The official division of the Christian Church into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) happened in 1054, with the participation of Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius. It became the finale in the contradictions that had long been brewing between the two religious centers of the Roman Empire that had collapsed by the 5th century - Rome and Constantinople.
Serious disagreements emerged between them both in the field of dogma and in terms of the organization of church life.
After the capital was transferred from Rome to Constantinople in 330, the clergy began to come to the fore in the socio-political life of Rome. In 395, when the empire effectively collapsed, Rome became the official capital of its western part. But political instability soon led to the fact that the actual administration of these territories was in the hands of the bishops and the pope.
In many ways, this became the reason for the claims of the papal throne to supremacy over the entire Christian Church. These claims were rejected by the East, although from the first centuries of Christianity the authority of the Pope in the West and in the East was very great: without his approval not a single ecumenical council could open or close.
Cultural background
Church historians note that in the western and eastern regions of the empire Christianity developed differently, under the powerful influence of two cultural traditions - Hellenic and Roman. The “Hellenic world” perceived Christian teaching as a certain philosophy that opens the way for the unity of man with God.
This explains the abundance of theological works of the fathers of the Eastern Church, aimed at understanding this unity and achieving “deification.” They often show the influence of Greek philosophy. Such “theological inquisitiveness” sometimes led to heretical deviations, which were rejected by the Councils.
The world of Roman Christianity, in the words of the historian Bolotov, experienced “the influence of the Romanesque on the Christian.” The “Roman world” perceived Christianity in a more “juridical” manner, methodically creating the Church as a unique social and legal institution. Professor Bolotov writes that Roman theologians “understood Christianity as a divinely revealed program for social order.”
Roman theology was characterized by “legalism,” including in the relation of God to man. He expressed himself in the fact that good deeds were understood here as a person’s merits before God, and repentance was not enough for the forgiveness of sins.
Later, the concept of atonement was formed following the example of Roman law, which placed the categories of guilt, ransom and merit at the basis of the relationship between God and man. These nuances gave rise to differences in dogma. But, in addition to these differences, also a banal struggle for power and personal claims of the hierarchs on both sides ultimately became the reason for the division.
Main differences
Today, Catholicism has many ritual and dogmatic differences from Orthodoxy, but we will look at the most important ones.
The first difference is the different understanding of the principle of the unity of the Church. In the Orthodox Church there is no single earthly head (Christ is considered its head). It has “primates” - patriarchs of local Churches independent from each other - Russian, Greek, etc.
The Catholic Church (from the Greek “katholicos” - “universal”) is one, and considers the presence of a visible head, which is the Pope, to be the basis of its unity. This dogma is called “the primacy of the Pope.” The opinion of the Pope on matters of faith is recognized by Catholics as “infallible” - that is, without error.
Symbol of faith
Also, the Catholic Church added to the text of the Creed, adopted at the Nicene Ecumenical Council, a phrase about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son (“filioque”). The Orthodox Church recognizes the procession only from the Father. Although some holy fathers of the East recognized the “filioque” (for example, Maximus the Confessor).
Life after death
In addition, Catholicism has adopted the dogma of purgatory: a temporary state in which souls who are not ready for heaven remain after death.
the Virgin Mary
An important discrepancy is also that in the Catholic Church there is a dogma about the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, which affirms the original absence of original sin in the Mother of God. The Orthodox, glorifying the holiness of the Mother of God, believe that he was inherent in Her, like all people. Also, this Catholic dogma contradicts the fact that Christ was half human.
Indulgence
In the Middle Ages, Catholicism developed the doctrine of the “extraordinary merits of the saints”: the “reserve of good deeds” that the saints performed. The Church disposes of this “reserve” in order to make up for the lack of “good deeds” of repentant sinners.
From here grew the doctrine of indulgences - release from temporary punishment for sins for which a person has repented. During the Renaissance, there was a misunderstanding of indulgence as the possibility of remission of sins for money and without confession.
Celibacy
Catholicism prohibits marriage for clergy (celibate priesthood). In the Orthodox Church, marriage is prohibited only for monastic priests and hierarchs.
External part
As for rituals, Catholicism recognizes both the Latin rite (Mass) and the Byzantine rite (Greek Catholics).
The liturgy in the Orthodox Church is served on prosphora (leavened bread), while Catholic services are served on unleavened bread (unleavened bread).
Catholics practice Communion under two types: only the Body of Christ (for the laity), and the Body and Blood (for the clergy).
Catholics place the sign of the cross from left to right, Orthodox believe it the other way around.
There are fewer fasts in Catholicism, and they are milder than in Orthodoxy.
The organ is used in Catholic worship.
Despite these and other differences that have accumulated over the centuries, Orthodox and Catholics have much in common. Moreover, something was borrowed by Catholics from the East (for example, the doctrine of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary).
Almost all local Orthodox churches (except the Russian one), like Catholics, live according to the Gregorian calendar. Both faiths recognize each other's Sacraments.
The division of the Church is a historical and unresolved tragedy of Christianity. After all, Christ prayed for the unity of His disciples, which are all who strive to fulfill His commandments and confess Him as the Son of God: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so that they also may be one in Us - that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”
For those who are interested.
Recently, many people have developed a very dangerous stereotype that supposedly there is not much difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, Protestanism. Some believe that in reality the distance is significant, almost like heaven and earth, and maybe even more?
Others that The Orthodox Church has preserved the Christian faith in purity and integrity, exactly as Christ revealed it, as the apostles passed it on, as the ecumenical councils and teachers of the church consolidated and explained it, in contrast to the Catholics, who distorted this teaching with a mass of heretical errors.
Third, that in the 21st century, that all faiths are wrong! There cannot be 2 truths, 2+2 will always be 4, not 5, not 6... Truth is an axiom (not requiring proof), everything else is a theorem (until it is proven it cannot be recognized...).
“There are so many different Religions, do people really think that “THERE” at the top, the “Christian God” sits in the next office with “Ra” and everyone else... So many versions say that they were written by a person, and not by a “higher power” "(What kind of a state with 10 constitutions??? What kind of President was unable to approve one of them throughout the world???)
“Religion, patriotism, team sports (football, etc.) give rise to aggression, the entire power of the state rests on this hatred of “others,” “not like that”... Religion is no better than nationalism, only it is covered with a curtain of peace and it doesn’t hit immediately, but with much greater consequences..”
And this is only a small part of the opinions.
Let's try to calmly consider what are the fundamental differences between the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant religions? And are they really that big?
From time immemorial, the Christian faith has been attacked by opponents. In addition, attempts to interpret the Holy Scriptures in their own way were made at different times by different people. Perhaps this was the reason that the Christian faith was divided over time into Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox. They are all very similar, but there are differences between them. Who are Protestants and how does their teaching differ from Catholic and Orthodox?
Christianity is the world's largest religion in terms of the number of adherents (about 2.1 billion people worldwide); in Russia, Europe, North and South America, as well as in many African countries, it is the dominant religion. There are Christian communities in almost all countries of the world.
