Are Catholics Christian? Why "Catholic vs. Christian" Is the Wrong Question

"I used to be Catholic, but now I'm a Christian." Many people have heard that line. Some sincere Protestants really do wonder whether Catholics are saved, or even Christian at all.

Short answer: Yes. Is Catholic Christian? Absolutely: Catholics were the first Christians. "Catholic vs. Christian" is not correct terminology, because it treats two names for the same faith as if they were rivals. The accurate comparison is Catholic Christian vs. Protestant Christian. Catholics believe Jesus Christ is Lord, true God and true man, who died and rose again to save us from our sins. That confession is the heart of Christianity, and the Catholic Church has proclaimed it from the beginning. The name "Christian" was first used in a city where the apostles themselves taught.

Key verses on who is a Christian

• "it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians" (Acts 11:26)
• "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9)
• "Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God." (1 John 4:15)
• "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:5)
• "so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you" (John 17:21)

Scripture quotations are from the New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE), © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

"Catholic vs. Christian" Is the Wrong Question

Many people search "Catholic vs. Christian" or "the difference between Catholic and Christian." The phrase itself is the mistake. It assumes "Christian" means evangelical or non-denominational, and that Catholics are something else. That is not correct terminology. "Christian" means a follower of Christ (Acts 11:26). "Catholic" means "universal" (CCC 830) and names the one Church Christ founded, spread through the whole world. Every Catholic is a Christian.

The accurate comparison is Catholic Christian vs. Protestant Christian. Both are baptized believers in Jesus Christ, and the Catholic Church teaches that baptized Protestants "have a right to be called Christians" (CCC 818). The real question is not who is Christian, but which Christians have kept the whole faith the apostles handed on.

Is Catholicism a denomination?

No. A denomination is one group among many that split off and took a new name. The Catholic Church did not split from anyone. She is the Church every later group separated from: the Orthodox in 1054, and the Protestant churches beginning in 1517. (See Who Founded Your Church?)

So what is the difference between Catholic and Protestant Christians?

The heart of it is authority: Scripture alone, or Scripture and Sacred Tradition guarded by the Church Christ built on St. Peter. From that flow the other differences: faith alone, the 73-book Bible, the Eucharist, the papacy, Mary and the saints, and purgatory. We lay them out side by side, with Scripture, in Catholic vs. Protestant: The Real Differences.

What Catholics Actually Teach

At Sunday Mass, Catholics normally profess the Nicene Creed. Its earliest form, from the Council of Nicaea in 325, begins: "We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of all things visible and invisible; and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the only-begotten of his Father" (Council of Nicaea). Catholics believe in the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Cross, the Resurrection, and Christ's return.

The Catechism says the name of Jesus sums up His mission: "Jesus means in Hebrew: 'God saves'" (CCC 430). On salvation, it says: "Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us" (CCC 1996).

The word "Catholic" does not compete with "Christian." "The word 'catholic' means 'universal'" (CCC 830). The Church is catholic because Christ is present in her and because she is sent "to the whole of the human race" (CCC 831).

The Church also calls baptized Protestants Christians. "All who have been justified by faith in Baptism are incorporated into Christ; they therefore have a right to be called Christians, and with good reason are accepted as brothers in the Lord by the children of the Catholic Church" (CCC 818; see also CCC 838). That communion is real but incomplete: baptized non-Catholics are in "a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church" (CCC 838), and every truth they hold draws its power "from the fullness of grace and truth that Christ has entrusted to the Catholic Church" (CCC 819).

What Catholics do not teach:

• That Catholics earn heaven by good works. Grace is "free and undeserved" (CCC 1996).
• That Mary or the saints are worshiped as God. Devotion to Mary "differs essentially from the adoration which is given to the incarnate Word and equally to the Father and the Holy Spirit" (CCC 971).
• That Protestants are not Christians. As CCC 818 says, the baptized have "a right to be called Christians."

The Biblical Case

1. Christians confess that Jesus is Lord and risen

St. Paul gives the core: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved" (Romans 10:9). Catholics confess exactly this in every Creed and at every Holy Mass.

2. Christians acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God come in the flesh

St. John gives a test: "every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ come in the flesh belongs to God" (1 John 4:2), and "Whoever acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God remains in him and he in God" (1 John 4:15). The Catholic Church has defended these truths against every heresy that denied them.

3. Christians worship Jesus as God

St. Thomas fell before the risen Christ and said, "My Lord and my God!" (John 20:28). The Gospel of John opens, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). Catholics adore Jesus as God, above all in the Blessed Sacrament.

