Catholicism and Judaism are two of the most popular religions worldwide. They both share the same origin, many of their beliefs are similar and they even share one of their holy books, the Old Testament. Both Jews and Catholics therefore share important similarities, but there are also significant differences between the two that are worth knowing. What is the difference between Catholics and Jews?
Catholicism | Jews | |
|---|---|---|
| Etymology | Catholic comes from the Greek καθολικός (katholikos), which means “universal”. | As for the word Jew, it has its origin in the Judean region. This results from the combination of two Hebrew words; “Yahweh” (god) and “Odeh” (praise, adoration). |
| brief introduction | Catholicism is the largest religion in the world. This is a religion derived from Christianity and in this way, together with Judaism and Islam, one of the three great monotheistic, Abrahamic and known as “the Book” religions. | It is about the whole of the religion and culture of the Jewish people. Judaism is the oldest of the three monotheistic religions. In addition, it is the one with the least followers of the three. Judaism is the base religion of Christianity and Islam. |
| Founders | Jesus of Nazareth was the founder of Christianity (hence Catholicism). The apostles supported him, especially Peter (the first Pope). | Abraham, Isaac, James and Moses are considered fathers of Judaism. |
| Birthplace | In the Roman province of Judea. | As for Judaism, it originated in the regions of Mesopotamia and Canaan. |
| Place of worship | Church, chapel and cathedral, mainly. | Synagogues. The Wailing Wall. |
| Sacred scriptures | The Holy Bible. It consists of a collection of canonical books divided into two parts, the Old Testament and the New Testament. | The Torah, Tonach (the Christian Old Testament), the Mishnah and the Talmud. |
| Original languages | Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek and Latin. | Hebrew. What is the difference between Catholics and Jews? |
| Deity | God, the holy trinity (the father, the son and the holy spirit). | Yahveh (God). |
| Number of followers | It is estimated that there are about 1.2 billion Catholic followers in the world. | As for Jewish believers, it is believed that there are about 14.3 million followers of this creed in the world. |
| Countries with the highest number of followers | Latin America in general, Spain, Italy, France, the United States, the Philippines, Poland, Ireland, etc. | United States, Israel, Canada, Russia, Argentina and England. |
| Clergy | At the head of the Catholic Church is the Pope. As support and local representation are the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests, monks and deacons. Women can serve as nuns. | Previously there were the Kohen or Cohen and Levi as privileged priestly figures (as well as hereditary). Currently there are rabbis and chazanes ( Chazan, Hazan, Hassan ). |
| About God | Catholics believe that there is only one God. This reveals itself as the holy Trinity. | In the same way, they believe in only one God, the true creator. God has always existed and always will. Before him there was none, it transcends life and death. |
| Authority | Catholics are expected to follow the teachings of Jesus as handed down in the New Testaments. Likewise, they are expected to follow and believe in the Old Testament, what is dictated by Rome and the Vatican and the catechesis. What is the difference between Catholics and Jews? | On the other hand, Judaism was created by Abraham and his descendants Isaac and James, in 2000 BC. They are expected to respect the 10 commandments, which were given to Moses (who left Egypt and slavery along with 600,000 other Jews). |
| Core belief | On the one hand, Catholics believe that salvation and eternal life are God’s wishes for his children. One must believe that Jesus is the son of God, receive the sacraments such as baptism, confess and repent of their sins, and be part of the community to please God. | As for the central Jewish belief, it dictates that these people were chosen to follow the commandments of the One true God. In return, God will take care of them. |
| Holy days | There are several holy days throughout the year for this religion. The most important are Christmas (December 25), Lent, Easter, Pentecost, among others. | Rosh Hashannah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Chanukah, Tu B’Shvat, Shavout , the counting of the Omer. |
| Days of praise | Sundays are the days of mass in the Catholic religion. | As for the Jewish days of worship, these are from Friday to sunset, Saturday sunset. It is known as Shabbat and in fact it is the most sacred celebration. In that period of time, which occurs once a week throughout the year, there is no work. It should also be dedicated to contemplation and prayer. |
| Human nature | According to Catholicism, humans are free to pursue knowledge or to be in perfect communion with God. There is original sin in all humans, “inheritance” from Adam. This is “removed” when baptizing people as babies (preferably). | In this religion, people have a choice between good and evil; that is, there is free will. Each person is responsible for their actions. |
| Life after death | There is eternal salvation in paradise or eternal damnation in hell. In addition, there is a third temporary state, called purgatory. | There is a series of beliefs and opinions in this regard, in general it is believed that when you die there is unification with God. Some believe in reincarnation. |
| About eternal salvation | Eternal salvation is received at baptism. However, it can be lost due to mortal sin. Faith and penance are helpful to recover it. | In Judaism you earn eternal salvation when you believe in God, when you do good works, and when your faith is absolute. What is the difference between Catholics and Jews? |
| About marriage | It is about the sacred union of a man and a woman. According to Catholicism, what God has joined, man must not separate. | In ancient times polygamy was accepted. It wasn’t until AD 1310 that monogamy was established as the rule. |
| Jesus Christ | It is part of the Holy Trinity. It is about the Son, the verb made flesh and placed among humans. It is one of the central figures of this religion. | On the contrary, Jesus Christ is not part of the Jewish liturgy. He is not mentioned in a special way, really. |
| About the birth of Jesus Christ | Jesus was born to a virgin mother, the virgin Mary. | On the other hand, the Jewish religion claims that the birth of Jesus was normal, with nothing extraordinary about it. This is not part of the liturgy itself. |
| About the death of Jesus Christ | According to the Bible, Jesus died on the cross. | In contrast, the Jewish creed does not speak of this event. |
| About the death of Jesus Christ | This is confirmed. | This has not only been unconfirmed, it is denied. |
| Pope’s authority | The Pope is the highest authority within the Catholic religion. | On the contrary, the Pope is not an authority figure in Judaism. |
| About the saints and the virgin | These are important figures. They are often prayed for for intercession and help. Saints are a special group of people who are worshiped. Their stories are considered exemplary, many defended their beliefs at the cost of their own lives. | Jews only pray to God. The rabbi does not necessarily represent an intermediary between God and the person. Rather, each person is capable of communicating with God directly. However, there is the figure of the tzadikim , who are figures similar to the Christian saints. These are righteous men who lived exemplary lives. |
| About angels | Angels are God’s creation. They are beings of light who take care of people. Satan is a fallen angel who rejected God. | As for the angels in the Jewish religion, they serve God as messengers. Angels are everywhere. Kabbalah includes mystical studies of these beings. |