The basis of Christian doctrine is faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind, as well as in the trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit). It originated in the 1st century AD. in Palestine and within a few decades began to spread throughout the Roman Empire and within its sphere of influence. Subsequently, Christianity penetrated into the countries of Western and Eastern Europe, missionary expeditions reached the countries of Asia and Africa. With the beginning of the Great Geographical Discoveries and the development of colonialism, it began to spread to other continents.
Nowadays, there are three main directions of the Christian religion: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. A separate group includes the so-called ancient Eastern churches (the Armenian Apostolic Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, the Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian and Indian Malabar Orthodox Churches), which did not accept the decisions of the IV Ecumenical (Chalcedonian) Council of 451.
Catholicism
The split of the church into Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) occurred in 1054. Catholicism is currently the largest Christian faith in terms of the number of adherents. It is distinguished from other Christian denominations by several important dogmas: the immaculate conception and ascension of the Virgin Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, indulgences, the dogma of the infallibility of the actions of the Pope as the head of the church, the assertion of the power of the Pope as the successor of the Apostle Peter, the indissolubility of the sacrament of marriage, the veneration of saints , martyrs and blessed.
Catholic teaching speaks of the procession of the Holy Spirit from God the Father and from God the Son. All Catholic priests take a vow of celibacy, baptism occurs through pouring water on the head. The sign of the cross is made from left to right, most often with five fingers.
Catholics make up the majority of believers in Latin America, Southern Europe (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal), Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia, and Malta. A significant part of the population professes Catholicism in the USA, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Australia, New Zealand, Latvia, Lithuania, the western regions of Ukraine and Belarus. In the Middle East, there are many Catholics in Lebanon, in Asia - in the Philippines and East Timor, and partially in Vietnam, South Korea and China. The influence of Catholicism is great in some African countries (mainly in the former French colonies).
Orthodoxy
Orthodoxy was initially subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople; currently there are many local (autocephalous and autonomous) Orthodox churches, the highest hierarchs of which are called patriarchs (for example, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'). The head of the church is considered to be Jesus Christ; there is no figure similar to the Pope in Orthodoxy. The institution of monasticism plays a major role in the life of the church, and the clergy is divided into white (non-monastic) and black (monastic). Representatives of the white clergy can marry and have a family. Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy does not recognize the dogmas about the infallibility of the Pope and his primacy over all Christians, about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son, about purgatory and the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.
The sign of the cross in Orthodoxy is done from right to left, with three fingers (three fingers). In some movements of Orthodoxy (Old Believers, co-religionists) they use two fingers - the sign of the cross with two fingers.
Orthodox Christians make up the majority of believers in Russia, in the eastern regions of Ukraine and Belarus, in Greece, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Macedonia, Georgia, Abkhazia, Serbia, Romania, and Cyprus. A significant percentage of the Orthodox population is represented in Bosnia and Herzegovina, part of Finland, northern Kazakhstan, some states of the USA, Estonia, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan and Albania. There are also Orthodox communities in some African countries.
Protestantism
The emergence of Protestantism dates back to the 16th century and is associated with the Reformation, a broad movement against the dominance of the Catholic Church in Europe. In the modern world there are many Protestant churches, the single center of which does not exist.
Among the original forms of Protestantism, Anglicanism, Calvinism, Lutheranism, Zwinglianism, Anabaptism, and Mennonism stand out. Subsequently, movements such as Quakers, Pentecostals, the Salvation Army, evangelists, Adventists, Baptists, Methodists and many others developed. Religious associations such as Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses are classified by some researchers as Protestant churches, and by others as sects.
Most Protestants recognize the general Christian dogma of the trinity of God and the authority of the Bible, however, unlike Catholics and Orthodox Christians, they oppose the interpretation of Holy Scripture. Most Protestants deny icons, monasticism and the veneration of saints, believing that a person can be saved through faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the Protestant churches are more conservative, some are more liberal (this difference in views on issues of marriage and divorce is especially visible), many of them are active in missionary work. A branch such as Anglicanism, in many of its manifestations, is close to Catholicism; the question of recognition of the authority of the Pope by Anglicans is currently being discussed.
There are Protestants in most countries of the world. They make up the majority of believers in the UK, USA, Scandinavian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and there are also many of them in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, and Estonia. An increasing percentage of Protestants are observed in South Korea, as well as in such traditionally Catholic countries as Brazil and Chile. Own branches of Protestantism (such as, for example, Quimbangism) exist in Africa.
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF DOCTRICAL, ORGANIZATIONAL AND RITUALS DIFFERENCES IN ORTHODOXY, CATHOLICITY AND PROTESTANTISM
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ORTHODOXY AND PROTESTANTISM: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
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The Orthodox Church has preserved intact the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles. But the Lord Himself warned His disciples that from among those who would be with them there would appear people who would want to distort the truth and muddy it with their own inventions: Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.(Matt. 7 , 15).
And the apostles also warned about this. For example, the Apostle Peter wrote: you will have false teachers who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, will bring upon themselves quick destruction. And many will follow their depravity, and through them the path of truth will be reproached... Having left the straight path, they have gone astray... the darkness of eternal darkness is prepared for them(2 Pet. 2 , 1-2, 15, 17).
Heresy is understood as a lie that a person follows consciously. The path that Jesus Christ opened requires dedication and effort from a person so that it becomes clear whether he really entered this path with firm intention and love for the truth. It is not enough to just call yourself a Christian; you must prove with your deeds, words and thoughts, with your whole life, that you are a Christian. He who loves the truth, for its sake, is ready to renounce all lies in his thoughts and his life, so that the truth may enter into him, cleanse and sanctify him.
But not everyone embarks on this path with pure intentions. And their subsequent life in the Church reveals their bad mood. And those who love themselves more than God fall away from the Church.
There is a sin of action - when a person violates the commandments of God by deed, and there is a sin of mind - when a person prefers his lie to the Divine truth. The second is called heresy. And among those who called themselves Christians at different times, there were both people devoted to the sin of action, and people devoted to the sin of the mind. Both people resist God. Either person, if he has made a firm choice in favor of sin, cannot remain in the Church and falls away from it. Thus, throughout history, everyone who chose sin left the Orthodox Church.
The Apostle John spoke about them: They left us, but they were not ours: for if they were ours, they would have remained with us; but they came out, and through this it was revealed that not all of us(1 Jn. 2 , 19).
Their fate is unenviable, because the Scripture says that those who surrender heresies... will not inherit the Kingdom of God(Gal. 5 , 20-21).
Precisely because a person is free, he can always make a choice and use freedom either for good, by choosing the path to God, or for evil, by choosing sin. This is the reason that false teachers arose and those who believed them more than Christ and His Church arose.
When heretics appeared, introducing lies, the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church began to explain to them their errors and called on them to abandon fiction and turn to the truth. Some, convinced by their words, were corrected, but not all. And about those who persisted in lies, the Church pronounced its judgment, testifying that they were not true followers of Christ and members of the community of the faithful founded by Him. This is how the apostolic council was fulfilled: After the first and second admonition, turn away from the heretic, knowing that such a one has become corrupted and sins, being self-condemned(Tit. 3 , 10-11).
There have been many such people in history. The most widespread and numerous of the communities they founded that have survived to this day are the Monophysite Eastern Churches (they arose in the 5th century), the Roman Catholic Church (which fell away from the Ecumenical Orthodox Church in the 11th century) and Churches that call themselves Protestant. Today we will look at how the path of Protestantism differs from the path of the Orthodox Church.
