Lutheran Church and Catholic Church are both practitioners of Christian faith. Both are centered on God as the ultimate salvation of mankind. A Lutheran and Catholic rely on the Bible and they observe the sacraments. But what makes one different from the other is practically the reason why Catholic and Lutheran never reconciled.
Lutheran Church
Founded by Martin Luther dubbed as the “Father of Reformation”, the Lutheran beliefs taught that salvation comes by the grace of God and faith in Christ alone and nothing more. It accepts the Apostle’s, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds as true declarations of faith. It recognizes the Holy Trinity and believes that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and the Gospel is the Word of God. Lutherans have 2 sacraments, the Holy Communion and Baptism in which they practice infant and adult baptisms.
Catholic Church
Catholic Church shares some of the beliefs with Lutherans. Since Lutherans were once part of Roman Catholicism, their doctrines share similarities except for those the Lutherans believed needed reformation. One of them its contradiction to Catholic belief that it is through unwavering faith in God and good deeds to others that salvation is attained. Another Catholic practice that Lutherans do not recognize is the authority of the pope as the highest authority, but acting only in temporal capacity as Christ’s vicar.
Difference between Lutheran and Catholic
The Lutherans do not believe in Transubstantiation in the Eucharist like Catholics do. They do not believe in Mary and the intercessions of holy persons like Catholics do. Catholics believe in purgatory but Lutherans don’t. Some Lutherans ordain women as pastors while Catholic Church doesn’t ordain women to be priests. While Lutherans have 2 sacraments, the Holy Communion and Baptism, Catholics have 7 sacraments which include Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Order, and Sacrament of the Sick.
Over the years, reconciling belief of these two religions failed considerably. However, both can still in harmony if one learns to respect what the other one believes because to be a Christian is to be Christ-like.
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In brief: • Lutheran was founded by Martin Luther who was the “Father of Reformation”. They separated from Catholic Church because of a disagreeing belief that salvation is achieved through faith in God alone, contrary to the Catholic view of salvation which is faith in God and good deeds. • Lutherans do not believe in the Transubstantiation in the Eucharist, do not believe in Mary and other holy persons and their intercessions and do not believe in pope’s temporal capacity as the highest authority of the church. • Lutherans have only 2 sacraments which are the Baptism and Holy Communion, while Catholics have 7 sacraments namely Baptism, Reconciliation, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Order, and Sacrament of the Sick. |