Orthodox Catholic Church. Catholics and Orthodox - what's the difference? The main reasons for the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox
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 people think that in reality the distance is significant, almost like heaven and earth, and maybe even more?
Others that p The Orthodox Church has preserved the Christian faith in purity and integrity, exactly as Christ revealed it, as the apostles conveyed it, 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 beliefs 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 proven it cannot be recognized ...).
"So many Religions, so many different ones, do people really think that "THE" on top of the "Christian god" sits in a neighboring office with "Ra" and everyone else ... So many versions say that they were written by a person, and not "a higher power "(what kind of state with 10 constitutions ??? What kind of President is unable to approve one of them all over the world ???)
“Religion, patriotism, team sports (football, etc.) give rise to aggression, all the power of the state rests on this hatred of “others”, of “not like that” ... Religion is no better than nationalism, only it is covered with a curtain of peace and it does not 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 denominations? And are they really that big?
The Christian faith from time immemorial 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 why 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.
At the heart 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 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.
Today, there are three main areas of the Christian religion: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. The so-called ancient Eastern churches (Armenian Apostolic Church, Assyrian Church of the East, Coptic, Ethiopian, Syrian and Indian Malabar Orthodox Churches) stand out in a separate group, which did not accept the decisions of the IV Ecumenical (Chalcedon) Council of 451.
Catholicism
The split of the church into Western (Catholic) and Eastern (Orthodox) occurred in 1054. Catholicism is currently the largest Christian denomination in terms of the number of adherents. It is distinguished from other Christian denominations by several important dogmas: on the Immaculate Conception and the Ascension of the Virgin Mary, the doctrine of purgatory, on 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 a libation of 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, the 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. There are many Catholics in the Middle East 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 originally subordinate to the Patriarch of Constantinople, at present 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'). Jesus Christ is considered the head of the church, there is no figure like the Pope in Orthodoxy. The institute of monasticism plays an important role in the life of the church, while the clergy are 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 supremacy over all Christians, about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and from the Son, about purgatory and about 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 currents of Orthodoxy (Old Believers, co-religionists) two fingers are used - the sign of the cross with two fingers.
Orthodox 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, parts of Finland, northern Kazakhstan, some US states, Estonia, Latvia, Kyrgyzstan and Albania. There are also Orthodox communities in some African countries.
Protestantism
The formation 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, for which there is no single center.
Among the original forms of Protestantism, Anglicanism, Calvinism, Lutheranism, Zwinglianism, Anabaptism, and Mennonism stand out. Subsequently, such movements as Quakers, Pentecostals, the Salvation Army, Evangelicals, Adventists, Baptists, Methodists and many others have developed. Such religious associations, such as, for example, Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses, are classified by some researchers as Protestant churches, 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, 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 marriage and divorce is especially visible), many of them are active in missionary work. Such a branch as Anglicanism, in many of its manifestations, is close to Catholicism, and the question of recognition by the Anglicans of the authority of the Pope is currently underway.
There are Protestants in most countries of the world. They make up the majority of believers in Great Britain, the USA, the Scandinavian countries, Australia, New Zealand, and there are also many of them in Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Canada, and Estonia. A growing percentage of Protestants is observed in South Korea, as well as in such traditionally Catholic countries as Brazil and Chile. Protestantism of its own (such as, for example, kimbangism) exist in Africa.
COMPARATIVE TABLE OF DOCUMENTARY, ORGANIZATIONAL AND RITUAL 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 will be with them, people will appear who want to distort the truth and cloud it with their inventions: Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.(Mt. 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 swift destruction upon themselves. And many will follow their depravity, and through them the path of truth will be reproached... Leaving the straight path, they went astray... the darkness of eternal darkness is prepared for them(2 Pet. 2 , 1-2, 15, 17).
Heresy is a lie that a person consciously follows. The path that Jesus Christ opened requires selflessness and effort from a person in order to show whether he really entered this path with a firm intention and out of love for the truth. It is not enough just to call yourself a Christian, you have to prove with your deeds, words and thoughts, with your whole life that you are a Christian. He who loves the truth is ready to give up all lies in his thoughts and his life for the sake of it, so that the truth enters into him, cleanses and sanctifies him.
But not everyone enters this path with pure intentions. And so the 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 deed - when a person violates the commandments of God by deed, and there is a sin of the mind - when a person prefers his lie to Divine truth. The second is called heresy. And among those who called themselves Christians at different times, both people betrayed by the sin of the deed and people betrayed by the sin of the mind were revealed. Both of these people oppose God. Either person, if he made a firm choice in favor of sin, cannot remain in the Church, and falls away from it. So throughout history, everyone who chose sin left the Orthodox Church.
The apostle John spoke of them: They went out from us, but were not ours: for if they were ours, they would have remained with us; but they went out, and through that it was revealed that not all of our(1 Jn. 2 , 19).
Their fate is unenviable, because the Scripture says that those who betray heresies...the Kingdom of God will not inherit(Gal. 5 , 20-21).
Precisely because a person is free, he can always make a choice and use freedom either for good, choosing the path to God, or for evil, choosing sin. This is the reason why false teachers arose and those who believed them more than Christ and His Church arose.