Protestantism
If any branch breaks off from a tree, then, having lost contact with the vital juices, it will inevitably begin to dry out, lose its leaves, become fragile and easily break at the first onslaught.
The same is evident in the life of all communities that separated from the Orthodox Church. Just as a broken branch cannot retain its leaves, so those who are separated from true church unity can no longer maintain their inner unity. This happens because, having left God’s family, they lose touch with the life-giving and saving power of the Holy Spirit, and that sinful desire to resist the truth and put themselves above others, which led them to fall away from the Church, continues to operate among those who have fallen away, turning already against them and leading to ever new internal divisions.
So, in the 11th century, the Local Roman Church separated from the Orthodox Church, and at the beginning of the 16th century, a significant part of the people separated from it, following the ideas of the former Catholic priest Luther and his like-minded people. They formed their own communities, which they began to consider as the “Church”. This movement is collectively called Protestants, and their separation itself is called the Reformation.
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In turn, Protestants also did not maintain internal unity, but began to divide even more into different currents and directions, each of which claimed that it was the real Church of Jesus Christ. They continue to divide to this day, and now there are already more than twenty thousand of them in the world.
Each of their directions has its own peculiarities of doctrine, which would take a long time to describe, and here we will limit ourselves to analyzing only the main features that are characteristic of all Protestant nominations and which distinguish them from the Orthodox Church.
The main reason for the emergence of Protestantism was a protest against the teachings and religious practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) notes, indeed, “many misconceptions have crept into the Roman Church. Luther would have done well if, having rejected the errors of the Latins, he had replaced these errors with the true teaching of the Holy Church of Christ; but he replaced them with his own errors; Some of Rome’s misconceptions, very important ones, were fully followed, and some were strengthened.” “The Protestants rebelled against the ugly power and divinity of the popes; but since they acted on the impulse of passions, drowning in depravity, and not with the direct goal of striving for the holy Truth, they did not turn out to be worthy to see it.”
They abandoned the erroneous idea that the Pope is the head of the Church, but retained the Catholic error that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son.
Scripture
Protestants formulated the principle: “Scripture only,” which means that they recognize only the Bible as its authority, and they reject the Holy Tradition of the Church.
And in this they contradict themselves, because the Holy Scripture itself indicates the need to honor the Holy Tradition coming from the apostles: stand and keep the traditions that you were taught either by word or by our message(2 Thess. 2 , 15), writes the Apostle Paul.
If a person writes some text and distributes it to different people, and then asks them to explain how they understood it, then it will probably turn out that someone understood the text correctly, and someone incorrectly, putting their own meaning into these words. It is known that any text has different options for understanding. They may be true, or they may be wrong. The same is true with the text of Holy Scripture, if we tear it away from Holy Tradition. Indeed, Protestants think that Scripture should be understood the way anyone wants. But this approach cannot help to find the truth.
Here is how Saint Nicholas of Japan wrote about this: “Japanese Protestants sometimes come to me and ask me to explain some passage of Holy Scripture. “But you have your own missionary teachers - ask them,” I tell them. “What do they answer?” - “We asked them, they said: understand as you know; but I need to know the true thought of God, and not my personal opinion”... It’s not like that with us, everything is light and reliable, clear and solid - because we are apart from the Sacred We also accept the Holy Tradition from the Scriptures, and the Holy Tradition is the living, uninterrupted voice... of our Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles to this day, which will remain until the end of the world. The whole of Holy Scripture is based on it.”
The Apostle Peter himself testifies that no prophecy in Scripture can be resolved by oneself, for prophecy was never pronounced by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit(2 Pet. 1 , 20-21). Accordingly, only holy fathers, moved by the same Holy Spirit, can reveal to man a true understanding of the Word of God.
Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition form one inseparable whole, and have been so from the very beginning.
Not in writing, but orally, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles how to understand the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament (Lk. 24 , 27), and they taught the same thing orally to the first Orthodox Christians. Protestants want to imitate the early apostolic communities in their structure, but in the early years the early Christians had no New Testament scriptures at all, and everything was passed on from mouth to mouth, like tradition.
The Bible was given by God for the Orthodox Church; it was in accordance with the Holy Tradition that the Orthodox Church at its Councils approved the composition of the Bible; it was the Orthodox Church, long before the appearance of Protestants, that lovingly preserved the Holy Scriptures in its communities.
Protestants, using the Bible, which was not written by them, not collected by them, not preserved by them, reject the Holy Tradition, and thereby close to themselves the true understanding of the Word of God. Therefore, they often argue about the Bible and often come up with their own, human traditions that have no connection either with the apostles or with the Holy Spirit, and fall, according to the word of the apostle, into empty deception, according to human tradition..., and not according to Christ(Col. 2:8).
Sacraments
Protestants rejected the priesthood and sacred rites, not believing that God could act through them, and even if they left something similar, it was only the name, believing that these were only symbols and reminders of historical events remaining in the past, and not a holy reality in itself. Instead of bishops and priests, they got themselves pastors who have no connection with the apostles, no succession of grace, as in the Orthodox Church, where every bishop and priest has the blessing of God, which can be traced from our days to Jesus Christ Himself. The Protestant pastor is only a speaker and administrator of the life of the community.
As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says, “Luther... passionately rejecting the lawless power of the popes, rejected the legal power, rejected the episcopal rank itself, the consecration itself, despite the fact that the establishment of both belonged to the apostles themselves... rejected the Sacrament of Confession, although all Holy Scripture testifies that it is impossible to receive remission of sins without confessing them.” Protestants also rejected other sacred rites.
Veneration of the Virgin Mary and saints
The Most Holy Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the human race of the Lord Jesus Christ, prophetically said: from now on all generations will please Me(OK. 1 , 48). This was said about the true followers of Christ - Orthodox Christians. And indeed, from then until now, from generation to generation, all Orthodox Christians have venerated the Most Holy Theotokos, the Virgin Mary. But Protestants do not want to honor and please her, contrary to Scripture.
The Virgin Mary, like all the saints, that is, people who have walked to the end along the path of salvation opened by Christ, have united with God and are always in harmony with Him.
The Mother of God and all the saints became the closest and most beloved friends of God. Even a person, if his beloved friend asks him for something, will definitely try to fulfill it, and God also willingly listens and quickly fulfills the requests of the saints. It is known that even during his earthly life, when they asked, He certainly responded. So, for example, at the request of the Mother, He helped the poor newlyweds and performed a miracle at the feast to save them from shame (Jn. 2 , 1-11).
Scripture reports that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for with Him all are alive(Luke 20:38). Therefore, after death, people do not disappear without a trace, but their living souls are maintained by God, and those who are holy retain the opportunity to communicate with Him. And Scripture directly says that departed saints make requests to God and He hears them (see: Rev. 6 , 9-10). Therefore, Orthodox Christians venerate the Most Holy Virgin Mary and other saints and turn to them with requests that they intercede with God on our behalf. Experience shows that many healings, deliverances from death and other help are received by those who resort to their prayerful intercession.
