Differences between Catholic Church and Calvinists?

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I was reading that the co-founder of the Capuchin order of monks, Bernardino Ochino, converted to Calvinism. Is that a recorded fact or a rumor?

Also, what is a Calvinist?

Thank you.
 
someguy14 said:
I was reading that the co-founder of the Capuchin order of monks, Bernardino Ochino, converted to Calvinism. Is that a recorded fact or a rumor?
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Ochino did become a Calvinist, but I don’t think he was a co-founder of the Capuchins.
Also, what is a Calvinist?
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The school of thought following the 16th century French Protestant John Calvin. Any Protestant church or denomination that has “reformed” in its name is Calvinist. Its most distinctive belief is double predestination, i.e. that God wills your destiny of heaven or hell before you are born. This contrasts to the Catholic school of singular predestination, which is that God wills all human beings to heaven.
 
Calvinists believe in 5 points often referred to as T.U.L.I.P.

T otal depravity - Man is totally and completely incapable to good. His nature at birth and onward is toward selfishness and rejection of God.

U nconditional Election - God decides the fate of every soul prior to the creation of the soul. Those He chooses will go to Heaven and the chosen for Hell will eternally suffer there. The free will of man plays no part in his salvation and he has no choice as to where he will end up.

L imited Atonement - That Christ died ONLY for the elect and NOT for all. The elect are those individuals predetermined by God to spend eternity in Heaven.

I rresistible Grace - Basically, that God decides whom He will give grace to and when He does this, the individual will not have the choice to refuse.

P erseverance of the Saints - “Once Saved Always Saved.”
 

  1. *]Catholics believe that God wills everyone to be saved. Calvinists teach that God decides if you go to Heaven or Hell at the beginning of time.
    *]Catholics believe Jesus died for everyone, Calvinists believe Jesus only died for people chosen to go to Heavn.
    *]Catholics believe salvation is gained by baptism, lost by mortal (big) sin and regained by the sacrament of Confession. Calvinists believe salvation starts with the acceptance of Christ as savior and that it can’t be lost.
    *]Catholics believe in intercessory prayer which means we ask Mary/a saint to pray for us. Calvinists only pray to God.
    *]Catholics believe in a third place after death called “Purgatory.” Calvinists only believe in Heaven and Hell.
    *]Catholics use sacred images, icons, statues and so on. Calvinists do not.
    *]Catholics believe Mary was born sinless. Calvinists believe Mary was a sinner.
    *]Catholics believe Mary went up body and soul into Heaven. Calvinists believe Mary died a normal physical death.
    *]Catholics believe Mary was a virgin all her life and that the “brothers and sisters” described in the Bible were His cousins because that’s what they were called at that time in that language. Calvinists believe Mary had children with Joseph and that Jesus had brothers and sisters.
    *]Catholics believe that the bread and wine are really the body and blood of Jesus. Calvinists believe the bread and wine is symbolic.
    *]The Catholic Church’s head is the Pope, Calvinists have no Church head, believing it’s Jesus.
 
followingtheway said:
Catholics believe Mary was a virgin all her life and that the “brothers and sisters” described in the Bible were His cousins because that’s what they were called at that time in that language. Calvinists believe Mary had children with Joseph and that Jesus had brothers and sisters.
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This is a true statement about the belief of Calvinists today. John Calvin, however, always believed in the perpetual virginity of Mary.
 
someguy14 said:
I was reading that the co-founder of the Capuchin order of monks, Bernardino Ochino, converted to Calvinism. Is that a recorded fact or a rumor?

Also, what is a Calvinist?

Thank you.
Click to expand...
Check out Jimmy Akin’s article A Tiptoe Through TULIP. He’s a former Presbyterian which overlaps significantly with Calvinism from what I can tell.
 
Thank each of you for your responses.
I’d read that about Bernadino Ochino on wikipedia “Order of Friars Minor Capuchin”.
I also found that the founder of Capuchin order, Francis of Assisi, is some 250 years before Ochino.
I wasn’t so clear of the division between beliefs of Catholics and Calvinists.

Unity in God the Father.
May God bless.
 
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