When heretics appeared who brought lies, the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church began to explain their errors to them and urged them to abandon fiction and turn to the truth. Some, being convinced by their words, were corrected, but not all. And about those who persisted in a lie, the Church pronounces its judgment, testifying that they are not true followers of Christ and members of the community of the faithful founded by Him. This is how the apostolic advice was fulfilled: Turn away the heretic after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a one has become corrupt 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 originated in the 5th century), the Roman Catholic Church (which broke away from the Universal Orthodox Church in the 11th century) and the Churches that call themselves Protestant. Today we will consider what is the difference between the path of Protestantism and the path of the Orthodox Church.
Protestantism
If a branch breaks off from a tree, then, having lost contact with vital juices, it will inevitably begin to dry out, lose its leaves, become brittle and easily break at the first onslaught.
The same can be seen in the life of all communities that have separated from the Orthodox Church. Just as a broken branch cannot hold onto its leaves, so those who are separated from true ecclesiastical unity can no longer maintain their inner unity. This happens because, having left the family of God, they lose touch with the life-giving and saving power of the Holy Spirit, and that sinful desire to oppose 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 itself, following the ideas of the former Catholic priest Luther and his associates. They formed their own communities, which they began to consider the "Church". This movement is collectively called the Protestants, and their branch itself is called the Reformation.
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In turn, the Protestants also did not maintain internal unity, but even more began to divide 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 that distinguish them from the Orthodox Church.
The main reason for the emergence of Protestantism was the protest against the teachings and religious practices of the Roman Catholic Church.
As St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) notes, indeed, “many delusions 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 delusions; some errors of Rome, very important, he fully followed, and some strengthened. “Protestants rebelled against the ugly power and divinity of the popes; but since they acted on the impulse of passions, drowning in debauchery, and not with the direct goal of striving for the holy Truth, they were not worthy to see it.
They abandoned the erroneous idea that the Pope is the head of the Church, but retained the Catholic delusion that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.
Scripture
The Protestants formulated the principle: “only Scripture”, which means that they recognize the authority only for the Bible, and they reject the Holy Tradition of the Church.
And in this they contradict themselves, because the Holy Scripture itself indicates the need to venerate the Holy Tradition coming from the apostles: stand and hold the traditions which you have been 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 surely turn out that someone understood the text correctly, and someone incorrectly, putting their own meaning into these words. It is known that any text may have different interpretations. They may be true or they may be wrong. It is the same with the text of Holy Scripture, if it is torn away from Holy Tradition. Indeed, Protestants think that one should understand Scripture in any way one wants. But such an 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 place in the Holy Scriptures. "Yes, you have your own missionary teachers - ask them," I tell them. "What do they answer?" - "We asked them, they say: 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 strong - because we, apart from the Holy We still accept Holy Tradition, and Holy Tradition is a living, uninterrupted voice ... of our Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles until now, which will be until the end of the world. It is on it that the entire Holy Scripture is affirmed.
The Apostle Peter himself testifies that no prophecy in Scripture can be solved by oneself, for prophecy was never uttered 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 the holy fathers, moved by the same Holy Spirit, can reveal to man the true understanding of the Word of God.
Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are one inseparable whole, and so it was 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 first Orthodox Christians by word of mouth. Protestants wish to imitate in their structure the early apostolic communities, but in the early years the early Christians had no New Testament scripture at all, and everything was handed down by word of mouth, as a 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 that, long before the appearance of the Protestants, lovingly preserved the Holy Scriptures in its communities.
Protestants, using the Bible, not written by them, not collected by them, not saved by them, reject the Holy Tradition, and thereby close the true understanding of the Word of God for themselves. Therefore, they often argue about the Bible and often come up with their own, human traditions, which have no connection either with the apostles or with the Holy Spirit, and fall, according to the word of the apostle, into empty deceit, according to human tradition .., and not according to Christ(Col. 2:8).
Sacraments
The Protestants rejected the priesthood and rites, not believing that God could act through them, and even if they left something similar, then only the name, believing that these were only symbols and reminders of historical events left 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 on every bishop and priest is the blessing of God, which can be traced from our days to Jesus Christ Himself. The Protestant pastor is only an orator and administrator of the life of the community.
As St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) says, “Luther… vehemently rejecting the lawless power of the popes, rejected the lawful one, rejected the episcopal rank itself, the very ordination, despite the fact that the establishment of both belongs 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 and Saints
The Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth in human form to 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. Indeed, from that time until now, from generation to generation, all Orthodox Christians have venerated the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the Protestants do not want to honor and please her, contrary to Scripture.
The Virgin Mary, like all saints, that is, people who have passed 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 man, if his beloved friend asks him for something, he will definitely try to fulfill it, likewise, God willingly listens and soon 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 in order to save them from shame (Jn. 2 , 1-11).
Scripture says 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 the Scripture directly says that the saints who have fallen asleep make requests to God and He hears them (see: Rev. 6 , 9-10). Therefore, Orthodox Christians venerate the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints and turn to them with requests that they intercede before God for us. Experience shows that many healings, deliverance from death and other help are received by those who resort to their prayerful intercession.
For example, in 1395, the great Mongol commander Tamerlane went to Russia with a huge army to capture and destroy its cities, including the capital, Moscow. The Russians did not have enough forces to resist such an army. Orthodox residents of Moscow began to earnestly ask the Most Holy Theotokos to pray to God for their salvation from the impending disaster. And so, one morning, Tamerlane unexpectedly announced to his military leaders that it was necessary 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 top of which stood a beautiful radiant 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 Virgin Mary who appeared, he submitted to Her.
Prayers for the Dead
Those Orthodox Christians who during their lifetime could not 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 the Protestants do not want to admit this either, and refuse to pray for the dead.