For example, in 1395, the great Mongol commander Tamerlane with a huge army went to Russia to capture and destroy its cities, including the capital, Moscow. The Russians did not have enough strength to resist such an army. Orthodox residents of Moscow began to earnestly ask the Most Holy Theotokos to pray to God to save them from the impending disaster. And so, one morning Tamerlane unexpectedly announced to his military leaders that they needed to turn the army around and go back. And when asked about the reason, he answered that at night in a dream he saw a great mountain, on the top of which stood a beautiful shining woman, who ordered him to leave the Russian lands. And, although Tamerlane was not an Orthodox Christian, out of fear and respect for the holiness and spiritual power of the appeared Virgin Mary, he submitted to Her.
Prayers for the dead
Those Orthodox Christians who during their lifetime were unable to overcome sin and become saints do not disappear after death either, but they themselves need our prayers. Therefore, the Orthodox Church prays for the dead, believing that through these prayers the Lord sends relief for the posthumous fate of our deceased loved ones. But Protestants do not want to admit this either, and refuse to pray for the dead.
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The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking about his followers, said: the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days(Mk. 2 , 20).
The Lord Jesus Christ was taken away from His disciples the first time on Wednesday, when Judas betrayed Him and the villains captured Him to take Him to trial, and the second time on Friday, when the villains crucified Him on the Cross. Therefore, in fulfillment of the words of the Savior, Orthodox Christians have observed fasting every Wednesday and Friday since ancient times, abstaining for the sake of the Lord from eating animal products, as well as from various types of entertainment.
The Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days and nights (see: Matt. 4 , 2), setting an example for His disciples (see: Jn. 13 , 15). And the apostles, as the Bible says, with worshiped the Lord and fasted(Acts 13 , 2). Therefore, Orthodox Christians, in addition to one-day fasts, also have multi-day fasts, of which the main one is Great Lent.
Protestants deny fasting and fasting days.
Sacred images
Anyone who wants to worship the true God should not worship false gods, which are either invented by people or by those spirits who have fallen away from God and become evil. These evil spirits often appeared to people in order to mislead them and distract them from worshiping the true God to worship themselves.
However, having ordered the construction of the temple, the Lord, even in these ancient times, also ordered to make images of cherubim in it (see: Ex. 25, 18-22) - spirits who remained faithful to God and became holy angels. Therefore, from the very first times, Orthodox Christians made sacred images of saints united with the Lord. In the ancient underground catacombs, where Christians persecuted by pagans gathered for prayer and sacred rites in the 2nd-3rd centuries, they depicted the Virgin Mary, the apostles, and scenes from the Gospel. These ancient sacred images have survived to this day. In the same way, in modern churches of the Orthodox Church there are the same sacred images, icons. When looking at them, it is easier for a person to ascend in soul to prototype, concentrate your energy on praying to him. After such prayers in front of holy icons, God often sends help to people, and miraculous healings often occur. In particular, Orthodox Christians prayed for deliverance from Tamerlane’s army in 1395 at one of the icons of the Mother of God - the Vladimir icon.
However, Protestants, due to their error, reject the veneration of sacred images, not understanding the difference between them and between idols. This stems from their erroneous understanding of the Bible, as well as from the corresponding spiritual mood - after all, only someone who does not understand the difference between a holy and an evil spirit can fail to notice the fundamental difference between the image of a saint and the image of an evil spirit.
Other differences
Protestants believe that if a person recognizes Jesus Christ as God and Savior, then he already becomes saved and holy, and no special works are needed for this. And Orthodox Christians, following the Apostle James, believe that Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself(James. 2, 17). And the Savior Himself said: Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord!” will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven(Matt. 7:21). This means, according to Orthodox Christians, that it is necessary to fulfill the commandments that express the will of the Father, and thus prove one’s faith by deeds.
Also, Protestants do not have monasticism or monasteries, but Orthodox Christians do. The monks work zealously to fulfill all the commandments of Christ. And in addition, they take three additional vows for the sake of God: a vow of celibacy, a vow of non-covetousness (not having their own property) and a vow of obedience to a spiritual leader. In this they imitate the Apostle Paul, who was celibate, non-covetous and completely obedient to the Lord. The monastic path is considered higher and more glorious than the path of a layman - a family man, but a layman can also be saved and become a saint. Among the apostles of Christ there were also married people, namely, the apostles Peter and Philip.
When Saint Nicholas of Japan was asked at the end of the 19th century why, although the Orthodox in Japan have only two missionaries, and the Protestants have six hundred, nevertheless, more Japanese converted to Orthodoxy than to Protestantism, he replied: “It’s not about the people, but in teaching. If a Japanese, before accepting Christianity, thoroughly studies it and compares it: in the Catholic mission he recognizes Catholicism, in the Protestant mission he recognizes Protestantism, we have our teaching, then, as far as I know, he always accepts Orthodoxy.<...>What is this? Yes, that in Orthodoxy the teaching of Christ is kept pure and whole; We have not added anything to it, like Catholics, and have taken nothing away, like Protestants.”
Indeed, Orthodox Christians are convinced, as Saint Theophan the Recluse says, of this immutable truth: “What God has revealed and what He has commanded, nothing should be added to it, nor anything taken away from it. This applies to Catholics and Protestants. Those are adding everything, but these are subtracting... The Catholics have muddied the apostolic tradition. The Protestants set out to correct the matter - and made it even worse. Catholics have one pope, but Protestants have one pope, whatever the Protestant.”
Therefore, everyone who is truly interested in the truth, and not in their own thoughts, both in past centuries and in our time, certainly finds their way to the Orthodox Church, and often, even without any effort from Orthodox Christians, God Himself leads such people to the truth. As an example, here are two stories that happened recently, the participants and witnesses of which are still alive.
US case
In the 1960s, in the American state of California, in the cities of Ben Lomon and Santa Barbara, a large group of young Protestants came to the conclusion that all the Protestant Churches they knew could not be the real Church, since they assumed that after the apostles the Church of Christ had disappeared , and it was supposedly revived only in the 16th century by Luther and other leaders of Protestantism. But such a thought contradicts the words of Christ that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church. And then these young people began to study the historical books of Christians, from the earliest antiquity, from the first century to the second, then to the third, and so on, tracing the continuous history of the Church founded by Christ and His apostles. And so, thanks to their many years of research, these young Americans themselves became convinced that such a Church is the Orthodox Church, although none of the Orthodox Christians communicated with them or instilled in them such thoughts, but the history of Christianity itself testified to them this truth. And then they came into contact with the Orthodox Church in 1974, all of them, more than two thousand people, accepted Orthodoxy.
Case in Benini
Another story happened in West Africa, in Benin. In this country there were no Orthodox Christians at all, most of the inhabitants were pagans, a few professed Islam, and some were Catholics or Protestants.
One of them, a man named Optat Bekhanzin, suffered a misfortune in 1969: his five-year-old son Eric became seriously ill and suffered from paralysis. Bekhanzin took his son to the hospital, but doctors said that the boy could not be cured. Then the grief-stricken father turned to his Protestant “Church” and began attending prayer meetings in the hope that God would heal his son. But these prayers were fruitless. After this, Optat gathered some close people at his home, persuading them to pray together to Jesus Christ for Eric’s healing. And after their prayer a miracle happened: the boy was healed; it strengthened the small community. Subsequently, more and more miraculous healings occurred through their prayers to God. Therefore, more and more people came to them - both Catholics and Protestants.
