What is the difference between the Catholic Church and other religions?

Answer 1

The Catholic Church is not a religion, but a communion which is embodies the Christian religion. In common terms, you can say that the Catholic Church is part of the Christian religion, in the sense that all Catholics are Christian, but not all Christians are Catholic.

Like all Christians, the Catholic Church believes in one God, who is in fact a Trinity, and that the Son became incarnate as a man. The most basic beliefs are summed up in the Nicene Creed, and expanded teachings of the church are explained in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, but these are based on Divine Revelation, which is communicated in Scripture and Tradition.

The Catholic Church since Vatican II acknowledges that it is not synonomous with the entirety of the Church of Christ and that there are other genuine Christian Churches and ecclesial communities, which in some cases certain features of the Christian mystery have at times been more effectively emphasised.

It further holds that all major religions are genuine, if imperfect, attempts by humanity to respond to God's call, and therefore contain some truth. Those truths and all that is good in these religions ought to be celebrated and cherished by Christians.

AnswerGod, Himself is the difference, in that He established Judaism, and Christianity, as in the Catholic Church, as the fulfillment of Judaism, when God arrived in person, as Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, to fulfill all the prophecies about Himself, and to establish the Catholic Church to enable all men to be saved. The Catechism talks about the search for God, common to all other religions, and how, although they have a glimmer of the light and goodness, they are led astray by the Evil One, and the fullness of God's revelation is found only in the Catholic Church.

In addition, the Catholic Church is the only place in which the truth is found without the admixture of error introduced by the Evil One. The Catholic Church, thus is the only religion established by God, Himself. It is also the only Christian Church, others are "Christian" only insofar as they participate in the truths that the Catholic Church holds from God.

The Catholic Church is NOT "part of Christianity" but the entire of Christianity. For a more complete discussion of this, please see the book, Salvation Outside the Church by Rev. Peter M.J. Stravinskas at the link below.

from The Catechism of the Catholic Church, second edition, English translation 1994

844 In their religious behavior, however, men also display the limits and errors that disfigure the image of God in them:

Very often, deceived by the Evil One, men have become vain in their reasonings, and have exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and served the creature rather than the Creator. Or else, living and dying in this world without God, they are exposed to ultimate despair. (Lumen Gentium 16; cf. Rom 1:21, 25)

845 To reunite all his children, scattered and led astray by sin, the Father willed to call the whole of humanity together into his Son's Church. The Church is the place where humanity must rediscover its unity and salvation. The Church is "the world reconciled." She is that bark which "in the full sail of the Lord's cross, by the breath of the Holy Spirit, navigates safely in this world." According to another image dear to the Church Fathers, she is prefigured by Noah's ark, which alone saves from the flood. (St. Augustine, Serm. 96, 7, 9: J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855}38, 588; St. Ambrose, De virg. 18, 118; J.P. Migne, ed., Patrologia Latina {Paris: 1841-1855} 16, 297B; cf. Already 1 Pet 3:20-21.)

843 The Catholic Church recognizes in other religions that search, among shadows and images, for the God who is unknown yet near since he gives life and breath and all things and wants all men to be saved. Thus, the Church considers all goodness and truth found in these religions as "a preparation for the Gospel and given by him who enlightens all men that they may at length have life." (Lumen Gentium 16; cf. Nostra aetate 2; Evangelii nuntiandi 53)

Answer 2

Its all in the Creed. "We believe in one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church."

The Catholic Church is Apostolic. This means the current leaders (Pope, Cardinals, Bishops etc) are successors of the apostles. Because of the break aways, other christian churches can not be described in the same way.