Roman Catholicism
oman Catholicism identifies the system of
belief that adheres to the faith, doctrine, and polity of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC). It
emphasizes the cooperation of human will with divine grace in salvation, the mediation of grace
through sacraments, and the veneration of saints and relics. The RCC is headed by the Bishop of Rome,
esteemed as the "father of fathers" or Pope, considered the successor of the apostle Peter, and is
regarded as the supreme pontiff and vicar of Christ on earth. Roman Catholicism is built on an
episcopal system of government and upholds orthodox doctrines regarding the Trinity, deity of Christ,
and Incarnation. Central to Catholic worship is the Mass, believed to be a recapitulation of the
propitiatory sacrifice of Christ, and the belief in transubstantiation. The faith encompasses seven
sacraments, including baptism, Eucharist, and penance, which are seen as the dispensary channels of
God's grace. A distinctive feature of Roman Catholicism is the prominent role of the Virgin Mary, who
is venerated and believed to have been conceived without sin and bodily assumed into heaven.
Roman Catholicism continued to grow despite the Reformation, particularly in the Americas, where it was dominant until Protestant expansion. The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) modernized practices and sought to improve relations with Protestants. Under Pope John Paul II, Roman Catholicism gained a positive social image, became more vocal concerning civil rights, and blurred doctrinal differences with Protestants, advocating a “reunion” or alliance in the Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT) initiative. All the while, not retracting one of the 33 anathemas decreed against Protestants by the Council of Trent (1545-1563).
Some have said that Protestant Christianity is merely a modification of Roman Catholicism, answering the same problems with different solutions. This perspective will not do. The Reformation has more to do with biblical Christianity than it does Roman Catholicism. While it does not deny the historical connection of the Roman Catholic Church to ancient Christianity, it is not a mere modification of the former, rather it is more of an awakening to the latter.
Official Teaching
These pages explain Rome’s formal teaching on sin, grace, salvation, worship, and the sacraments. Each doctrine is examined from Roman Catholic sources and weighed against Scripture.
All Saints’
Day
Traces the November 1 feast from the Pantheon to the eve on which Luther posted
the Ninety-Five Theses, and weighs the intercession of the saints against Scripture.
All Souls’
Day
Explains the November 2 commemoration of the dead, its tie to purgatory and
indulgences, and why the Reformers set it aside.
Anointing of the
Sick
Follows Extreme Unction from the healing prayers of James 5 to the medieval
deathbed rite, and sets the dying believer’s comfort in Christ’s promise.
Assurance
Sets out
Rome’s teaching that no one may be certain of his own grace, and the Reformers’ assurance
grounded in the promise of God.
Faith and Assurance — Comparison Table
Sets Rome’s teaching on certainty of salvation and perseverance, from the Catechism and Trent, beside Scripture.
Baptism
Examines
baptismal regeneration, the indelible sacramental mark, and the place of baptism within
Rome’s system of salvation.
Baptism — Comparison
Table
Places Roman Catholic teaching and the biblical doctrine of baptism side by side.
Confirmation
Traces
how a blessing at baptism became a sacrament reserved to the bishop, and why the Reformers restored
catechizing in its place.
The Eucharist
Examines
the Easter duty, confession before communion, the withheld cup, and Rome’s teaching on the
effects of communion.
Faith and
Works
Considers whether grace enables human merit or excludes boasting by resting
salvation wholly upon the finished work of Christ.
Grace
Examines Rome’s
doctrine of grace infused, increased, and lost, and why the Reformers would not surrender
sola gratia.
Grace — Comparison
Table
Contrasts grace understood as an infused substance with grace as the free favor
of God.
Indulgences
Explains the treasury of merit, temporal
punishment, and the indulgence controversy that helped ignite the Reformation.
Justification
Sets out Rome’s doctrine of the
sinner’s standing before God and explains why the Council of Trent condemned the evangelical
doctrine of justification by faith alone.
Justification — Comparison
Table
Contrasts infused righteousness with the imputed righteousness of Christ.
Holy Orders
Examines
the sacrificing priesthood, the seven orders, and clerical celibacy in the light of the one High
Priest.
Holy Orders — Comparison Table
Compares the Roman Catholic ordained priesthood with the priesthood of believers and the elders of the New Testament.
Mary
Surveys the four
Marian dogmas and Rome’s titles for Mary, including Mediatrix and Queen, in the light of
Scripture.
Mary — Comparison
Table
Compares Roman Catholic claims about Mary with the biblical record.
The Mass
Explains the
Roman Catholic altar, priesthood, and sacrifice, and considers how the Mass relates to the
once-for-all offering of Christ.
Matrimony
Considers
how marriage, a holy ordinance of God, was made a sacrament, and what followed for celibacy,
divorce, and the church’s control of marriage.
