We explain the difference between church and cathedral with table. There is a great variety of religions and each religion has its own beliefs, ideology, a particular method of worship, etc. For example, Christians have a Church, Hindus have temples, in Islam there is a mosque, etc.
Within these religions, the places of worship that are also a sacred place for them is very peculiar and each religion has its place. These places of worship are important because they provide space for your God.
In Christianity, they have a Church, although in earlier times they had no particular place for worship, as the religion gained government acceptance and the importance of holy places grew.
Within Christianity, the holy place is not limited to the church, but they have different places for worship at different levels, for example, they have the church, the cathedral, the basilica, etc. All these places are for worship but they still have some kind of differences.
The difference between church and cathedral is the difference between authority and the levels that have been established. Both the church and the cathedral are made to worship God, but the difference between them is based on their authority.
Comparison table between church and cathedral
| Comparison parameters | church | Cathedral |
| Building number | A lots of | One |
| Purpose | Religious purpose | Administration purpose and religious purpose as well |
| Authority | Pastor and priest | Pope and bishop |
| Mass celebration | Every Sunday | Every day |
| City types | Small city or big city | Big city |
What is the Church?
The church is a building or a place where people worship, it is a building of Christian public worship. The search is also known as a religious organization or congregation or a community gathering in a particular place or location.
Many of the churches are formally organized and established under government and law. The church is also known as a Christian religious community as a whole body or a community.
The actual foundation of the Church was led by Jesus Christ, he gave the concept that the Church is a Christian religious body, which is why the Church is also known as the body of Christ. As he stated that he would build a Church on his own with the help of other people.
In addition to serving as a place of worship for Christians, the Church has also served as a body for many guilds for their meetings, the church also served as a banquet and sometimes even as a warehouse for the storage of grain.
The churches have made the architecture always varied in many ways, some churches have a cross shape with a dome, some of them have a circle shape, etc. Each shape has its meaning which is demonstrated by religious authority.
In religious terms, the Church is not just a building, but a body that unites believers in Christ, the role of the church is to worship God, nurture and edify and reach a suffering world with the message of the Gospel, thus as practical compassion and Mercy exemplified in Christ.
There are many images of the church as mentioned in the bible, like; The church as the body of Christ, the bride of Christ, and the people of God. In all of them, the head of the Church is Christ.
What is the Cathedral?
Cathedral church that has a seat for bishop in bureaucratic terms. The cathedral is only one in a city, since the bishop is responsible for an area bureaucratically. The cathedral can be classified as a church that also has administrative duties.
The misunderstanding is created that the Cathedral is a larger space compared to the church but the reality is that the Cathedral also has the administrative part that a church does not have, this is what makes the difference between the Cathedral and the church.
In the settlement of Great Britain, a region that has the cathedral was known as a city. This system began when King Henry VII was in power and when he founded dioceses in some towns and gave them city status.
The buildings of the Cathedral can be small or large, it does not necessarily have a large area, the Episcopal churches that changed to Presbyterian still retain names of cathedrals instead of churches, although they do not have a bishop.
Cathedral churches have different degrees of dignity. Where there are cathedral churches of simple diocesan bishops, of archbishops or metropolitans of primates, patriarchs and in the Roman Catholic church of the Pope.
In the Roman Catholic Church, canon law plays an important role and, according to him, there is no architectural specification for the Cathedral. The only chemical requirement is that the Cathedral be consecrated and adequately endowed.
The Pope has the right to designate the cathedral and, with the choices made by the Bishop, only the Pope approves it. The bishop must perform all ordination in the cathedral and must be present in his cathedral on all holy occasions of Christianity.
The Cathedral of the Eastern Orthodox Church is the main church of the city and all festivals and occasions are celebrated in the cathedral only under the bishop and the Pope.
Main differences between church and cathedral
- The Church is more of a religious body, while the Cathedral also plays an important role in administration.
- There may be more than one church in an area or city, but there is only one cathedral in a city.
- Churches can be found in small or large cities, but cathedrals are generally found in larger cities.
- The churches have pastors or priests, on the other hand, the cathedral has bishops and the Pope as authority.
- Most churches celebrate Mass every Sunday, while the Cathedral celebrates Mass three times a day.
Final Thought
Both the cathedral and the churches are meant to worship God. The only difference between them is that the cathedral also has an administrative function.
The cathedral can be a small or large building, but there will only be one cathedral in a city, unlike churches.