In 1975, the community decided to form itself as an independent church, and the believers decided to pray and fast intensely in order to find out the will of God. And at that moment, Eric Bekhanzin, who was already eleven years old, received a revelation: when asked what they should call their church community, God answered: “My Church is called the Orthodox Church.” This greatly surprised the Benin people, because none of them, including Eric himself, had ever heard of the existence of such a Church, and they did not even know the word “Orthodox.” However, they called their community the "Orthodox Church of Benin", and only twelve years later were they able to meet Orthodox Christians. And when they learned about the real Orthodox Church, which has been called that way since ancient times and dates back to the apostles, they all together, consisting of more than 2,500 people, converted to the Orthodox Church. This is how the Lord responds to the requests of all who truly seek the path of holiness leading to the truth, and brings such a person to His Church.
The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism
The reason for the split of the Christian Church into Western (Catholicism) and Eastern (Orthodoxy) was the political split that occurred at the turn of the 8th-9th centuries, when Constantinople lost the lands of the western part of the Roman Empire. In the summer of 1054, the Pope's ambassador to Constantinople, Cardinal Humbert, anathematized the Byzantine Patriarch Michael Cyrularius and his followers. A few days later, a council was held in Constantinople, at which Cardinal Humbert and his henchmen were reciprocally anathematized. Disagreements between representatives of the Roman and Greek churches also intensified due to political disagreements: Byzantium argued with Rome for power. The mistrust of East and West turned into open hostility after the Crusade against Byzantium in 1202, when Western Christians went against their eastern fellow believers. Only in 1964, Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and Pope Paul VI officially The anathema of 1054 was lifted. However, differences in traditions have become deeply entrenched over the centuries.
Church organization
The Orthodox Church includes several independent Churches. In addition to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there is Georgian, Serbian, Greek, Romanian and others. These Churches are governed by patriarchs, archbishops and metropolitans. Not all Orthodox Churches have communion with each other in sacraments and prayers (which, according to the catechism of Metropolitan Philaret, is a necessary condition for individual Churches to be part of the one Universal Church). Also, not all Orthodox Churches recognize each other as true churches. Orthodox Christians consider Jesus Christ to be the head of the Church.
Unlike the Orthodox Church, Catholicism is one Universal Church. All its parts in different countries of the world are in communication with each other, and also follow the same creed and recognize the Pope as their head. In the Catholic Church, there are communities within the Catholic Church (rites) that differ from each other in forms of liturgical worship and church discipline. There are Roman, Byzantine rites, etc. Therefore, there are Catholics of the Roman rite, Catholics of the Byzantine rite, etc., but they are all members of the same Church. Catholics also consider the Pope to be the head of the Church.
Divine service
The main worship service for the Orthodox is the Divine Liturgy, for Catholics it is the Mass (Catholic liturgy).
During services in the Russian Orthodox Church, it is customary to stand as a sign of humility before God. In other Eastern Rite Churches, sitting is allowed during services. As a sign of unconditional submission, Orthodox Christians kneel. Contrary to popular belief, it is customary for Catholics to both sit and stand during worship. There are services that Catholics listen to on their knees.
Mother of God
In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God is first and foremost the Mother of God. She is revered as a saint, but she was born in original sin, like all mere mortals, and died like all people. Unlike Orthodoxy, Catholicism believes that the Virgin Mary was conceived immaculately without original sin and at the end of her life was ascended to heaven alive.
Symbol of faith
Orthodox believe that the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and from the Son.
Sacraments
The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church recognize seven main Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation (Confirmation), Communion (Eucharist), Penance (Confession), Priesthood (Ordination), Anointing (Unction) and Marriage (Wedding). The rituals of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are almost identical, the differences are only in the interpretation of the sacraments. For example, during the sacrament of baptism in the Orthodox Church, a child or adult is immersed in the font. In a Catholic church, an adult or child is sprinkled with water. The sacrament of communion (Eucharist) is celebrated on leavened bread. Both the priesthood and the laity partake of both the Blood (wine) and the Body of Christ (bread). In Catholicism, the sacrament of communion is celebrated on unleavened bread. The priesthood partakes of both the Blood and the Body, while the laity partakes only of the Body of Christ.
Purgatory
Orthodoxy does not believe in the existence of purgatory after death. Although it is assumed that souls may be in an intermediate state, hoping to go to heaven after the Last Judgment. In Catholicism, there is a dogma about purgatory, where souls remain awaiting heaven.
Faith and morals
The Orthodox Church recognizes only the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, which took place from 49 to 787. Catholics recognize the Pope as their head and share the same faith. Although within the Catholic Church there are communities with different forms of liturgical worship: Byzantine, Roman and others. The Catholic Church recognizes the decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council, the last of which took place in 1962–1965.
Within Orthodoxy, divorces are allowed in individual cases, which are decided by priests. The Orthodox clergy is divided into “white” and “black”. Representatives of the “white clergy” are allowed to marry. True, then they will not be able to receive episcopal or higher rank. “Black clergy” are monks who take a vow of celibacy. For Catholics, the sacrament of marriage is considered to be for life and divorce is prohibited. All Catholic religious clergy take a vow of celibacy.
Sign of the Cross
Orthodox Christians cross themselves only from right to left with three fingers. Catholics cross themselves from left to right. They do not have a single rule for how to place your fingers when creating a cross, so several options have taken root.
Icons
On Orthodox icons, saints are depicted in two dimensions according to the tradition of reverse perspective. This emphasizes that the action takes place in another dimension - in the world of spirit. Orthodox icons are monumental, austere and symbolic. Among Catholics, saints are depicted naturalistically, often in the form of statues. Catholic icons are painted in straight perspective.
Sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and saints, accepted in Catholic churches, are not accepted by the Eastern Church.
Crucifixion
The Orthodox cross has three crossbars, one of which is short and located at the top, symbolizing the tablet with the inscription “This is Jesus, King of the Jews,” which was nailed above the head of the crucified Christ. The lower crossbar is a footstool and one of its ends looks up, pointing to one of the thieves crucified next to Christ, who believed and ascended with him. The second end of the crossbar points down, as a sign that the second thief, who allowed himself to slander Jesus, went to hell. On the Orthodox cross, each foot of Christ is nailed with a separate nail. Unlike the Orthodox cross, the Catholic cross consists of two crossbars. If it depicts Jesus, then both feet of Jesus are nailed to the base of the cross with one nail. Christ on Catholic crucifixes, as well as on icons, is depicted naturalistically - his body sags under the weight, torment and suffering are noticeable throughout the image.
Funeral service for the deceased
Orthodox Christians commemorate the dead on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days, then every other year. Catholics always remember the dead on Remembrance Day - November 1st. In some European countries November 1st is official m on days off. The deceased are also remembered on the 3rd, 7th and 30th days after death, but this tradition is not strictly observed.
Despite the existing differences, both Catholics and Orthodox Christians are united by the fact that they profess and preach throughout the world one faith and one teaching of Jesus Christ.
conclusions:
- In Orthodoxy, it is generally accepted that the Universal Church is “embodied” in each local Church, headed by a bishop. Catholics add to this that in order to belong to the Universal Church, the local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church.
