The main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

The difference between the Catholic and Orthodox churches lies primarily in the recognition of the infallibility and primacy of the Pope. The disciples and followers of Jesus Christ after His Resurrection and Ascension began to call themselves Christians. This is how Christianity arose, which gradually spread to the west and east.

History of the schism of the Christian Church

As a result of reformist views over the course of 2000 years, different movements of Christianity have arisen:

• Orthodoxy;
• Catholicism;
• Protestantism, which arose as an offshoot of the Catholic faith.

Each religion subsequently splits into new denominations.

In Orthodoxy, Greek, Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Ukrainian and other patriarchates arise, which have their own branches. Catholics are divided into Roman and Greek Catholics. It is difficult to list all the denominations in Protestantism.

All these religions are united by one root - Christ and faith in the Holy Trinity.

Read about other religions:

The Holy Trinity

The Roman Church was founded by the Apostle Peter, who spent his last days in Rome. Even then, the church was headed by the Pope, translated as “Our Father.” At that time, few priests were ready to take on the leadership of Christianity due to fear of persecution.

The Eastern Rite of Christianity was led by the four oldest Churches:

• Constantinople, whose patriarch headed the eastern branch;
• Alexandria;
• Jerusalem, whose first patriarch was Jesus’ earthly brother James;
• Antioch.

Thanks to the educational mission of the Eastern priesthood, Christians from Serbia, Bulgaria, and Romania joined them in the 4th-5th centuries. Subsequently, these countries declared themselves autocephalous, independent of the Orthodox movement.

On a purely human level, the newly formed churches began to develop their own visions of development, rivalries arose, which intensified after Constantine the Great named Constantinople the capital of the empire in the fourth century.

After the fall of the power of Rome, all supremacy passed to the Patriarch of Constantinople, which caused discontent with the Western rite, headed by the Pope.

Western Christians justified their right to supremacy by the fact that it was in Rome that the Apostle Peter lived and was executed, to whom the Savior handed the keys to heaven.

St. Peter

Filioque

The differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church also concern the filioque, the doctrine of the procession of the Holy Spirit, which became the root cause of the schism of the united Christian Church.

Christian theologians more than a thousand years ago did not come to a common conclusion about the procession of the Holy Spirit. The question is who sends the Spirit - God the Father or God the Son.

The Apostle John conveys (John 15:26) that Jesus will send the Comforter in the form of the Spirit of truth, proceeding from God the Father. In his letter to the Galatians, the Apostle Paul directly confirms the procession of the Spirit from Jesus, who blows the Holy Spirit into the hearts of Christians.

According to the Nicene formula, belief in the Holy Spirit sounds like an appeal to one of the hypostases of the Holy Trinity.

The Fathers of the Second Ecumenical Council expanded this appeal: “I believe in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Lord who gives life, who proceeds from the Father,” while emphasizing the role of the Son, which was not accepted by the priests of Constantinople.

The naming of Photius as Ecumenical Patriarch was perceived by the Roman rite as a belittlement of their importance. Eastern admirers pointed out the ugliness of Western priests who shaved their beards and observed fasts on Saturday; at this time they themselves began to surround themselves with special luxury.

All these differences gathered drop by drop to be expressed in a huge explosion of schema.

The patriarchy, led by Nicetas Stiphatus, openly calls the Latins heretics. The final straw that led to the break was the humiliation of the legate delegation at the 1054 negotiations in Constantinople.

Interesting! The priests, who could not find a common understanding in matters of government, divided into the Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Initially, Christian churches were called orthodox. After the partition, the Eastern Christian movement retained the name of orthodoxy or Orthodoxy, and the Western movement began to be called Catholicism or the Universal Church.

Differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

1. In recognition of the infallibility and primacy of the Pope and in relation to the filioque.
2. Orthodox canons deny purgatory, where a soul that has sinned a not very serious sin is cleansed and goes to heaven. In Orthodoxy there are no major or minor sins, sin is sin, and it can only be cleansed by the Sacrament of Confession during the life of the sinner.
3. Catholics came up with indulgences that give a “pass” to Heaven for good deeds, but the Bible writes that salvation is grace from God, and without true faith you will not earn a place in heaven by good deeds alone. (Eph. 8:2-9)

Orthodoxy and Catholicism: similarities and differences

Differences in rituals

The two religions differ in the calendar for calculating services. Catholics live according to the Gregorian calendar, Orthodox Christians live according to the Julian calendar. According to the Gregorian calendar, Jewish and Orthodox Easter can coincide, which is prohibited. The Russian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Serbian and Jerusalem Orthodox Churches conduct their services according to the Julian calendar.

There are also differences when writing icons. In the Orthodox service it is a two-dimensional image; Catholicism practices naturalistic dimensions.

Eastern Christians have the opportunity to get a divorce and get married a second time; in the Western rite, divorce is prohibited.

The Byzantine rite of Lent begins on Monday, and the Latin rite begins on Wednesday.

Orthodox Christians make the sign of the cross on themselves from right to left, folding their fingers in a certain way, while Catholics do it the other way around, without focusing on the hands.

The interpretation of this action is interesting. Both religions agree that a demon sits on the left shoulder and an angel on the right.

Important! Catholics explain the direction of baptism by the fact that when the cross is applied, cleansing from sin to salvation occurs. According to Orthodoxy, at baptism a Christian proclaims the victory of God over the devil.

How do Christians who were once in unity relate to each other? Orthodoxy does not have liturgical communion or joint prayers with Catholics.

Orthodox churches do not rule over secular authorities; Catholicism affirms the supremacy of God and the subordination of authorities to the Pope.

According to the Latin rite, any sin offends God; Orthodoxy claims that God cannot be offended. He is not mortal; by sin a person harms only himself.

Daily life: rituals and services

Sayings of Saints on Separation and Unity

There are many differences between Christians of both rites, but the main thing that unites them is the Holy Blood of Jesus Christ, faith in One God and the Holy Trinity.

Saint Luke of Crimea rather sharply condemned the negative attitude towards Catholics, while separating the Vatican, the Pope and the cardinals from ordinary people who have the true, saving faith.

Saint Philaret of Moscow compared the division between Christians with partitions, emphasizing that they cannot reach heaven. According to Filaret, Christians cannot be called heretics if they believe in Jesus as the Savior. The saint constantly prayed for the unification of everyone. He recognized Orthodoxy as a true teaching, but pointed out that God also accepts other Christian movements with patience.

Saint Mark of Ephesus calls Catholics heretics, since they have deviated from the true faith, and called on such people not to be converted.

Venerable Ambrose of Optina also condemns the Latin rite for violating the decrees of the apostles.

Righteous John of Kronstadt claims that Catholics, along with reformers, Protestants and Lutherans, fell away from Christ, based on the words of the Gospel. (Matthew 12:30)

How to measure the amount of faith in a particular ritual, the truth of accepting God the Father and walking under the power of the Holy Spirit in love for God the Son, Jesus Christ? God will show all this in the future.

Video about what is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism? Andrey Kuraev

Christianity is the largest world religion in terms of number of believers. His followers live on all continents.

However, there is no integrity in the religion. It consists of three main branches - Catholicism, Orthodoxy, Protestantism.

History of the schism

In the early period of its existence, the Christian church represented a single whole. Believers performed the same rituals and recognized the same theological traditions. After the division of the Roman Empire into two parts: Western and Eastern, a gradual transformation of the general religious organization began. In Constantinople, its own religious center was formed, headed by a patriarch. The initial close cooperation between the leaders of the Roman and Constantinople branches gave way to rivalry. As a result, the church split into two parts. Relations were officially severed in 1054. There were three significant reasons for this:

1. Declaration of the Catholic Pope himself as the head of the entire Christian Church.
2. Rome's claims to leadership in world Christianity.
3. Making changes to the text, which Eastern believers considered inviolable.