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The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking of his followers, said: 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 seized 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, since ancient times, Orthodox Christians have been fasting every Wednesday and Friday, abstaining for the sake of the Lord from eating products of animal origin, as well as from all kinds of entertainment.
The Lord Jesus Christ fasted for forty days and nights (Matt. 4 2), setting an example for His disciples (cf. Jn. 13 , 15). And the apostles, as the Bible says, served 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
Whoever wants to worship the true God must not worship false gods, which are either invented by people, or 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 worshiping themselves.
However, having commanded to build a temple, the Lord even in these ancient times commanded to make in it images of cherubim (see: Exod. 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 in the II-III centuries Christians persecuted by pagans gathered for prayer and sacred rites, they depicted the Virgin Mary, the apostles, scenes from the Gospel. These ancient sacred images have survived to this day. In the same way, in the 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 with his soul to prototype, to concentrate their forces on a prayer appeal to him. After such prayers before the holy icons, God often sends help to people, often miraculous healings occur. In particular, Orthodox Christians prayed for deliverance from Tamerlane's army in 1395 at one of the icons of the Mother of God - Vladimirskaya.
However, Protestants, in their delusion, reject the veneration of sacred images, not understanding the difference between them and between idols. This comes from their erroneous understanding of the Bible, as well as from the corresponding spiritual mood - after all, only one 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 deeds are needed for this. And Orthodox Christians, following the Apostle James, believe that faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself(Jac. 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(Matthew 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, the Protestants do not have monasticism and monasteries, while the Orthodox have them. The monks work zealously to fulfill all the commandments of Christ. And besides, they take three additional vows for the sake of God: a vow of celibacy, a vow of non-possession (lack of their own property) and a vow of obedience to a spiritual leader. In this they imitate the apostle Paul, who was celibate, unpossessed, and completely obedient to the Lord. The monastic path is considered higher and more glorious than the path of a lay person - a family man, but a lay person can also be saved, 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 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 - Protestantism, we have our teaching, then, as far as I know, he always accepts Orthodoxy.<...>What is this? Yes, the fact that in Orthodoxy Christ's teaching is kept pure and whole; we added nothing to it like the Catholics, we didn’t take anything away like the Protestants.”
Indeed, Orthodox Christians are convinced, as St. Theophan the Recluse says, of this immutable truth: “What God has revealed and what God has commanded, nothing should be added to it, nor should anything be taken away from it. This applies to Catholics and Protestants. Those add everything, and these subtract ... The Catholics have muddied the apostolic tradition. The Protestants undertook to improve the situation - and made it even worse. Catholics have one pope, but Protestants have a pope for every Protestant.”
Therefore, all those who are really interested in the truth, and not their thoughts, both in past centuries and in our time, will certainly find the way to the Orthodox Church, and often even without any efforts of Orthodox Christians, God Himself leads such people to the truth. For example, let's cite two stories that happened recently, the participants and witnesses of which are still alive.
US case
In the 1960s in the US 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 known to them cannot be the real Church, since they assume that after the apostles the Church of Christ disappeared. , and it was only in the 16th century that Luther and other leaders of Protestantism revived it. But such an idea 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 the Christians, from the earliest antiquity, from the first century to the second, then to the third, and so on, tracing the uninterrupted history of the Church founded by Christ and His apostles. And now, 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 and did not inspire them with such an idea, 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, consisting of more than two thousand people, accepted Orthodoxy.
Case in Benini
Another story happened in West Africa, in Benin. There were no completely Orthodox Christians in this country, most of the inhabitants were pagans, a few more were Muslims, and some were Catholics or Protestants.
One of them, a man named Optat Bekhanzin, had a misfortune in 1969: his five-year-old son Eric became seriously ill and was paralyzed. Behanzin took his son to the hospital, but the doctors said that the boy could not be cured. Then the grief-stricken father turned to his Protestant "Church", began to attend prayer meetings in the hope that God would heal his son. But these prayers were fruitless. After that, Optat gathered some close people at his home, persuading them to pray together to Jesus Christ for the healing of Erik. And after their prayer, a miracle happened: the boy was healed; this strengthened the small community. Subsequently, more and more miraculous healings took place through their prayers to God. Therefore, more and more people passed to them - both Catholics and Protestants.
In 1975, the community decided to formalize itself as an independent church, and the believers decided to pray and fast intensely in order to know the will of God. And at that moment, Eric Behanzin, who was already eleven years old, received a revelation: when asked how they would name their church community, God answered: “My Church is called the Orthodox Church.” This surprised the people of Beninese, 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 since ancient times and originates from the apostles, they all joined 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 really seek the path of holiness that leads to the truth, and brings such a person into 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 Kirularius and his followers. A few days later, a council was held in Constantinople, at which Cardinal Humbert and his henchmen were anathematized in response. Disagreements between representatives of the Roman and Greek churches escalated due to political differences: Byzantium argued with Rome for power. The distrust of East and West spilled over into open hostility after the crusade against Byzantium in 1202, when Western Christians went against their eastern brothers in faith. Only in 1964, Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and Pope Paul VI officially the anathema of 1054 was abolished. However, differences in tradition have become strongly ingrained over the centuries.
