- Immaculate Conception of Mary - Roman Catholics are required to believe that when Mary herself was conceived, she was without original sin. Protestants deny this claim.
- Infallibility of the Pope - This is a required belief of the Catholic Church in matters of religious doctrine. Protestants deny this belief.
- The Lord's Supper (Eucharist/Communion) - Catholics believe this sacrifice is Christ's body and blood physically present and consumed by believers ("transubstantiation"). Most Protestants believe this observance is a meal in memory of Christ's sacrificed body and blood, and it symbolizes only His life now present in the believer. They reject the concept of transubstantiation.
- Mary's Status - Catholics believe the Virgin Mary is below Jesus but above that of the saints. Protestants believe Mary, though blessed, is just like all other believers, and that only Jesus has redemptive power.
- Prayer - Catholics believe in praying to God and also praying to Mary or a saint to intercede on their behalf. Protestants believe prayer is addressed to God and not to saints.
- Purgatory - Catholics believe purgatory is a state of being after death in which souls are cleansed by purifying punishments before they can enter heaven. Protestants deny the existence of Purgatory.
- Right to Life - The Roman Catholic Church teaches that ending the life of a pre-embryo, embryo or fetus cannot be allowed, except in very rare cases where a life-saving operation on the woman results in the unintended death of the embryo or fetus. Individual Roman Catholics often take a position that is more liberal than the official stance of the Church. Conservative Protestants differ in their stance on abortion access. Some permit it in cases where the pregnancy was initiated through rape or incest. At the other extreme, some believe that abortion is never warranted, even to save the life of the woman.
- Sacraments - Catholics believe the sacraments are a means of grace. Protestants believe they are a symbol of grace.
- Saints - Much emphasis is placed on the saints in the Catholic religion. Protestants believe that all born again believers are saints and that no special emphasis should be given to them.
- Salvation - The Catholic religion teaches that salvation depends on faith, works and sacraments. Protestant religions teach that salvation depends on faith only.
- Salvation (Losing Salvation) - Catholics believe that salvation is lost when a responsible person commits a mortal sin. It can be regained through repentance and the sacrament of confession. Protestants usually believe, once a person is saved, they cannot lose their salvation. Some denominations teach that a person can lose their salvation.
- Statues - Catholics give honor to statues and images as symbolic of the individual saints. Many Protestants consider veneration of statues to be idolatry.
- Visibility of the Church - The Catholic Church recognizes the hierarchy of the church, including the laity as the "Spotless Bride of Christ." Protestants recognize the invisible fellowship of all saved individuals. Only God knows the exact makeup of the church.
For more information about the Roman Catholic faith, please visit About.com's Catholicism site.
• Learn more about Catholic Beliefs and Teachings.
(Information in this article is compiled and summarized from the following sources: ReligiousTolerance.org, ReligionFacts.com, AllRefer.com, and the Religious Movements Web site of the University of Virginia.)
