What is the difference between Roman Catholics and Protestants?

Actually, there are many differences! A bit of historical background will help. Protestants do not form a single religious group, but many–thousands, in fact. Protestantism traces its origins to the late 15th and 16th centuries in Europe. There were many figures who contributed: John Calvin, King Henry VIII, Ulrich Zwingli… but perhaps most influential was Martin Luther. To make a long story very short, these men raised various theological and political disputes against the Catholic Church. In the beginning, their intentions were to simply bring reforms and raise debates, but each in their own way eventually chose to protest against the Church (which is where the name “Protestant” comes from). In doing so, they eventually separated themselves from the Church completely, forming their own religious groups.

Every Protestant group is distinct from the next in terms of what they believe and how they are structured. Many don’t have all seven sacraments and usually have different ideas about the right way to worship God and live in relationship with him. Usually Protestant denominations are either named after their founder (Lutheranism, Calvinism) or some core idea they have that makes them distinct (Baptists, Anglicans, Presbyterians).

What all Protestants share in common, however, is their separation in some way from the Catholic Church. As Catholics, we trace the origins of the Church to Jesus Christ himself, who gathered to himself a community of disciples that believed in his teachings and his identity as the Son of God and Messiah. Jesus himself chose St. Peter to be the leader of this community (see Matthew 16), saying that he would build the Church upon him as a foundation. Today this “foundation” and figure of unity and authority is the pope, who is the successor to Peter.

We also believe that the teachings of the original disciples of Jesus, which were handed down through the centuries by their successors, is an important element of our faith–an element we call “Tradition” (with a capital T). Tradition helped (and continues to help) shape our understanding of the Bible and its message, and so it is very important for us as Catholic. Protestants, on the other hand, do not give authority to Tradition, instead believing only in the Bible, which they also believe can be interpreted personally by each individual believer.

Above all of these differences, though, we should remember that the Church comes from so much more than just the building, the system of beliefs, or even the people: “The Church is born primarily of Christ’s total self-giving for our salvation, anticipated in the institution of the Eucharist and fulfilled on the cross. ‘The origin and growth of the Church are symbolized by the blood and water which flowed from the open side of the crucified Jesus.’ ‘For it was from the side of Christ as he slept the sleep of death upon the cross that there came forth the ‘wondrous sacrament of the whole Church.’ As Eve was formed from the sleeping Adam’s side, so the Church was born from the pierced heart of Christ hanging dead on the cross” (Catechism 766).

The Catholic Church is spiritually “born” from Christ’s gift of his own life on the Cross, given in order to save us–and he entrusted the Church to continue this work of salvation. Protestant churches believe in Jesus Christ, but they do not believe in the Church to which Christ entrusted his life and his mission. However, we should not hold any ill will against Protestants; they are still followers of Christ, striving to do his will, even if they differ in beliefs. We should pray for the unity of Christians and hope that by working together, we may further the mission of Jesus Christ in the world today.