Church organization
The Orthodox Church includes several independent Churches. In addition to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there are 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 the sacraments and prayers (which, according to the catechism of Metropolitan Philaret, is a necessary condition for individual Churches to be part of the one Ecumenical Church). Also, not all Orthodox Churches recognize each other as true churches. Orthodox believe that Jesus Christ is 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 communion with each other, and also follow the same dogma 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 is a Roman rite, a Byzantine rite, etc. Therefore, there are Roman rite Catholics, Byzantine rite Catholics, etc., but they are all members of the same Church. Catholics consider the Pope to be the head of the Church.
worship
The main service for the Orthodox is the Divine Liturgy, for Catholics the Mass (Catholic Liturgy).
During the service in the Russian Orthodox Church, it is customary to stand as a sign of humility before God. In other Eastern Rite Churches, it is permitted to sit during worship. As a sign of unconditional obedience, the Orthodox kneel. Contrary to popular belief, it is customary for Catholics to sit and stand in worship. There are services that Catholics listen to on their knees.
Mother of God
In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God is primarily the Mother of God. She is revered as a saint, but she was born in original sin, like all mere mortals, and reposed like all people. Unlike Orthodoxy, in Catholicism it is believed that the Virgin Mary was conceived immaculately without original sin and at the end of her life she was raised alive to heaven.
Symbol of faith
Orthodox believe that the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and from the Son.
Sacraments
The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church recognize seven main Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation (Confirmation), Communion (Eucharist), Repentance (Confession), Priesthood (Ordination), Consecration (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 an adult plunges into the font. In a Catholic church, an adult or a child is sprinkled with water. The Sacrament of Communion (Eucharist) is performed 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 performed on unleavened bread. The priesthood partakes of both the Blood and the Body, while the laity receive only 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 dwell in anticipation of paradise.
Faith and Morality
The Orthodox Church only recognizes 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 the framework of Orthodoxy, divorces are allowed in individual cases, which are decided by priests. The Orthodox clergy are divided into "white" and "black". Representatives of the "white clergy" are allowed to marry. True, then they will not be able to receive episcopal and higher dignity. "Black clergy" are monks who take a vow of celibacy. The sacrament of marriage among Catholics is considered to be concluded for life and divorces are prohibited. All Catholic monastic clergy take a vow of celibacy.
sign of the cross
Orthodox are baptized only from right to left with three fingers. Catholics are baptized from left to right. They do not have a single rule, as when creating a cross, you need to fold your fingers, so several options have taken root.
Icons
On Orthodox icons, saints are written in two-dimensional image according to the tradition of reverse perspective. Thus, it is emphasized that the action takes place in another dimension - in the world of the spirit. Orthodox icons are monumental, strict and symbolic. Among Catholics, saints are written in a naturalistic way, often in the form of statues. Catholic icons are written in direct perspective.
Sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin 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 is at the top, symbolizing the tablet with the inscription "This is Jesus, King of the Jews", which was nailed over the head of the crucified Christ. The lower crossbar is a foot 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, ended up in hell. On the Orthodox cross, each leg of Christ is nailed with a separate nail. Unlike the Orthodox cross, the Catholic cross consists of two crossbars. If Jesus is depicted on it, 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 in a naturalistic way - his body sags under weight, torment and suffering are noticeable in the whole image.
Wake for the deceased
Orthodox commemorate the dead on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days, then a year later. Catholics commemorate the dead on Memorial Day, November 1st. In some European countries November 1st is official m weekend. The dead are also commemorated on the 3rd, 7th and 30th days after death, but this tradition is not strictly observed.
Despite existing differences, both Catholics and Orthodox 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 customary to consider 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 has no 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 differently see 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 ceremonies of their implementation are different.
- Unlike Catholicism, in Orthodoxy there is no dogma about purgatory.
- Orthodox and Catholics make 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 paint saints on icons in a naturalistic way. Also among Catholics, sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin and saints are common.
So ... Everyone understands that Catholicism and Orthodoxy, as well as Protestantism, are directions of one religion - Christianity. Despite the fact that both Catholicism and Orthodoxy are related 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 a multitude of churches that can differ from each other both in organization and in individual details of doctrine.
Protestantism is characterized by the absence of a fundamental opposition of the clergy to the laity, the rejection of a complex church hierarchy, a simplified cult, the absence of monasticism, celibacy; in Protestantism there is no cult of the Virgin, saints, angels, icons, the number of sacraments is reduced to two (baptism and communion).
The main source of doctrine is Holy Scripture. Protestantism is spread 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, along with Catholics and Orthodox, share the fundamental principles of Christianity.
However, the views of Catholics, Orthodox and Protestants differ on some issues. Protestants value the authority of the Bible above all else. Orthodox and Catholics, on the other hand, 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 do not only pray for them, but also for those who believe in Me, according to 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; 1 John 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 of, are nothing but ordinary anthropomorphisms used with the aim of giving the widest possible range of people, in the most accessible form, an idea of the providence of God 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 deity is foreign to all such things; it is said so in order to bring the subject closer to the understanding of more rude people ”(Conversation on Ps. VI. 2. // Creations. T.V. Book 1. St. Petersburg 1899, p. 49).
To each his own...
Until 1054 the Christian Church was one and indivisible. The split occurred due to disagreements between Pope Leo IX and the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cirularius. The conflict began due to the last closing of several Latin churches in 1053. For this, the papal legates excommunicated Cirularius from the Church. In response, the patriarch anathematized the papal envoys. In 1965 mutual curses were lifted. However, the schism of the Churches has not yet been overcome. Christianity is divided into three main areas: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism.
Eastern Church
The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, since both of these religions are Christian, is not very significant. However, there are still some differences in doctrine, the performance of the sacraments, etc. About which ones, we'll talk a little later. First, let's make a small overview of the main directions of Christianity.