The Church
Examines
Rome’s claim to be the one visible church outside of which there is no salvation, and the
Reformers’ church gathered by the Word.
The Church — Comparison Table
Compares Rome’s claims for the Church as the whole Christ with the testimony of Scripture.
Rome’s View of the Church’s Role
Sets the Church’s claimed role in justification, grace, and authority beside Scripture.
Mortal and Venial
Sins
Examines Rome’s division of sin into two classes, the remedies assigned to
each, and the sufficiency of Christ’s cleansing blood.
The Nature of Man
Explores
original justice, original sin, and Rome’s teaching about the powers that remain in the
fallen human will.
The Nature of Man — Comparison
Table
Sets Rome’s estimate of fallen humanity beside the testimony of Scripture.
Penance
Shows how the
“second plank after shipwreck” arose, how contrition, confession, satisfaction, and
indulgences shaped medieval religion, and how the Reformers answered.
Purgatory
Considers
Rome’s teaching that temporal punishment may remain after guilt is pardoned and asks whether
Christ’s satisfaction is complete.
Relics
Traces the
veneration of bones, fragments, and sacred objects, including the celebrated relic collection at
Wittenberg.
Roman Catholic
Salvation
Presents Rome’s sacramental way of salvation and contrasts it with the
biblical gospel of salvation by grace through faith.
Salvation — Comparison
Table
Places Rome’s way of salvation and the teaching of Scripture side by side.
Roman Catholic Views on the
Solas
Shows how Rome receives, rejects, or qualifies each of the five great Reformation
solas.
The Seven
Sacraments
Introduces the sacramental system through which Rome teaches that saving
grace is dispensed.
Transubstantiation
Explains the claimed change of
substance in the Eucharist and remembers those who suffered for denying it.
The Eucharist —
Comparison Table
Compares the Roman Catholic doctrine of the Eucharist with the
teaching of Scripture.
The Way of
Salvation
A visual chart tracing the stages, sacraments, and possible outcomes within
Rome’s doctrine of salvation.
Ruling Authority
These pages consider the offices, traditions, and official instruments by which Rome governs doctrine and conscience. They also trace the papal claims and legal decrees that shaped the conflict over Scripture and church authority.
Index of Prohibited
Books
Traces Rome’s catalogue of forbidden reading from its establishment in 1559
until its abolition in 1966.
The Papacy
Introduces
the papal office, its claims to universal jurisdiction, and the men who occupied it during the
Reformation era.
The Head of the Church — Comparison
Table
Contrasts Rome’s claims for the pope with Scripture’s testimony
concerning the headship of Christ.
The Popes During the
Reformation
Provides an overview of the popes whose policies and character shaped
Rome’s response to the Protestant Reformation.
Roman Catholic
Councils
Provides the complete overview of the general councils of the West from
Lateran I to Trent.
Roman Catholic
Decrees
Collects the canons, bulls, constitutions, and statutes by which ecclesiastical
authority bound doctrine and conscience.
Roman Catholic
Dogmas
Charts when Rome’s distinctive teachings arose and when they received
formal definition.
Traditions
Examines
the traditions Rome receives alongside Scripture and the authority claimed for them.
Scripture
Examines
Rome’s doctrine of Scripture, Tradition, and the Magisterium from Trent to Vatican II, and the
Reformers’ sola Scriptura.
Scripture — Comparison
Table
Contrasts Scripture alone with the Roman Catholic appeal to Scripture and
tradition as parallel authorities.
History
These pages trace Rome’s institutional response to reform and its efforts to preserve doctrinal and political unity. They introduce the movements and tribunals that became central to the conflict.
The
Counter-Reformation
Introduces Rome’s broad program of internal reform, doctrinal
definition, and opposition to Protestant expansion.
The
Inquisitions
Surveys the tribunals established to identify, prosecute, and suppress
teachings judged heretical by Rome.
The
Jesuits
Examines the Society of Jesus and its influential role in education, missions,
and the Counter-Reformation.
More Information
These resources provide a pastoral starting point, definitions of important terms, and recommendations for deeper study. They are especially useful for readers seeking to understand the issues or to consider the evangelical faith.
From Catholicism to
Christ
A gracious guide for Roman Catholic friends who are considering the claims of
Christ and the evangelical gospel.
Glossary of Catholic
Terms
Defines Rome’s distinctive vocabulary in its own terms and evaluates key
concepts in the light of Scripture.
Rome at a Glance
Five charts on the ten agreements, two fault lines, the shared heritage, the two doors into justification, and the merit equation.
Short Pointers
Ten brief observations on the questions between Rome and the Reformation, each from a single source.
Rome and the Evangelicals Since Vatican II
Timelines of dialogues and declarations, and of notable crossings between the two communions.
Recommended
Resources
Offers selected books and materials for readers who wish to study Roman
Catholic doctrine, history, and the Reformation more deeply.
