A question for the Catholic ladies

[jaffacakeaddict]

Someone asked me recently what the differences were between catholics and protestants and I couldn't really answer. Would anyone be willing to set it out for me in simple language? In particular, where do Mary and the saints fit in the catholic church? I am a member of a protestant church and have a pretty good idea of things from that point of view, but know nothing really of the catholic church.

Catholics don't recognise the royal family as the head of the church.

AFAIK, protestants do.

AFAIK, the breakaway came when henry 8th was king and the catholics didn't like his divorce, so he set up his own church, with himself as the head. I think this still holds, which is why people had problems with Prince Charles being head of the church after he married Camilla (or maybe it was because he'd had an affair with her??)

that, AFAIK, is the basic difference.

Sorry, I should have clarified. I am a member of the Church of Scotland. The Queen is not regarded as the head of the Church of Scotland as she is with the Church of England.

I always thought it was to do with communion. Catholics believe in transubstantiation whereas protestants see it more as symbolism. Have I got it all wrong?

Catholics believe in Our Lord's actual presence, body, blood, soul and divinity, in Holy Communion. Transubstatiation occurs during the Consecration during Mass, we believe in the Virgin Birth, and that Our Lady was conceived without original sin and She is the Immaculate Conception, and is the Mother of Jesus, we believe in justification by faith and good works, Sola Fide and not just Sola Scriptura..the Saints are human and intercede with and on our behalf, if beseeched..we don't pray to the Saints but with them...We believe that the Pope is the apostolic successor of St Peter and we have no firm feelings as such about the Royal Family, unless they are personal feelings, certainly nothing canonical..

The main thing is transubstatiation. After the schism Catholics were accused of canabilism by prodestants.

Prodentism started before Henry 8th wanted a divorce. It was gaining popularity in Europe where people wanted to rid the Catholic church of coruption and take it back to its roots but ended up accidently forming seperate prodestant churches. The Anglican church isn't truely Prodestant but isn't RC either.

Prodestentism is generally simpler as they wanted to get rid of the 'bells and smells', the saints, the fancy churches etc. Mary is regarded highly in the RC church but prodestents often think that she is worshiped as an equal to God, which she isn't.

England being Anglican didn't just happen with Henry 8th. He seperated from Rome because of Anne, but he didn't necessairly want to form a prodestant church. He still liked all the trappings of Catholisism. Jane Seymour was a devout Catholic, then Anne of Cleeves a Lutheran, Catherine Howard was Catholic, Jane's son Edward was a strict prodestant, Mary 1 a strict Catholic, then Elizabeth 1 an AngloCatholic prodestant like her dad. James 1 was a strict prodestant even though his mother (mary queen of Scotts) was Catholic as he had been brought up in the Scottish Kirk after Mary had been driven out of Scotland for murdering James's father. James son Charles 1 was a prodestant married to a Catholic, their son Charles 2nd was a Catholic sympathiser and his heir (brother James 2nd) was a Catholic but Charles 2nd ordered that James's children should be raised as prodestants, then James' daughter Mary and her dutch prodestant husband (William of Orange) ruled together. The Royal family has not been led by a Catholic since James 2nd but they have been different types of prodestants with dutch and scottish influences being more important than any theology of Henry 8th.

The Catholic church is one (united) holy (ie can miraculously act as God's vehicle despite all the unholy people in it) catholic (includes all validly baptised Christians) and apostolic (founded on the authority Jesus gave to Peter and the other apostles).

It is not only the Roman Catholic church as it includes lots of ancient smaller churches eg those of Southern India or the Middle East. The core doctrines are the same (the Creed) and overlap with many Protestant denominations.

Mary is honoured as the mother of Our Lord and a human who obeyed God's will in everything. She is also considered our mother because of Jesus' last words to John 'son behold your mother' The saints are loved as friends of God. Since they are close to God we often ask for their help and prayers.

Thank you everyone for your kind replies. I've got one further question. What is the Catholic view of Protestants? Is there one view across the Catholic church or are there different ones? A friend told me that her Catholic boyfriend told her that Catholics don't view Protestants as Christians. I suspect this isn't quite correct but would love to know your views! Thanks

All those who are baptised are christians in the eyes of the roman catholic church

Yet I still get the comment "My dad says prtestants don't believe in God! at least once a term