4. Christians are baptized into one body

Jesus commanded the apostles to make disciples, "baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit" (Matthew 28:19). St. Paul speaks of "one body and one Spirit," and "one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Ephesians 4:4-5). Catholics baptize in the Trinitarian name, and the Church recognizes such baptisms in other Christian communities too.

5. Christians live as the apostolic Church lived

At Pentecost St. Peter preached, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38). The first converts "devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers" (Acts 2:42). Baptism, apostolic teaching, the Eucharist and common prayer: that is the shape of Catholic life to this day.

6. The name "Christian" comes from the apostolic Church

St. Luke records that in Antioch, where St. Barnabas and St. Paul taught, "it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians" (Acts 11:26). Within a few generations, the same Church in Antioch would give us the first surviving use of the phrase "Catholic Church" (see below). The two names grew up together.

Objections Answered

(a) "Catholics preach a different gospel of works."

At its strongest: St. Paul warns, "even if we or an angel from heaven should preach [to you] a gospel other than the one that we preached to you, let that one be accursed!" (Galatians 1:8). He also teaches that we are saved by grace through faith, "not from works" (Ephesians 2:8-9). Many Protestants believe Catholic teaching on works, sacraments, and merit adds to the gospel.

Answer: The Catholic Church agrees we are saved by grace. "Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace" of forgiveness and justification (CCC 2010). Good works are the fruit of grace, as St. Paul says in the very next verse: we are "created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has prepared in advance" (Ephesians 2:10). Catholics and Protestants disagree on how faith, works, and baptism fit together, and those differences matter. But a disagreement about how grace works is not a denial of grace, and the Catholic view has Scripture on its side: "not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy, he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5). Grace first, received in baptism, bearing fruit in works. (More: Is Salvation by Faith Alone?)

(b) "Catholics worship Mary and the saints, so they are idolaters."

At its strongest: Catholics pray to Mary, bow before statues, and honor saints. To many Protestants, this looks like giving creatures the worship due only to God.

Answer: Start with Scripture. Elizabeth honored Mary as "the mother of my Lord" (Luke 1:43), and Mary prophesied, "from now on will all ages call me blessed" (Luke 1:48). Honoring her fulfills the Bible; it does not betray it. If Catholics worshiped Mary as God, the objection would be right. They do not. The Church teaches that devotion to Mary "differs essentially from the adoration" given to God alone (CCC 971). Asking Mary or a saint to pray for us is like asking a fellow believer to pray for us. (More: Do Catholics Worship Mary?, Why Do Catholics Pray to Mary?, and Do Catholics Worship Statues?)

(c) "Catholicism is rituals, not a personal relationship with Jesus."

At its strongest: Some former Catholics say they went to Mass for years without ever hearing that they could know Jesus personally. Rituals, they argue, can replace real faith.

Answer: Any Christian can go through the motions, Catholic or Protestant. But the first Christians met the risen Jesus precisely in shared, structured worship: "the teaching of the apostles," "the breaking of the bread," and "the prayers" (Acts 2:42). Catholic teaching asks for far more than routine. The Church says the faithful must "live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God" (CCC 2558). The liturgy is not a substitute for knowing Jesus. It is one of the main places where Catholics meet Him.

(d) "Catholics aren't born again."

At its strongest: Jesus said that "no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above" (John 3:3). Many evangelicals understand this as a conscious conversion experience, and they note that many Catholics were baptized as infants and cannot name a moment when they accepted Christ.

Answer: Read two verses further. Jesus explains what He means: "no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit" (John 3:5). St. Paul calls baptism "the bath of rebirth and renewal by the holy Spirit" (Titus 3:5), and St. Peter promised the Spirit to those who were baptized (Acts 2:38). By the Bible's own definition, every validly baptized Catholic has been born again. What a baptized person must then do is live that new birth in faith, repentance and love, which is exactly what the Church calls every Catholic to do. A conversion experience can be a great grace, but Scripture never makes a datable moment the test of being born again. (More: Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?)

The Early Church Agrees

The earliest Christians after the apostles confessed the same Christ, called their Church "Catholic," and held beliefs Catholics still hold.