Orthodoxy, called in the West an orthodox religion, is currently practiced by about 200 million people. Approximately 5,000 people are baptized every day. This direction of Christianity was spread mainly in Russia, as well as in some countries of the CIS and Eastern Europe.
The Baptism of Rus' took place at the end of the 9th century on the initiative of Prince Vladimir. The ruler of a huge pagan state expressed a desire to marry the daughter of the Byzantine emperor Basil II, Anna. But for this he had to accept Christianity. An alliance with Byzantium was essential to strengthen the authority of Rus'. At the end of the summer of 988, a huge number of Kyivans were christened in the waters of the Dnieper.
Catholic Church
As a result of the split in 1054, a separate confession arose in Western Europe. Representatives of the Eastern Church called her "Catholicos". In Greek it means "universal". The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism lies not only in the approach of these two Churches to some of the dogmas of Christianity, but also in the very history of development. The Western confession, compared to the Eastern one, is considered much more rigid and fanatical.
One of the most important milestones in the history of Catholicism was, for example, the Crusades, which brought much grief to the common population. The first of these was organized at the call of Pope Urban II in 1095. The last - the eighth - ended in 1270. The official goal of all crusades was the liberation of the "holy land" of Palestine and the "Holy Sepulcher" from the infidels. The actual one is the conquest of lands that belonged to Muslims.
In 1229, Pope George IX issued a decree establishing the Inquisition - an ecclesiastical court for cases of apostates from the faith. Torture and burning at the stake - this is how extreme Catholic fanaticism was expressed in the Middle Ages. In total, during the existence of the Inquisition, more than 500 thousand people were tortured.
Of course, the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy (this will be briefly discussed in the article) is a very large and deep topic. However, with regard to the attitude of the Church towards the population, in general terms, its traditions and basic concept can be understood. The Western denomination has always been considered more dynamic, but at the same time aggressive, in contrast to the "calm" orthodox one.
Currently, Catholicism is the state religion in most European and Latin American countries. More than half of all (1.2 billion people) modern Christians profess this particular religion.
Protestantism
The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism also lies in the fact that the former has remained united and indivisible for almost a millennium. In the Catholic Church in the XIV century. a split occurred. This was connected with the Reformation - a revolutionary movement that arose at that time in Europe. In 1526, at the request of the German Lutherans, the Swiss Reichstag issued a decree on the right of free choice of religion by citizens. In 1529, however, it was abolished. As a result, a protest followed from a number of cities and princes. This is where the word “Protestantism” comes from. This Christian direction is subdivided into two more branches: early and late.
At the moment, Protestantism is spread mostly in the Scandinavian countries: Canada, USA, England, Switzerland, the Netherlands. In 1948 the World Council of Churches was created. The total number of Protestants is about 470 million people. There are several denominations of this Christian direction: Baptists, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Calvinists.
In our time, the World Council of Protestant Churches is pursuing an active peacemaking policy. Representatives of this religion advocate detente of international tension, support the efforts of states in defense of peace, etc.
The difference between Orthodoxy from Catholicism and Protestantism
Of course, during the centuries of schism, significant differences arose in the traditions of the churches. The basic principle of Christianity - the acceptance of Jesus as the Savior and the Son of God - they did not touch. However, in relation to certain events of the New and Old Testaments, there are often even mutually exclusive differences. In some cases, the methods of conducting various kinds of rites and sacraments do not converge.
Orthodoxy | Catholicism | Protestantism |
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Control | Patriarch, Cathedral | World Council of Churches, Councils of Bishops |
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Organization | Bishops do not depend much on the Patriarch, they are mainly subordinate to the Council | There is a rigid hierarchy with subordination to the Pope, hence the name "Universal Church" | There are many denominations that have created the World Council of Churches. Holy Scripture is placed above the authority of the Pope |
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Holy Spirit | It is believed that it comes only from the Father | There is a dogma that the Holy Spirit proceeds both from the Father and from the Son. This is the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism. |
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The statement is accepted that man himself is responsible for his sins, and God the Father is a completely impassive and abstract being. | It is believed that God suffers because of human sins. |
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Dogma of Salvation | By crucifixion, all the sins of mankind were atoned for. Only the original remains. That is, when committing a new sin, a person again becomes the object of God's wrath. | The man was, as it were, “ransomed” by Christ through the crucifixion. As a result, God the Father changed his anger to mercy regarding original sin. That is, a person is holy by the holiness of Christ himself. |
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Sometimes allowed | Forbidden | Allowed but frowned upon |
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Immaculate Conception of the Virgin | It is believed that the Mother of God is not spared from original sin, but her holiness is recognized | The complete sinlessness of the Virgin Mary is preached. Catholics believe that she was conceived immaculately, like Christ himself. With regard to the original sin of the Mother of God, therefore, there are also quite significant differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. | |||
Taking the Virgin to Heaven | It is unofficially believed that this event may have taken place, but it is not enshrined in dogmas. | The taking of the Mother of God to heaven in a physical body is a dogma | The cult of the Virgin Mary is denied |
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Only liturgy is held | Both a mass and a Byzantine-like Orthodox liturgy can be held | The Mass was rejected. Divine services are held in modest churches or even in stadiums, concert halls, etc. Only two rites are practiced: baptism and communion |
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Marriage of clergy | Allowed | Only allowed in the Byzantine Rite | Allowed |
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Ecumenical Councils | Based on the decisions of the first seven | Guided by decisions 21 (last passed in 1962-1965) | Recognize the decisions of all Ecumenical Councils, if they do not contradict each other and Holy Scripture |
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Eight-pointed with crossbeams at the bottom and at the top | A simple four-pointed Latin cross is used | Not used in worship. Worn by representatives of not all faiths |
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Used in large quantities and are equated with the Holy Scriptures. Created in strict accordance with church canons | They are considered only decoration of the temple. They are ordinary paintings on a religious theme. | Not used |
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Old Testament | Recognized as Hebrew and Greek | Greek only | Only Jewish canonical |
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Absolution | The ceremony is performed by a priest | Not allowed |
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Science and religion | Based on scientists' assertion, dogmas never change. | Dogmas can be adjusted in accordance with the point of view of official science | |||
Christian cross: differences
Disagreements regarding the descent of the Holy Spirit are the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The table also shows many other, albeit not too significant, but still discrepancies. They arose long ago, and, apparently, none of the churches expresses a special desire to resolve these contradictions.