- World Orthodoxy does not have a single leadership. It is divided into several independent churches. World Catholicism is one church.
- The Catholic Church recognizes the primacy of the Pope in matters of faith and discipline, morality and government. Orthodox churches do not recognize the primacy of the Pope.
- Churches see differently the role of the Holy Spirit and the mother of Christ, who in Orthodoxy is called the Mother of God, and in Catholicism the Virgin Mary. In Orthodoxy there is no concept of purgatory.
- The same sacraments operate in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, but the rituals for their implementation are different.
- Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy does not have a dogma about purgatory.
- Orthodox and Catholics create the cross in different ways.
- Orthodoxy allows divorce, and its “white clergy” can marry. In Catholicism, divorce is prohibited, and all monastic clergy take a vow of celibacy.
- The Orthodox and Catholic Churches recognize the decisions of different Ecumenical Councils.
- Unlike the Orthodox, Catholics depict saints on icons in a naturalistic manner. Also among Catholics, sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and saints are common.
So...Everyone understands that Catholicism and Orthodoxy, like Protestantism, are directions of one religion - Christianity. Despite the fact that both Catholicism and Orthodoxy belong to Christianity, there are significant differences between them.
If Catholicism is represented by just one church, and Orthodoxy consists of several autocephalous churches, homogeneous in their doctrine and structure, then Protestantism is many churches that may differ from each other both in organization and in individual details of doctrine.
Protestantism is characterized by the absence of a fundamental opposition between the clergy and the laity, the rejection of a complex church hierarchy, a simplified cult, the absence of monasticism, and celibacy; in Protestantism there is no cult of the Mother of God, saints, angels, icons, the number of sacraments is reduced to two (baptism and communion).
The main source of doctrine is Holy Scripture. Protestantism is widespread mainly in the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Scandinavian countries and Finland, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Australia, Canada, Latvia, Estonia. Thus, Protestants are Christians who belong to one of several independent Christian churches.
They are Christians, and together with Catholics and Orthodox Christians they share the fundamental principles of Christianity.
However, the views of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants on some issues differ. Protestants value the authority of the Bible above all else. Orthodox and Catholics value their traditions more highly and believe that only the leaders of these Churches can interpret the Bible correctly. Despite their differences, all Christians agree with the prayer of Christ recorded in the Gospel of John (17:20-21): “I pray not for these only, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one... "
Which is better, depending on which side you look at. For the development of the state and life in pleasure - Protestantism is more acceptable. If a person is driven by the thought of suffering and redemption - then Catholicism?
For me personally, it is important that P Orthodoxy is the only religion that teaches that God is Love (John 3:16; 1John 4:8). And this is not one of the qualities, but is the main revelation of God about Himself - that He is all-good, unceasing and unchanging, all-perfect Love, and that all His actions, in relation to man and the world, are an expression of only love. Therefore, such “feelings” of God as anger, punishment, revenge, etc., which the books of Holy Scripture and the Holy Fathers often speak about, are nothing more than ordinary anthropomorphisms used with the aim of giving to the widest possible circle of people, in the most accessible form, an idea of God’s providence in the world. Therefore, says St. John Chrysostom (IV century): “When you hear the words: “rage and anger” in relation to God, then do not understand anything human by them: these are words of condescension. The Divine is alien to all such things; it is said this way in order to bring the subject closer to the understanding of cruder people” (Conversation on Ps. VI. 2. // Creations. T.V. Book. 1. St. Petersburg, 1899, p. 49).
To each his own...
Faith in Jesus Christ united and inspired Christians, becoming the basis of their religious worldview. Without it, believers would not be able to do the right things and do honest work.
The role of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia is enormous. People who professed this trend in Christianity not only developed the spiritual culture of our country, but also contributed to the way of life of the Russian people.
Catholicism has also brought great meaning to people's lives for centuries. The head of the Catholic Church, the Pope, determines the norms of the social and spiritual sphere of society.
Differences in the teachings of Orthodoxy and Catholicism
Orthodoxy primarily recognizes that knowledge that has not changed since the time of Jesus Christ - the 1st millennium AD. It is based on faith in a single Creator who created the world. 
Catholicism allows for changes and additions to the basic dogmas of the religion. Thus, we can determine the main differences between the teachings of the two directions in Christianity: 
- Catholics consider the Holy Spirit emanating from the Father and the Son to be the symbol of their Faith, while Orthodox Christians accept only the Holy Spirit emanating from the Father.
- Catholics believe in the concept of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, but Orthodox Christians do not accept it.
- The Pope was elected as the sole head of the church and the vicar of God in Catholicism, but Orthodoxy does not imply such an appointment.
- The teaching of the Catholic Church, unlike Orthodoxy, prohibits divorce.
- In Orthodox teaching there is no dogma about purgatory (the wandering of the soul of a deceased person).
Despite all the differences, both directions religions are very similar to each other. Both Orthodox believers and Catholics believe in Jesus Christ, observe fasts, and build churches. The Bible is of great importance to them.
Church and clergy in Orthodoxy and Catholicism
The Orthodox Church includes at least 14 local churches recognized at the end of the 20th century. She governs the community of believers with the help of a set of rules of the apostles, the lives of saints, theological texts and church customs. The Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox Church, is a single religious center and is headed by the Pope.
First of all, churches of different directions in Christianity differ in their appearance. The walls of Orthodox churches are decorated with stunning frescoes and icons. The service is accompanied by the singing of prayers.
The Catholic church in the Gothic style is decorated with carvings and stained glass windows. Statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ replace icons in it, and the service takes place to the sounds of an organ.
Present in both the Catholic and Orthodox churches altar. For Orthodox believers it is surrounded by an iconostasis, while for Catholics it is located in the middle of the church.
Catholicism created such church positions as bishop, archbishop, abbot and others. All of them take a vow of celibacy upon entering the service.
In Orthodoxy, the clergy is represented by such titles as patriarch, metropolitan, deacon. Unlike the strict rules of the Catholic Church, Orthodox clergy can marry. The vow of celibacy is taken only by those who have chosen monasticism.
In general, the Christian church has been closely connected with people's lives for centuries. It regulates human behavior in everyday life and is endowed with great capabilities.
Rites of Orthodoxy and Catholicism
This is a direct appeal of a believer to God. Orthodox believers face east during prayer, but for Catholics this does not matter. Catholics cross themselves with two fingers, and Orthodox Christians with three. 
In Christianity, the sacrament of baptism is allowed at any age. But most often, both Orthodox and Catholics baptize their children soon after birth. In Orthodoxy, during baptism, a person is immersed in water three times, and among Catholics, water is poured onto his head three times.
Every Christian comes to church at least once in his life for confession. Catholics confess in a special place - a confessional. At the same time, the person confessing sees the clergyman through the bars. A Catholic priest will listen carefully to the person and give the necessary advice.
During confession, an Orthodox priest can forgive sins and appoint Penance- performing pious deeds as a correction for mistakes. Confession in Christianity is the secret of the believer.