• St. Ignatius of Antioch (c. AD 107–110, approximate), bishop of the city where believers were first called Christians, confesses Christ as "God existing in flesh" (Letter to the Ephesians 7). He gives the earliest surviving use of the phrase "Catholic Church": "Wherever the bishop shall appear, there let the multitude [of the people] also be; even as, wherever Jesus Christ is, there is the Catholic Church." And he warns against those who "confess not the Eucharist to be the flesh of our Saviour Jesus Christ, which suffered for our sins" (Letter to the Smyrnaeans 7–8). The first Christian to call the Church "Catholic" also believed what Catholics believe about the Eucharist.
• The Martyrdom of Polycarp (mid-second century, approximate) is addressed "to all the congregations of the Holy and Catholic Church in every place," and speaks of "the whole Catholic Church throughout the world" (greeting and ch. 8).
• St. Irenaeus (Against Heresies 1.10, c. AD 180): "The Church, though dispersed throughout the whole world, even to the ends of the earth, has received from the apostles and their disciples this faith: [She believes] in one God, the Father Almighty... and in one Christ Jesus, the Son of God, who became incarnate for our salvation." She preserves it "as if occupying but one house" (1.10.1–2).
• St. Cyril of Jerusalem (Catechetical Lectures, c. AD 350, approximate) explains the name: "It is called Catholic then because it extends over all the world, from one end of the earth to the other" (18.23).

Conclusion

Catholics are Christians. They confess that Jesus is Lord, worship Him as God, trust in His death and resurrection, and are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The name "Catholic" was used by Christians in the generation after the apostles to describe the one Church spread throughout the world.

If you're a Protestant, you are our brother or sister in Christ. Look closely at the Church that first called itself "Catholic." It may be closer to the faith you love than you think.

Come home. The names Christian and Catholic grew up together in the one apostolic Church, and both are lived in their fullness in the Catholic Church. Christ did not found many churches. He founded one, on St. Peter and the apostles (Matthew 16:18), and that Church is the Catholic Church. "It is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained" (CCC 816). If you are a baptized Christian, you already share "a certain, although imperfect, communion" with her (CCC 838). Every truth you already hold is a call to the rest of the way. Christ is calling you into the Catholic Church.

Your next step: Come to Mass this Sunday at your local Catholic church. You can find one near you at MassTimes.org. Everyone is welcome; if you're not yet Catholic, pray with us but don't receive Communion yet. When you're ready to become Catholic, call the parish office and ask about OCIA, the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults. They will walk you through every step. Read our guide: How Do I Become Catholic? Not ready yet? Get our free pocket guide below and keep learning.

Keep reading: Catholic vs. Protestant: The Real Differences · Who Founded Your Church? · Did the Catholic Church Change the Ten Commandments?

FAQ

What is the difference between Catholic and Christian? "Catholic vs. Christian" is not correct terminology, because Catholics are Christians. "Christian" means a follower of Christ; "Catholic" names the universal Church Christ founded. The accurate comparison is Catholic Christian vs. Protestant Christian. (More: Catholic vs. Protestant)

Is Catholic a religion or a denomination? Catholicism is Christianity in its original, full form, not a separate religion and not a denomination. Every Christian denomination traces its history back to a separation from the Catholic Church.

Did Catholics or "Christians" come first? They are the same people. The disciples were first called Christians in Antioch (Acts 11:26), and within a few generations the bishop of that same city, St. Ignatius, gives us the first surviving use of the name "Catholic Church."

Is Catholicism a separate religion from Christianity? No. The Catholic Church is not one Christian denomination among many. It is the Church Christ founded on St. Peter and the apostles, where "the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained" (CCC 816). It professes the Nicene Creed, which many Protestant churches also profess.

Does the Catholic Church think Protestants are Christians? Yes. Baptized believers "have a right to be called Christians" and are "brothers in the Lord" (CCC 818). But brothers are called home: "It is through Christ's Catholic Church alone, which is the universal help toward salvation, that the fullness of the means of salvation can be obtained" (CCC 816).

When was the term "Catholic Church" first used? The earliest surviving use is in St. Ignatius of Antioch's Letter to the Smyrnaeans, written around 107–110 (approximate).

Sources

Scripture (NABRE, bible.usccb.org): Matthew 16:18; Matthew 28:19; Luke 1:43, 48; John 1:1; John 3:3, 5; John 17:21; John 20:28; Acts 2:38, 42; Acts 11:26; Romans 10:9; Galatians 1:8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:4-5; Titus 3:5; 1 John 4:2; 1 John 4:15.

Catechism of the Catholic Church (vatican.va): 430; 816; 818; 819; 830; 831; 838; 971; 1996; 2010; 2558.

Church Fathers and councils (newadvent.org): St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Ephesians 7 (ANF vol. 1); St. Ignatius of Antioch, Letter to the Smyrnaeans 7–8 (ANF vol. 1); Martyrdom of Polycarp, greeting and ch. 8 (ANF vol. 1); St. Irenaeus, Against Heresies 1.10 (ANF vol. 1); St. Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture 18.23 (NPNF2 vol. 7); Council of Nicaea (325), Creed (NPNF2 vol. 14).