.
Most people don’t want to win the Reformation again. They just want their way of following Jesus to be respected.
Five hundred years ago, this argument started wars. Now Catholics and Protestants mostly argue about whose church has the better potluck. That’s progress.Neighbor Radio
3 · HandsHow to be a good neighbor
If you visit a Catholic Mass and you’re not Catholic, you can stay in your seat during communion, or go forward with your arms crossed over your chest for a blessing. Don’t tell Catholics they aren’t Christians, or Protestants that they aren’t a real church. Ask a friend from the other side what they love about their church.
This weekVisit a service from the other side this month. Notice what’s the same before you notice what’s different.
TimelineWhere this fits
Plain wordsWhat do these words mean?
- Grace
- A gift you didn’t earn. Christians use it for God’s love and forgiveness, given freely, not as a reward.
- Catholic
- The largest Christian church in the world, led by the Pope in Rome.
- Protestant
- Christian churches that came from the Reformation in the 1500s, like Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist and many others.
- Sacrament
- A sacred act or ceremony, like communion or baptism. Latter-day Saints use the word for the bread and water shared each Sunday.
- Baptism
- A washing with water that marks becoming part of the Christian church. Some churches baptize babies; others baptize people old enough to choose.
- Communion
- A shared meal of bread and wine (or juice) that Christians eat to remember Jesus’ last supper. Also called the Eucharist or the Lord’s Supper.
- Orthodox
- For Christians: the Eastern Orthodox churches (Greek, Russian, Ethiopian and others). For Jews: the most traditional branch of Judaism. The word means “right belief.”
- Creed
- A short statement of what a faith community believes, like the Apostles’ Creed.
Four questions to take with you
From Jesus' story of the Good Samaritan, about the stranger who stopped to help. We call it the Samaritan Test.
- Did they see? Or look right past?
- Did they stop? Even when it was inconvenient?
- Did it cost them? Time, money, comfort, reputation?
- Did they treat the person like a person? Not like a label?
Try it on: do you treat Christians from another church as family, or as competition?
Quick questions
Do Catholics worship Mary?
No. Catholics honor Mary and ask her to pray for them. Worship belongs to God alone.
Why are Catholic and Protestant Bibles different?
Catholic Bibles include seven more Old Testament books, like Tobit and the Maccabees books. Protestant Bibles have 66 books, Catholic Bibles 73.
Can Catholic priests marry?
Generally no. Most Protestant pastors can marry, and many Protestant churches ordain women.
- Pew Research Center, 2025: Religious Landscape Study
- Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification (1999)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Reformation
- Pew Research Center, 2025: U.S. Catholics on Pope Leo XIV
Written in plain words by the Neighbor Radio team. Each faith's and community's section is checked by someone from that faith or community. Until then, this page says so. Spot something wrong? Tell us. We read every note and fix mistakes.
Where to go next
Free tools that go with this
Luther's World (opens in a new tab)→ Learn
Gentle, plain-language lessons from the Lutheran tradition. Tap any word you don’t know and it explains itself.
First step: Start with the Lord’s Prayer, one line at a time.
Digital Lutheran Church (opens in a new tab)→ Pray
A quiet place to pray each day, with the day’s readings.
First step: Read the honest questions page, whatever you believe.