The cross is the main symbol of Christianity. It decorates churches and temples, is worn on the body and placed on graves. The words depicted on all Christian crosses are the same, but written in different languages. 
A pectoral cross worn during baptism will become for the believer a symbol of Christianity and the suffering of Jesus Christ. For an Orthodox cross, the shape does not matter; what is depicted on it is much more important. Most often you can see six-pointed or eight-pointed crosses. The image of Jesus Christ on it symbolizes not only torment, but also victory over evil. By tradition, the Orthodox cross has a lower crossbar.
The Catholic cross depicts Jesus Christ as a person who died. His arms are bent and his legs are crossed. This image is striking in its realism. The shape of the cross is more laconic, without a crossbar.
The classic Catholic image of the crucifixion shows the Savior with his feet crossed and pierced with a single nail. A crown of thorns is depicted on his head.
Orthodoxy sees Jesus Christ triumphant over death. His palms are open and his legs are not crossed. According to Orthodox tradition, images of a crown of thorns on a crucifix are very rare.
In 1054, one of the most important events in the history of the Middle Ages took place - the Great Schism, or schism. And despite the fact that in the middle of the 20th century the Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Holy See lifted mutual anathemas, the world did not unite, and the reason for this was both dogmatic differences between both faiths and political contradictions that were closely associated with the Church throughout its existence.
This state of affairs persists even though most states where the population professes Christianity, and where it took root in antiquity, are secular and have a large proportion of atheists. The Church and its role in history became part of the national self-identification of many peoples, despite the fact that representatives of these peoples often did not even read Scripture.
Sources of conflict
The United Christian Church (hereinafter referred to as the UC) arose in the Roman Empire in the first centuries of our era. It was not something monolithic in the early period of its existence. The sermons of the apostles and then the apostolic men lay down on the consciousness of man in the ancient Mediterranean, and it was significantly different from that of the people of the East. The final unified dogma of the EC was developed during the period of apologists, and its formation, in addition to Scripture itself, was strongly influenced by Greek philosophy, namely Plato, Aristotle, Zeno.
The first theologians to develop the foundations of Christian doctrine were people from various parts of the empire, often with personal spiritual and philosophical experience behind them. And in their works, if there is a common basis, we can see certain accents that will later become sources of contradictions. Those in power will cling to these contradictions in the interests of state, caring little about the spiritual side of the issue.
The unity of common Christian dogma was supported by the Ecumenical Councils; the formation of the clergy as a separate class of society followed the principle of continuity of ordinations from the Apostle Peter . But harbingers of a future split were already clearly visible, at least in such a matter as proselytism. During the early Middle Ages, new peoples began to enter the orbit of Christianity, and here the circumstance from whom the people received Baptism played a much greater role than the fact of it. And this, in turn, had a strong impact on how the relationship between the Church and the new flock would develop, because the community of converts did not so much accept the doctrine as enter into the orbit of a stronger political structure.
The difference in the role of the Church in the east and west of the former Roman Empire was due to the different fate of these parts. The western part of the empire fell under the pressure of internal conflicts and barbarian raids, and the Church there actually shaped society. States were formed, fell apart, and were created again, but the Roman center of gravity existed. In fact, the Church in the West rose above the state, which determined its further role in European politics until the era of the Reformation.
The Byzantine Empire, on the contrary, had its roots in the pre-Christian era, and Christianity became part of the culture and identity of the population of this territory, but did not replace this culture entirely. The organization of the Eastern churches followed a different principle - locality. The church was organized as if from below, it was a community of believers - in contrast to the power vertical in Rome. The Patriarch of Constantinople had the primacy of honor, but not legislative power (Constantinople did not shake the threat of excommunication as a stick to influence undesirable monarchs). The relationship with the latter was realized according to the principle of a symphony.
The further development of Christian theology in the East and West also followed different paths. Scholasticism became widespread in the West, which attempted to combine faith and logic, which ultimately led to the conflict between faith and reason during the Renaissance. In the East, these concepts were never mixed, which is well reflected by the Russian proverb “Trust in God, but don’t make a mistake yourself.” On the one hand, this gave greater freedom of thought, on the other hand, it did not provide the practice of scientific dispute.
Thus, political and theological contradictions led to the schism of 1054. How it happened is a big topic worthy of a separate presentation. And now we will tell you how modern Orthodoxy and Catholicism differ from each other. The differences will be discussed in the following order:
- Dogmatic;
- Ritual;
- Mental.
Fundamental dogmatic differences
Usually little is said about them, which is not surprising: a simple believer, as a rule, does not care about this. But there are such differences, and some of them became the reason for the schism of 1054. Let's list them.
Views on the Holy Trinity
The stumbling block between Orthodox and Catholics. The notorious filioque.
The Catholic Church believes that Divine grace comes not only from the Father, but also from the Son. Orthodoxy professes the procession of the Holy Spirit only from the Father and the existence of Three Persons in a single Divine essence.
Views on the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary
Catholics believe that the Mother of God is the fruit of the immaculate conception, that is, she was free from original sin from the beginning (remember that original sin considered disobedience to will God, and we still feel the consequences of Adam’s disobedience to this will (Gen. 3:19)).
The Orthodox do not recognize this dogma, since there is no indication of this in Scripture, and the conclusions of Catholic theologians are based only on a hypothesis.
Views on the unity of the Church
The Orthodox understand unity as faith and sacraments, while Catholics recognize the Pope as God's vicar on earth. Orthodoxy considers each local church to be completely self-sufficient (for it is a model of the Universal Church), Catholicism places the recognition of the power of the Pope over it and all aspects of human life at the forefront. The Pope is infallible in the views of Catholics.
Resolutions of the Ecumenical Councils
The Orthodox recognize 7 Ecumenical Councils, and the Catholics recognize 21, the last of which took place in the middle of the last century.
Dogma of Purgatory
Present among Catholics. Purgatory is a place where the souls of those who have died in unity with God, but who have not paid for their sins during life, are sent. It is believed that living people should pray for them. Orthodox Christians do not recognize the doctrine of purgatory, believing that the fate of a person’s soul is in the hands of God, but it is possible and necessary to pray for the dead. This dogma was finally approved only at the Ferraro-Florence Council.
Differences in views on dogma
The Catholic Church has adopted the theory of dogmatic development created by Cardinal John Newman, according to which the Church must clearly formulate its dogmas in words. The need for this arose to counter the influence of Protestant denominations. This problem is quite relevant and broad: Protestants honor the letter of Scripture, and often to the detriment of its spirit. Catholic theologians set themselves a difficult task: to formulate dogmas based on Scripture in such a way as to eliminate these contradictions.
Orthodox hierarchs and theologians do not consider it necessary to clearly state the dogma of the doctrine and develop it. In the view of the Orthodox churches, the letter does not provide a complete understanding of faith and even limits this understanding. Church Tradition is complete enough for a Christian, and every believer can have his own spiritual path.
External differences
This is what catches your eye first. Oddly enough, but it was they, despite their lack of principles, that became the source of not only small conflicts, but also major upheavals. Typically it was the same for the Orthodox and Catholic churches, differences within which, at least regarding the views of the hierarchs, provoked the emergence of heresies and new schisms.