The clergy of both Christian branches anathematized each other. It was officially abolished only in 1964. However, the schism in the church was not eliminated. Centuries of isolated existence led to the formation of noticeable differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism in theology, sacraments, and religious paraphernalia.

Number of believers and geography of denominations

Eastern Christians, after separation, they began to call the western branch the Greek word “catholikos” (“universal”). Currently, Catholicism is the most widespread of the Christian churches. Its adherents number over 1.2 billion people. Catholics recognize the Pope as their supreme head, who is called the vicar of God on Earth.

Followers of Christianity of the Eastern rite, Catholics call orthodox (“correct”) or Orthodox. There are approximately 200 million of them in the world. Orthodoxy has spread among the Slavic peoples of the CIS countries, as well as in a number of European countries. The Orthodox Church is divided into 15 local churches and has no unified leadership. The Orthodox call Jesus Christ the head of the church.

Differences

Theology

For clergy and laity The Creed is of paramount importance. This is the main dogma of Christianity, on which all doctrine is based. Both faiths recognize the trinity of God, incarnate in the image of the Holy Trinity:

• Father;
• Son;

However, the Orthodox believe that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father. Catholics believe that it is equally inherent in both the Father and the Son.

The view of the Mother of God - the Virgin Mary is also different. In the understanding of Orthodox believers, Mary was born and died like ordinary people.

After death she was taken to heaven. She is glorified, first of all, as the Mother of God.

For Catholics, the Mother of God is initially holy and sinless. They believe that her birth was virginal, like Jesus Christ. In addition, the Virgin Mary was ascended to heaven alive when her earthly life came to an end. The cult of the Virgin Mary is extremely widespread in Western countries. In both faiths, believers recite the Hail Mary prayer, but with a noticeable difference in form.

Orthodox believe that after death, according to one's deeds, a person goes to heaven (for the righteous) or hell (for sinners). Catholics, in addition, highlight purgatory- a place where souls stay after the Last Judgment, awaiting paradise.

In matters of faith, Eastern Christians recognize the commandments adopted at the first 7 Ecumenical Councils before the collapse of the common church. Western Christians follow the regulations of all past Ecumenical Councils. The last, 21st Ecumenical Council, which convened in 1962, allowed services in Catholic churches to be held in national languages ​​along with Latin.

Additional included in Catholic Bibles 7 more apocryphal (non-canonical) books located between the Old and New Testaments. In the Orthodox Bible 9. Christians believe that they were inspired by the Word of God.

Construction of churches, regulations of service, clergy

The differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism are clearly visible in the structure of churches and the rules for conducting church services.

Orthodox cathedrals have a traditional orientation of the altar to the east, towards Jerusalem. The inner part of the altar is separated from the temple premises by an iconostasis. Only clergy have the right to enter the altar. The arrangement of the interior space in churches differs in the location of the altar. Sometimes it stands in the central part and is separated from the general space by a partition.

The Orthodox call the main daily service the Divine Liturgy, while the Catholics call it the Mass. Eastern Christians stand during church services, showing their humility before God. To demonstrate unconditional submission to God's Will, believers kneel. In Catholic churches, it is customary to listen to the priest's sermon while sitting on the benches. During prayers, the laity stand on special stands.

Both churches have a common opinion on the need for clergy, as a conductor between God and people. In the Orthodox faith, clergy are divided into 2 groups. The “white” clergy are those who have parishes under their control and marry. “Black” - those who take a vow of celibacy, monastics. The highest ranks are elected exclusively from among the “black” clergy. In the Catholic world, all priests take a vow of celibacy (celibacy) before taking office.

Sacraments

From birth to death, Catholics and Orthodox Christians are accompanied by 7 sacred sacraments:

1. baptism;
2. anointing;
3. eucharist();
4. confession;
5. wedding;
6. unction;
7. ordination (ordination to the priesthood).

