The Difference Between Catholics & Pentecostals
Catholics and Pentecostals are both part of the Christian community, along with other Christian denominations like Anglicans, Methodists, Orthodox and Brethren, to name a few. Catholics have a single central organization, but Pentecostals do not have a single central church which directs the other Pentecostal churches. Though these two different Christian denominations have the same faith, their methodologies, churches, beliefs, values and spiritual practices are different.
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Church Hierarchy
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Catholics have a hierarchy in their churches but Pentecostals do not. They do not believe in the hierarchy of the Catholic church and do not have any hierarchies in their churches either. They do not, unlike the Catholics, accept the pope as the religious head of Christians. Pentecostals believe that each church or congregation should be independent and must not be answerable to any council or committee.
Trinity Doctrine
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Catholics believe in the Trinity. The Trinity doctrine is a belief that there is one God in the form of three people: the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. The Son is Lord Jesus Christ. Though some of the Pentecostals believe in the Trinity doctrine, most of them do not. They think that the establishment of the Trinity is a sinful act which denies the fact that there is only one God.
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Repenting
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Catholics believe that sin committed by a man during his lifetime can be absolved by a priest during confession sessions. But Pentecostals believe that all the sins of mankind cannot be washed away by an individual on Earth or by any amount of good deeds, self-sacrificing oaths and religious observances. They believe human beings can only repent, regret and turn away from their sins during their lifetime. The final judgment would only be delivered in the kingdom of God.
Priest's Role
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Catholics believe that the priest is an intercessor or mediator between the lay person and God. In the rite of confession, the priest assigns a penance, usually a set of prayers to be repeated a number of times, depending on the seriousness of the sin. In Pentecostal churches, the priest just spreads the message of God during prayer sessions. He is not believed to be representing God.
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