The ritual was never something static - neither during the period of early Christianity, nor during the Great Schism, nor during the period of separate existence. Moreover: sometimes cardinal changes took place in the ritual, but they did not bring them any closer to the unity of the church. Rather, on the contrary, each innovation split off a part of the believers from one church or another.
To illustrate, we can take the church schism in Russia in the 17th century - but Nikon did not strive to split the Russian Church, but, on the contrary, to unite the Ecumenical Church (his ambition, of course, was off the charts).
It's also good to remember- when ordus novo (services in national languages) was introduced in the middle of the last century, some Catholics did not accept this, believing that the Mass should be celebrated according to the Tridentine rite. Currently, Catholics use the following types of rituals:
- ordus novo, standard service;
- the Tridentine rite, according to which the priest is obliged to lead the mass if the parish has a majority vote in favor;
- Greek Catholic and Armenian Catholic rites.
There are many myths surrounding the topic of ritual. One of them is the dictate of the Latin language among Catholics, and no one understands this language. Although the Latin rite was replaced by the national one relatively recently, many do not take into account, for example, the fact that the Uniate churches, subordinate to the Pope, retained their rite. They also do not take into account the fact that Catholics also began to publish national Bibles (Where did they go? Protestants often did this).
Another misconception is the primacy of ritual over consciousness. This is partly explained by the fact that human consciousness has largely remained pagan: he confuses ritual and sacrament, and uses them as a kind of magic, in which, as is known, following the instructions plays a decisive role.
In order for you to better see the ritual differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, a table to help you:
| category | subcategory | Orthodoxy | Catholicism |
| sacraments | baptism | full immersion | sprinkling |
| anointing | immediately after baptism | Confirmation in adolescence | |
| communion | at any time, from 7 years old - after confession | after 7-8 years | |
| confession | at the lectern | in a specially designated room | |
| wedding | allowed three times | marriage is indissoluble | |
| temple | orientation | altar to the east | the rule is not respected |
| altar | fenced with an iconostasis | not fenced, maximum - altar barrier | |
| benches | absent, pray standing with bows | are present, although in the old days there were small benches for kneeling | |
| liturgy | Scheduled | can be made to order | |
| musical accompaniment | only choir | maybe an organ | |
| cross | difference between Orthodox and Catholic crosses | schematic | naturalistic |
| the Omen | tripartite, top to bottom, right to left | open palm, top to bottom, left to right | |
| clergy | hierarchy | there are cardinals | |
| monasteries | each with its own charter | organized into monastic orders | |
| celibacy | for monastics and officials | for everyone above the deacon | |
| posts | eucharistic | 6 hours | 1 hour |
| weekly | Wednesday and Friday | Friday | |
| calendar | strict | less strict | |
| calendar | Saturday | complements Sunday | Sunday replaced Saturday |
| calculus | Julian, New Julian | Gregorian | |
| Easter | Alexandrian | Gregorian |
In addition, there are differences in the veneration of saints, the order of their canonization, and holidays. The vestments of priests are also different, although the cut of the latter has common roots among both Orthodox and Catholics.
Also during Catholic worship The personality of the priest is of greater importance; he pronounces the formulas of the sacraments in the first person, and in Orthodox worship - in the third, since the sacrament is performed not by a priest (unlike a rite), but by God. By the way, the number of sacraments for both Catholics and Orthodox is the same. The sacraments include:
- Baptism;
- Confirmation;
- Repentance;
- Eucharist;
- Wedding;
- Ordination;
- Blessing of Unction.
Catholics and Orthodox: what is the difference
If we talk about the Church, not as an organization, but as a community of believers, then there is still a difference in mentality. Moreover, both the Catholic and Orthodox churches strongly influenced both the formation of civilizational models of modern states and the attitude of representatives of these nations to life, its goals, morality and other aspects of their existence.
Moreover, this is affecting us even now, when the number of people in the world who do not belong to any confession is growing, and the Church itself is losing its position in regulating various aspects of human life.
An ordinary church visitor rarely thinks about why he, for example, is a Catholic. For him, it is often a tribute to tradition, a formality, a habit. Often, belonging to a particular confession serves as an excuse for one’s irresponsibility or as a way to score political points.
Thus, representatives of the Sicilian mafia flaunted their affiliation with Catholicism, which did not prevent them from receiving income from drug trafficking and committing crimes. The Orthodox even have a saying about such hypocrisy: “either take off your cross or put on your panties.”
Among Orthodox Christians, such a model of behavior is often found, which is characterized by another proverb - “until the thunder strikes, a man will not cross himself.”
And yet, despite such differences in both dogma and ritual, we really have more in common than differences. And dialogue between us is necessary to maintain peace and mutual understanding. In the end, both Orthodoxy and Catholicism are branches of the same Christian faith. And not only hierarchs, but also ordinary believers should remember this.
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.
| The essence of the difference | Catholics | Orthodox | |
| 1 | Opinion regarding the unity of the Church | They consider it necessary to have a single faith, sacraments and head of the Church (the Pope, of course) | They consider it necessary to have unity of faith and the celebration of the sacraments |
| 2 | Different understandings of the Universal Church | The local’s belonging to the Universal Church is confirmed by communion with the Roman Catholic Church | The Universal Church is embodied in local churches under the leadership of the bishop |
| 3 | Different interpretations of the Creed | The Holy Spirit is emitted by the Son and the Father | The Holy Spirit is emitted by the Father or proceeds from the Father through the Son |
| 4 | Sacrament of marriage | The conclusion of a marriage between a man and a woman, blessed by a church minister, lasts for life without the possibility of divorce | A marriage between a man and a woman, blessed by the church, is concluded before the end of the earthly term of the spouses (divorce is allowed in some situations) |
| 5 | The presence of an intermediate state of souls after death | The proclaimed dogma of purgatory presupposes the existence after death of the physical shell of an intermediate state of souls for which paradise is destined, but they cannot yet ascend to Heaven | Purgatory, as a concept, is not provided for in Orthodoxy (there are ordeals), however, in prayers for the deceased we are talking about souls remaining in an uncertain state and having the hope of finding a heavenly life after the end of the Last Judgment |
| 6 | Conception of the Virgin Mary | Catholicism has adopted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God. This means that there was no original sin committed at the birth of the Mother of Jesus. | They venerate the Virgin Mary as a saint, but believe that the birth of the Mother of Christ occurred with original sin, like any other person |
| 7 | The presence of a dogma about the presence of the body and soul of the Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of Heaven | Dogmatically fixed | Not dogmatically established, although followers of the Orthodox Church support this judgment |
| 8 | The primacy of the Pope | According to the corresponding dogma, the Pope is considered the head of the Church, having unquestioned authority on key religious and administrative issues | The primacy of the Pope is not recognized |
| 9 | Number of rituals | Several rites are used, including Byzantine | A single (Byzantine) rite predominates |
| 10 | Making higher church decisions | Guided by a dogma proclaiming the infallibility of the Head of the Church in matters of faith and morals, subject to the approval of a decision agreed upon with the bishops | We are convinced of the infallibility of exclusively Ecumenical Councils |
| 11 | Guidance in the activities of the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils | Guided by the decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council | Supports and is guided by the decisions taken at the first 7 Ecumenical Councils |
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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