In Catholicism, it is generally accepted that a sacrament has power regardless of the desire or disposition of a person. Orthodox priests hold the exact opposite view - the sacrament is invalid if a person is not tuned in to it.

Significant differences are noticeable during rituals.. During baptism into the Orthodox faith, a person is completely immersed in water. Western Christians practice sprinkling with water. Confirmation in Orthodoxy follows immediately after baptism. Catholics arrange a separate ceremony - confirmation, when a child reaches conscious age (10–13 years). Unction, that is, anointing with oil, is also different. Among the Orthodox it is performed on a sick person, and among Catholics on a dying person.

Communion is a meal of bread and wine. By eating them, Christians remember the death of Jesus on the cross. Communion in the two Christian denominations is markedly different. Catholic priests distribute thin flatbreads of unleavened bread called wafers to the laity. Only the clergy are awarded communion with wine and bread. Orthodox believers receive wine, bread, and warm water at the time of communion. Yeast dough is used to bake bread.

Things turned out differently attitude towards marriage in two faiths. For Catholics, marriage is indissoluble. According to Orthodox canons, in the event of a confirmed fact of adultery, the injured spouse has the right to enter into a new marriage.

As a sign of respect for the Holy Trinity, Christians make the sign of the cross at the entrance and exit of the temple. Methods of baptism vary. Orthodox believers traditionally place a cross with three fingers held together, from right to left. Catholics perform the sign in the opposite direction. They can make the sign of the cross with folded fingers or an open palm.

Holidays and fasting

Christmas, Easter and Pentecost- the most revered Christian holidays. The Western and Eastern faiths adhere to different chronology systems, so the dates of the holidays do not coincide. The difference concerns primarily Easter and Christmas. The onset of the Holy Resurrection of Christ is calculated according to the calendar, so in 70% of cases it will be different. Orthodox Christians traditionally celebrate Christmas on January 7, and Catholics on December 25. Each church has its own revered holidays.

The date of the beginning of Lent in Catholicism is considered to be Ash Wednesday, and in Orthodoxy it is Clean Monday.

Attributes

The main symbolic sign of Christianity is the cross. It symbolizes the crucifixion on which Jesus Christ suffered death. The appearance of the cross and the image of Christ on it differ greatly in different faiths.

Catholics have a cross with four ends. The Orthodox have 8 ends, since they exactly copy the crucifix. Three vertical bars have been added to the main vertical bar. The top one symbolizes a tablet with the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The lower one served as a support for the legs. It is called the “righteous standard”: one side is raised as a sign of the repentance of the thief who believed in the Mission, and the other side is lowered to the ground, pointing to hell for the second villain.

On Catholic crosses, Christ is depicted as a man suffering unimaginable suffering. His legs are nailed with one nail. On the Orthodox cross, Jesus looks like a man who has overcome death. His legs are nailed individually.

The way of depicting Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, saints, and scenes based on biblical subjects is different. Orthodox iconography adheres to strict canonical requirements. In Catholicism, there is a more free approach to drawing. Differences also affected the use of sculptures. They predominate in churches, but in churches they are practically absent.

The table “Comparison of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches” will help to better understand the fundamental differences when studying the history of the Middle Ages in the 6th grade, and can also be used as a review in high school.

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“Table “Comparison of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches””

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church.

How many mistakes were made? What mistakes were made?

Having become acquainted with the traditions of the Catholic Church in Europe and having talked with my priest upon my return, I discovered that there is much in common between the two directions of Christianity, but there are also fundamental differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which, among other things, influenced the split of the once united Christian Church.

In my article I decided to talk in an accessible language about the differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church and their common features.

Although churchmen argue that the matter is due to “irreconcilable religious differences,” scientists are confident that this was, first of all, a political decision. The tension between Constantinople and Rome forced the confessors to look for a reason to clarify the relationship and ways to resolve the conflict.

