The Catholic Church has a very long history and is traditional in its ways. The Pentecostal church on the other hand is relatively new and appeals more to the younger generations. These two denominations are similar in their beliefs in the Bible and that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.
The Pentecostal church began in the early 1900s and the ideas were further developed in the middle of the 19th century. The Catholics beliefs started from the beginnings of their church, which is when Peter was appointed as the first pope (“History of the Catholic Church” http://www.allabout religion.org/). The Catholics believe in the Bible but also in their traditions. For example, a tradition in the Catholic Church is the idea of purgatory. Purgatory is the belief that when a person dies and they have unpaid sins or penalties, the will suffer in purgatory to repay these sins. The Pentecostals believe this is wrong because there is no proof of the idea of purgatory. The Bible, which is the sole belief of the Pentecostal churches, does not even mention that something like purgatory exists. Another belief that goes against the Pentecostal church is the belief that some important individuals in the Catholic Church can do extra things. For example, Catholics believe that the Pope can be a mediator between believers and God. Pentecostals believe that this is wrong because the Bible clearly states that only Jesus can be a mediator between God and believers. Also, Catholics believe that the Priests can forgive sins. That is why the Catholics have a confession box in which they can confess their sins and receive forgiveness. However, Pentecostals do not believe in this because the Bible says that only Jesus has the power to forgive sins. (“What is the difference...” http://www.truth.info/) The two denominations do have some similar beliefs though. They both believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that he is both Human and Divine. They also believe that He is one part in the Trinity - God the Father, Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. They also believe that Holy Communion is very sacred and important; however, the Catholics do believe that the bread and wine turns into Jesus’ actual blood and body. Pentecostals disagree with this statement. As the founding dates for the two denominations were different, their beliefs are also different. The Catholics believe in their traditions as well as the Bible whereas the Pentecostals believe solely in the Bible. This means that Catholics have some minor differences in their ideas to the Pentecostals but mostly they are the same.
Apart from the differences in the two Churches beliefs, they also have a very different governance system. The Catholic Church is ruled by many people and headed by the Pope. The Pope is based in Rome, in the Vatican. The Pope has advisors to help him decide what is best for the Catholic community but ultimately, he has the final say. The bishops and arch-bishops are next. They are in charge of a local cathedral and also other local parishes. The parishes are controlled by the priests. Arch-bishops do not have more power than bishops; they simply have a larger area to rule over. For example, a capital city compared to a small town (“The 3 Tier Hierarchy” http://www.bible.ca/). The Pentecostal church, on the other hand, is very loose and free when it comes to the governance. There is no head of the church; it comes down to each individual church or group of churches. There are some organisations which churches can join to give them guidance but this is not necessary. The organisations do not make rules but merely suggest ideas for the churches to follow (“Home” http://www.aog.org.au/). The Catholic Church and Pentecostal church governance are completely different except that they both follow the main ideas set out by the first churches of their kind.
The two denominations have many difference considered they both are a part of the Christian faith. However, they both believe that God is the Father which is the most important thing.
