What is the difference between Catholicism and other faiths?

Christianity is made truly distinctive from the other world religions by the person of Jesus of Nazareth, a historical person who claimed to be the Son of God. No other major world religion is founded by a person who makes a similar claim.

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Many faiths have prophets who show a way to God, but Jesus claims to be the way and points to God, His Father, through himself.

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‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father, but by me. If you had known me, you would have known my Father also; henceforth you know him and have seen him.’ John 14:6-7

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Jesus' central claim to be the Son of God still challenges those who would want to consider Him just a prophet or a moral teacher. As C.S. Lewis, author of the Narnia books, put it in 'Mere Christianity':

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‘A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse … let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.’

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The Catholic Church can trace its foundation back to Jesus and the Early Church through what is known as ‘apostolic succession’.

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‘The apostles … chose successors for their ministry: the bishops. To this day, the successors of the apostles exercise the authority conferred by Jesus: They govern and teach and celebrate the liturgy.’ YOUCAT, 92

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This is also why the Catholic Church has a Pope, who can be traced all the way back to Peter, the disciple of Jesus, on whom Jesus chose to found His Church on.

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‘Preeminent once again among the Twelve was Peter, on whom Jesus bestowed special authority: “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church” (Mt 16:18). From Peter’s special role among the apostles developed the papal ministry.’ YOUCAT 92