There are differences in the attributes of different areas of Christianity. For example, the Catholic cross has a simple quadrangular shape. The Orthodox have eight-pointed. The orthodox Eastern Church believes that this type of crucifix most accurately conveys the shape of the cross described in the New Testament. In addition to the main horizontal bar, it contains two more. The upper one personifies a tablet nailed to the cross and containing the inscription "Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews." The lower slanting crossbar - a prop for the feet of Christ - symbolizes the "righteous measure".
Table of differences of crosses
The image of the Savior on the crucifix used in the Sacraments is also something that can be attributed to the topic "the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism." The western cross is a little different from the eastern one.
As you can see, in relation to the cross there is also a quite noticeable difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The table shows this clearly.
As for the Protestants, they consider the cross to be a symbol of the Pope, and therefore they practically do not use it.
Icons in different Christian directions
So, the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism (the table of comparisons of crosses confirms this) in relation to paraphernalia is quite noticeable. There are even greater discrepancies in these directions in icons. The rules for depicting Christ, the Mother of God, saints, etc. may differ.
Below are the main differences.
The main difference between an Orthodox icon and a Catholic one is that it is written in strict accordance with the canons established back in Byzantium. Western images of saints, Christ, etc., strictly speaking, have nothing to do with the icon. Usually such paintings have a very broad plot and are painted by ordinary, non-church artists.
Protestants consider icons to be a pagan attribute and do not use them at all.
Monasticism
With regard to leaving worldly life and devoting oneself to the service of God, there is also a significant difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism. The comparison table above shows only the main differences. But there are other differences, also quite noticeable.
For example, in our country, each monastery is practically autonomous and is subordinate only to its own bishop. Catholics have a different organization in this regard. The monasteries are united in the so-called Orders, each of which has its own head and its charter. These associations may be scattered throughout the world, but nevertheless they always have a common leadership.
Protestants, unlike Orthodox and Catholics, reject monasticism altogether. One of the inspirers of this teaching - Luther - even married a nun.
Church Sacraments
There is a difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism in relation to the rules for conducting various kinds of rituals. In both of these Churches, 7 sacraments are accepted. The difference is primarily in the meaning attached to the main Christian rites. Catholics believe that the sacraments are valid whether a person is in tune with them or not. According to the Orthodox Church, baptism, chrismation, etc., will be effective only for believers who are completely disposed towards them. Orthodox priests even often compare Catholic rites with some kind of pagan magical ritual that operates regardless of whether a person believes in God or not.
The Protestant Church practices only two sacraments: baptism and communion. Everything else is considered superficial and rejected by representatives of this trend.
Baptism
This main Christian sacrament is recognized by all churches: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism. Differences are only in the ways of performing the ceremony.
In Catholicism, it is customary for babies to be sprinkled or doused. According to the dogmas of the Orthodox Church, children are completely immersed in water. Recently, there has been some deviation from this rule. However, now the ROC is again returning in this rite to the ancient traditions established by the Byzantine priests.
The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism (the crosses worn on the body, like large ones, may contain the image of an “orthodox” or “Western” Christ) in relation to the performance of this sacrament, therefore, is not very significant, but it still exists.
Protestants usually perform the rite of baptism also with water. But in some denominations it is not used. The main difference between Protestant baptism and Orthodox and Catholic baptism is that it is performed exclusively for adults.
Differences in the sacrament of the Eucharist
We have considered the main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. This is an attitude to the descent of the Holy Spirit and to the virginity of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Such significant divergences have emerged over the centuries of schism. Of course, they are also present in the celebration of one of the main Christian sacraments - the Eucharist. Catholic priests take communion only with bread, and unleavened. This church product is called wafers. In Orthodoxy, the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated with wine and ordinary yeast bread.
In Protestantism, not only members of the Church, but also anyone who wishes is allowed to receive communion. Representatives of this branch of Christianity celebrate the Eucharist in the same way as the Orthodox - with wine and bread.
Contemporary Church Relations
The split of Christianity occurred almost a thousand years ago. And during this time, the churches of different directions failed to agree on unification. Disagreements regarding the interpretation of Holy Scripture, paraphernalia and rituals, as you see, have survived to this day and have even intensified over the centuries.
Relations between the two main confessions, Orthodox and Catholic, are also rather ambiguous in our time. Until the middle of the last century, serious tensions remained between these two churches. The key concept in the relationship was the word "heresy".
