Table 1. Comparison of the Catholic, Anglican and Presbyterian (representing Radical Protestant) beliefs and traditions
| Catholic | Presbyterian | Anglican | |
| Religious authority | The Bible (Old Testament, New Testament, and Apocrypha); tradition, along with the pronouncements of Popes and Councils is equally authoritative. | The Bible (Old Testament and New Testament only); no prayer book which has to be followed. | The Bible (Old Testament and New Testament only), the Book of Common Prayer as a guide for services. |
| Saints and Virgin Mary | Strong devotion to the saints, especially to Christ's mother, the Virgin Mary. | Prayers to saints are rejected; Mary’s role is less important, because the Bible says very little about her. | Prayers to saints are rejected; Mary’s role is less important, because the Bible says very little about her. |
| Purgatory | affirmed | denied | denied |
| Sacraments | Seven sacraments: baptism, reconciliation (penance), Eucharist, confirmation, marriage, holy orders (joining the priesthood) and the sacrament of the sick. | Two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. | Two sacraments: Baptism and Holy Communion. |
| Confession and penance | Believers are expected to confess sins and have them absolved by a priest. The priest may then offer advice and imposes a particular penance to be performed. | No intermediary except Christ is necessary between the Christian and God in order to be absolved from sins. Corporate confession may be included in regular worship. | Confession and absolution is usually a component part of corporate worship, there is no requirement for private confession, but it may be desirable depending on individual circumstances. |
| Service | Unlike most Protestant churches, Catholic masses are conducted in a liturgical fashion, with much emphasis upon symbols, rituals and ceremony. | The Church has no set prayer-book or order of service; communion is generally celebrated only occasionally. Scripture readings, singing and the sermon are key elements of worship. | The range of belief and practice includes those who emphasise liturgy and sacraments, to the far more preaching-centred and less ritual-based services. Generally the service is based on the Common Book of Prayer or the modern liturgical book, Common Worship. |
| Structure of government | The Pope, cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and laity. | Authority is shared by an equal number of 'elders' (elected from the membership of the church) and ministers. | Two archbishops, bishops, archdeacons, deans and parish priests, laity. |
| Spiritual leader | PopeBenedict XVI (Joseph Alois Ratzinger). Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor is the Archbishop of Westminster (most senior Catholic priest in Britain). | All ministers have equal status; the assembly is presided over by a moderator. This year's moderator is the Right Reverend Dr Finlay Macdonald. | The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. |
| Representative body | The College of Cardinals | The General Assembly | The General Synod |
| Celibacy | Priests are celibate men. | Priests can marry. | |
| Church architecture and interior | Catholic churches and cathedrals are usually highly ornate with a lot of Christian symbols used in decorations; the altar is the centre of worship. | Early Presbyterian meeting-houses (now called churches) were extremely plain. No stained glass, no elaborate furnishings, and no images were to be found there so as not to detract from worship. The pulpit was the centerpiece of the building. | There is a great variety of architectural styles and level of decoration, as many Anglican churches used to be Catholic before the Reformation; but often a communion table and pulpit replaced the altar and many statues, pictures and stained glasses were destroyed as they were considered a form of idol worship. |
| Status in the UK | In Britain, Catholics suffered a long period of persecution which ended by the start of the nineteenth century. Today there are 5 million Catholics - or 10 per cent of the population. | The Church of Scotland has the status of “national’. In 2000 Church membership was estimated at 607,714 (42% of the population of Scotland or 3% of the population of Britain). | The Church of England is the established or state church in England. Surveys suggest there are between 17 million and 27 million Anglicans in Britain (about 20% of population). |
| Role of the Monarch | The reigning monarch is not seen as head of the Church as in England. | The Monarch is the Supreme Governor of the church |
Glossary
| baptism | Christian religious rite of sprinkling water on to a person's forehead or of immersing them in water, symbolizing purification or regeneration and admission to the Christian Church |
| Canon | religious law or body of law decreed by the church |
| diocese | territorial jurisdiction of a bishop |
| ecclesiastical | of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church) |
| liturgy | rite or body of rites prescribed for public worship |
| Measure | statute in draft before it becomes law |
| Purgatory | (in Catholic doctrine) a place or state of suffering inhabited by the souls of sinners who are expiating their sins before going to heaven |
| pulpit | a raised enclosed platform in a church or chapel from which the preacher delivers a sermon |
| secede | withdraw from an organization or communion |
| secular | not having any connection with religion |
| sermon | a talk on a religious or moral subject, especially one given during a church service and based on a passage from the Bible |
Comprehension