Catholic and protestant beliefs

Going to heaven

Catholic: Purgatory - the halfway house between heaven and hell where you were purged of sin so you could go to heaven. *Prayers for the dead* would also help reduce the amount of time the soul spent in purgatory

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Protestant: Belief that ONLY faith was needed to go to heaven

Interpretations of Eucharist

Catholic: Belief that in Eucharist or mass the body and blood of Christ were present in the bread and wine

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Protestant: It was a service of remembrance

Communion

Catholic: One kind, the laity received only the bread

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Protestant: Both kinds, the laity received bread and wine

Services + bible

Catholic: In latin

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Protestant: In english

Salvation

Catholic: Achieved through good works

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Protestant: Achieved through faith

Conditions for the clergy

Catholic: Could not marry

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Protestant: Could marry

Appearance of the Church

Catholic: Paintings and statues helped people pray; brightly colored churches

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Protestant: Images were forbidden, churches were plain, walls whitewashed

Role of the priest

Catholic: Played an essential link between the laity and God

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Protestant: Less important, the laity could talk to God directly

Pilgrimages

Catholic: Upheld

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Protestant: Attacked

Church festivals and Saints days

Catholic: Upheld

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Protestant: Abolished

Basis of belief

Catholic: It was the church’s interpretation

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Protestant: The bible which the laity could read and then interpret themselves