It was difficult not to notice the features that had already taken hold in the West, where Rome dominated, different from those accepted in Constantinople, so they latched on to this: different structures in matters of hierarchy, aspects of religious doctrine, the conduct of sacraments - everything was used.

Due to political tensions, the existing differences between the two traditions existing in different parts of the collapsed Roman Empire were revealed. The reason for the current uniqueness was the differences in culture and mentality of the western and eastern parts.

And, if the existence of one strong, large state made the church unified, with its disappearance the connection between Rome and Constantinople weakened, contributing to the creation and rooting in the western part of the country of some traditions unusual for the East.

The division of the once united Christian church along territorial lines did not happen overnight. East and West went towards this for years, culminating in the 11th century. In 1054, during the Council, the Patriarch of Constantinople was deposed by envoys of the Pope.

In response, he anathematized the Pope's envoys. The heads of the remaining patriarchates shared the position of Patriarch Michael, and the split deepened. The final break dates back to the 4th Crusade, which sacked Constantinople. Thus, the united Christian church split into Catholic and Orthodox.

Now Christianity unites three different directions: the Orthodox and Catholic Church, Protestantism. There is no single church uniting Protestants: there are hundreds of denominations. The Catholic Church is monolithic, led by the Pope, to whom all believers and dioceses submit.

15 independent and mutually recognizing churches constitute the asset of Orthodoxy. Both directions are religious systems, including their own hierarchy and internal rules, doctrine and worship, and cultural traditions.

Common features of Catholicism and Orthodoxy

Followers of both churches believe in Christ, consider Him an example to follow, and try to follow His commandments. The Holy Scripture for them is the Bible.

At the foundation of the traditions of Catholicism and Orthodoxy are the apostles-disciples of Christ, who founded Christian centers in major world cities (the Christian world relied on these communities). Thanks to them, both directions have sacraments, similar creeds, exalt the same saints, and have the same Creed.

Followers of both churches believe in the power of the Holy Trinity.

The view on family formation in both directions converges. Marriage between a man and a woman occurs with the blessing of the church and is considered a sacrament. Same-sex marriages are not recognized. Entering into intimate relationships before marriage is unworthy of a Christian and is considered a sin, and same-sex relationships are considered a grave sin.

Followers of both directions agree that both the Catholic and Orthodox directions of the church represent Christianity, albeit in different ways. The difference for them is significant and irreconcilable: for more than a thousand years there has been no unity in the method of worship and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, therefore they do not celebrate communion together.

Orthodox and Catholics: what is the difference

The result of deep religious differences between East and West was the schism that occurred in 1054. Representatives of both movements claim striking differences between them in their religious worldview. Such contradictions will be discussed further. For ease of understanding, I have compiled a special table of differences.

Let's sum it up

Despite the centuries-old schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, which is not expected to be overcome in the near future, there are many similarities that indicate common origins.

There are many differences, so significant that combining the two directions is not possible. However, regardless of their differences, Catholics and Orthodox believe in Jesus Christ and carry His teachings and values ​​throughout the world. Human errors have divided Christians, but faith in the Lord gives the unity for which Christ prayed.

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Christians all over the world are debating which beliefs are more correct and more important. Regarding Catholics and Orthodox Christians: what is the difference (and whether there is one) today are the most interesting questions.

It would seem that everything is so clear and simple that everyone can clearly answer briefly. But there are also those who simply do not even know what the relationship is between these faiths.

The history of the existence of two currents

So, first you need to understand Christianity as a whole. It is known that it is divided into three branches: Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants. Protestantism has several thousand churches and they are spread in all corners of the planet.

Back in the 11th century, Christianity was divided into Orthodoxy and Catholicism. There were a number of reasons for this, from church ceremonies to holiday dates. There are not many differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. First of all, the way of management. Orthodoxy consists of numerous churches, ruled by archbishops, bishops, and metropolitans. Catholic churches all over the world are subordinate to the Pope. They are considered the Universal Church. In all countries, Catholic churches are in close, simple relationship.

