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How is Roman Catholicism different from Christianity as a whole?
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Christianity
Christ as Ruler, with the Apostles and Evangelists (represented by the beasts). The female figures are believed to be either Santa Pudenziana and Santa Práxedes or symbols of the Jewish and Gentile churches. Mosaic in the apse of Santa Pudenziana basilica, Rome, 401–417 ce.
Christianity is a broad world religion rooted in the life, teachings, and death of Jesus. Roman Catholicism is the largest of the three major branches of Christianity; therefore, while all Roman Catholics are Christian, not all Christians are Roman Catholic.1
The primary differences between Roman Catholicism and other Christian denominations involve:
- The Papacy: Roman Catholicism is organized under the central authority of the papacy. The church believes the pope is the visible head of the church, a role traced back to St. Peter.2
- Doctrine and Tradition: While Roman Catholics share many core beliefs with other Christians—such as the Bible and historic creeds—they hold distinctive doctrines formulated over centuries, including the infallibility of the pope, the Immaculate Conception, and the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.2
- Sacraments: Roman Catholicism emphasizes the centrality of seven sacraments (baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, anointing of the sick, penance, matrimony, and holy orders) as essential channels of divine grace.2
- Saints and Devotion: Roman Catholicism places a specific emphasis on the roles of the Virgin Mary and the saints within the faith.1