Recently, this situation has changed a bit. If earlier the Catholic Church considered Orthodox Christians almost a bunch of heretics and schismatics, then after the Second Vatican Council it recognized the orthodox Sacraments as valid.
Orthodox priests did not officially establish such an attitude towards Catholicism. But the completely loyal acceptance of Western Christianity has always been traditional for our church. However, of course, some tension between Christian denominations still persists. For example, our Russian theologian A. I. Osipov does not have a very good attitude towards Catholicism.
In his opinion, there is a more than noteworthy and serious difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Osipov considers many saints of the Western Church almost crazy. He also warns the Russian Orthodox Church that, for example, cooperation with the Catholics threatens the Orthodox with complete submission. However, he repeatedly mentioned that among Western Christians there are wonderful people.
Thus, the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is the attitude towards the Trinity. The Eastern Church believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father. Western - both from the Father and from the Son. There are other differences between these denominations. However, in any case, both churches are Christian and accept Jesus as the Savior of mankind, whose coming, and therefore Eternal life for the righteous, is inevitable.
The Orthodox and the Catholic Church, as we know, are two branches of the same tree. Both of them revere Jesus, wear crosses around their necks and are baptized. How are they different? The division of the church occurred as early as 1054. Actually, the disagreements between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople began long before that, but it was in 1054 that Pope Leo IX sent legates led by Cardinal Humbert to Constantinople to resolve the conflict, which began with the closure of the Latin churches in Constantinople in 1053 by order of Patriarch Michael Cirularia, during which his sacellarius Constantine threw out the Holy Gifts from the tabernacles, prepared according to Western custom from unleavened bread, and trampled them with his feet. However, it was not possible to find a way to reconciliation, and on July 16, 1054, in the Hagia Sophia, the papal legates announced the deposition of Cirularius and his excommunication from the Church. In response to this, on July 20, the patriarch anathematized the legates.Although in 1965 mutual anathemas were lifted and Catholics and Orthodox no longer look askance at each other, proclaiming the idea of common roots and principles, real disagreements still remain.
So what is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox. It turns out that the point is not at all that some are baptized from right to left, while others are vice versa (however, this is also the case). The essence of the contradictions is much deeper.
1. Catholics venerate the Virgin Mary precisely as a Virgin, while Orthodox see her primarily as the Mother of God. In addition, Catholics postulate the fact that the Virgin Mary was just as immaculately conceived as Christ. She, from the point of view of Catholics, was raised alive into heaven during her lifetime, while the Orthodox even have an apocryphal story about the Assumption of the Virgin. And this is not the Hicks Boson for you, in the existence of which you can believe or not, and this does not prevent you from conducting research and someday getting to the bottom of the truth. There is a fundamental question here - if you doubt the postulate of faith, then you cannot be considered a full-fledged believer.
2. For Catholics, all priests must be celibate - they are forbidden to have sex, and even more so to marry. The Orthodox clergy are divided into black and white. That is, therefore, deacons and priests can and even should marry, be fruitful and multiply, while sex is forbidden to black clergy (monks). At all. It is believed that the highest ranks and titles in Orthodoxy, while only monastics can achieve. Sometimes, in order to be promoted to a bishop, a local priest has to part with his wives. The best way to do this is to send your spouse to a monastery.
3. Catholics recognize the existence (except for hell and heaven) of purgatory - where the soul, recognized as not too sinful, but not righteous, is properly roasted and bleached before it manages to penetrate the gates of heaven. Orthodox Christians do not believe in purgatory. However, their ideas about heaven and hell are generally vague - it is believed that knowledge about them is closed to a person in earthly life. Catholics, on the other hand, long ago calculated the thickness of all nine heavenly crystal vaults, compiled a list of plants growing in paradise, and even measured in terms of honey the sweetness experienced by the tongue of the soul, which for the first time inhaled the aromas of paradise.
4. An essential point - concerns the main prayer of Christians "The Symbol of Faith". Listing what exactly the adept believes in, he pronounces "in the Holy Spirit, the Lord who gives life, who proceeds from the Father." Unlike the Orthodox, Catholics also add here “and from the Son.” A question on which many theologians broke their spears.
5. In communion, Catholics eat unleavened bread, while Orthodox people eat bread made from leavened dough. It would seem that here you can go to meet each other, but who will be the first to take a step?
6. During baptism, Catholics only pour water on children and adults, and in Orthodoxy it is supposed to plunge into the font with your head. Therefore, large babies who do not fit into the children's font completely, as a result of which the priest is forced to water the protruding parts of their bodies with a handful, in Orthodoxy are called "dipping". It is believed, albeit unofficially, that demons have more power over oblivants than over normal baptized people.
7. Catholics are baptized from left to right and with all five fingers connected in a pinch. At the same time, they do not reach for the stomach, but make a lower touch in the chest area. This gives the Orthodox, who are baptized with three fingers (in some cases two) from right to left, a reason to assert that Catholics do not draw on themselves a normal cross, but turned upside down, that is, a satanic sign.
8. Catholics are obsessed with fighting any kind of contraception, which looks especially appropriate during the AIDS pandemic. And Orthodoxy recognizes the possibility of using some contraceptives that do not have an abortive effect, such as condoms and female caps. Of course, legally married.
9. Well, Catholics revere the Pope as the infallible vicar of God on earth. In the Orthodox Church, a similar position is held by the Patriarch. Which, theoretically, can also stumble.