Similarities between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Orthodoxy and Catholicism have similarities and differences in approximately equal proportions. It is worth noting that both religions have not only a number of differences. Both Orthodoxy and Catholicism are very similar to each other. Here are the main points:

In addition, both confessions are united in the veneration of icons, the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, saints, and their relics. Also, the churches are united by the same holy saints of the first millennium, the Holy Letter, and the Church Sacraments.

Differences between faiths

Distinctive features between these faiths also exist. It was because of these factors that the church split once occurred. It is worth noting:

• Sign of the Cross. Today, probably, everyone knows how Catholics and Orthodox Christians are baptized. Catholics cross themselves from left to right, but we do the opposite. According to symbolism, when we are baptized first on the left, then on the right, then we are turned to God, if on the contrary, God is directed to his servants and blesses them.
• Unity of the Church. Catholics have one faith, sacraments and head - the Pope. In Orthodoxy there is no one leader of the Church, therefore there are several patriarchates (Moscow, Kiev, Serbian, etc.).
• Peculiarities of concluding a church marriage. In Catholicism, divorce is a taboo. Our church, unlike Catholicism, allows divorce.
• Heaven and Hell. According to Catholic dogma, the soul of the deceased goes through purgatory. Orthodoxy believes that the human soul goes through so-called ordeals.
• Sinless Conception of the Mother of God. According to accepted Catholic dogma, the Mother of God was immaculately conceived. Our clergy believes that the Mother of God had ancestral sin, although her holiness is glorified in prayers.
• Decision making (number of councils). Orthodox churches make decisions at 7 Ecumenical Councils, Catholic churches - 21.
• Disagreement in provisions. Our clergy does not recognize the Catholic dogma that the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son, believing that only from the Father.
• The essence of love. The Holy Spirit among Catholics is signified as love between the Father and the Son, God, and believers. The Orthodox see love as triune: Father - Son - Holy Spirit.
• The infallibility of the Pope. Orthodoxy denies the primacy of the Pope over all Christianity and his infallibility.
• Sacrament of Baptism. We must confess before the procedure. The child is immersed in the font, and in the Latin ritual water is poured on his head. Confession is considered a voluntary act.
• Clergymen. Catholic priests are called pastors, priests (for the Poles) and priests (priests in everyday life) for the Orthodox. Pastors do not wear a beard, but priests and monks wear a beard.
• Fast. Catholic canons regarding fasting are less strict than those of the Orthodox. Minimum retention from food is 1 hour. Unlike them, our minimum retention from food is 6 hours.
• Prayers before icons. There is an opinion that Catholics do not pray in front of icons. Actually this is not true. They have icons, but they have a number of features that differ from the Orthodox. For example, the saint’s left hand rests on his right (for Orthodox Christians it’s the other way around), and all the words are written in Latin.
• Liturgy. According to tradition, church services are performed on Hostia (unleavened bread) in the Western rite and Prosphora (leavened bread) in the Orthodox.
• Celibacy. All Catholic ministers of the church take a vow of celibacy, but our priests get married.
• Holy water. Church ministers bless, and Catholics bless the water.
• Memorial days. These faiths also have different days of remembrance of the dead. For Catholics - the third, seventh and thirtieth day. For the Orthodox - third, ninth, fortieth.

Church hierarchy

It is also worth noting the difference in hierarchical ranks. According to the bit table, The highest level among the Orthodox is occupied by the patriarch. The next step is metropolitan, archbishop, bishop. Next come the ranks of priests and deacons.

The Catholic Church has the following ranks:

• Pope;
• Archbishops,
• Cardinals;
• Bishops;
• Priests;
• Deacons.

Orthodox Christians have two opinions about Catholics. First: Catholics are heretics who distorted the creed. Second: Catholics are schismatics, because it was because of them that a schism occurred from the One Holy Apostolic Church. Catholicism considers us schismatics, without classifying us as heretics.