Christianity is the dominant religious denomination on the planet. The number of its followers is estimated in billions of people, and the geography covers most of the developed countries of the world. Today it is represented by many branches, the most significant of which are Catholics and Orthodox. What is the difference between them? To find out, you need to plunge into the depths of centuries.
Historical roots of schism
The great schism of the Christian church or schism took place in 1054. The key points that formed the basis of the fatal gap:
- Nuances of worship. First of all, the most acute question was whether to celebrate the liturgy on unleavened or leavened bread;
- Non-recognition of the concept of Pentarchy by the See of Rome. It assumed equal participation in the solution of questions of theology of five departments located in Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Constantinople. The Latins traditionally acted from a position of papal primacy, which strongly alienated the other four sees;
- Serious theological controversy. In particular, regarding the essence of the Triune God.
The formal reason for the break was the closure of Greek churches in southern Italy, subjected to the Norman conquest. This was followed by a mirror response in the form of the closing of the Latin churches in Constantinople. The last action was accompanied by mockery of the shrines: the Holy Gifts, prepared for the liturgy, were trampled on.
In June-July 1054, a mutual exchange of anathemas took place, which meant split which is still ongoing.
What is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox?
Separate existence two main branches of Christianity has been going on for almost a thousand years. During this time, a large array of significant differences in views has accumulated that relate to any aspect of church life.
Orthodox have the following views, which their Western counterparts do not accept in any way:
- One of the hypostases of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, originates only from the Father (the creator of the world and man, the basis of all things), but not from the Son (Jesus Christ, the Old Testament messiah, who sacrificed himself for human sins);
- Grace is the act of the Lord, and not something taken for granted from the act of creation;
- There is their own view of the cleansing of sins after death. Catholic sinners are doomed to torment in purgatory. The Orthodox, on the other hand, face ordeals await them - the path to unity with the Lord, which does not necessarily involve torture;
- In the Eastern branch, the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Mother of God (mother of Jesus Christ) is also not revered at all. Catholics believe that she became a mother, avoiding vicious sexual intercourse.
Ritual differentiation
Differences in the field of worship are not rigid, but quantitatively they are much more:
- The person of the priest. The Roman Catholic Church attaches great importance to it in the liturgy. He has the right to pronounce symbolic words in his own name when performing rituals. The Constantinopolitan tradition assigns the priest the role of "God's servant" and no more;
- The number of permitted services per day also differs. The Byzantine rite allows you to do this only once on one throne (temple on the altar);
- Baptism of a child only among Eastern Christians takes place by obligatory immersion in a font. In the rest of the world, it is enough to sprinkle the child with holy water;
- In the Latin rite, specially designated rooms, called confessionals, are used for confession;
- Altar (altar) only in the East is separated from the rest of the church by a partition (iconostasis). The Catholic presbytery, in contrast, is designed as an architecturally open space.
Are Armenians Catholics or Orthodox?
The Armenian Church is considered one of the most distinctive in Eastern Christianity. It has a number of features that make it absolutely unique:
- Jesus Christ is recognized as a superhuman being who does not have a body and does not experience any needs inherent in all other people (even food and drink);
- Traditions of icon painting are practically not developed. It is not customary to worship artistic images of saints. That is why the interior of Armenian churches is so different from all others;
- Following the Latins, holidays are tied to the Gregorian calendar;
- There is a unique and unlike anything religious “table of ranks”, which includes five steps (as opposed to three in the ROC);
- In addition to Lent, there is an additional period of abstinence called arachawork;
- In prayers, it is customary to praise only one of the hypostases of the Trinity.
The official attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards the Armenian confession is emphatically respectful. However, her followers are not recognized as Orthodox, which is why even a visit to an Armenian church can be a sufficient reason for excommunication.
Therefore, believing Armenians are Catholics.
Features of honoring the holidays
It is not at all surprising that differences exist in the conduct of holidays:
- The most important post in all Christian churches, called Great, in the Latin Rite begins on Wednesday of the seventh week before Easter. With us, abstinence begins two days earlier, on Monday;
- The methods for calculating the date of Easter differ significantly. They coincide quite rarely (as a rule, in 1/3 of cases). In both cases, the starting point is the day of the vernal equinox (March 21) according to the Gregorian (in Rome) or Julian calendar;
- The set of red days of the church calendar in the West includes holidays unknown in Russia to honor the Body and Blood of Christ (60 days after Easter), the Sacred Heart of Jesus (8 days after the previous one), the Feast of the Heart of Mary (the next day);
- And vice versa, we celebrate such holidays that are completely unknown to the adherents of the Latin rite. Among them - the worship of some relics (the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker and the chains of the Apostle Peter);
- If Catholics completely deny the celebration of the Sabbath, then the Orthodox consider it one of the Lord's days.
Rapprochement of Orthodox and Catholics
Christians around the world today have much more in common than even a hundred years ago. Both in Russia and in the West, the church is under deep siege by secular society. The number of parishioners among young people is decreasing year by year. New cultural challenges are emerging in the form of sectarianism, pseudo-religious movements and Islamization.
All this makes former enemies and competitors forget old grievances and try to find a common language in a post-industrial society:
- As stated at the Second Vatican Council, the differences between Eastern and Western theologies are complementary rather than conflicting. The decree "Unitatis Redintegratio" states that in this way the fullest vision of Christian truth is achieved;
- Pope John Paul II, who wore the papal tiara from 1978-2005, noted that the Christian church needs to "breathe with both lungs." He emphasized the synergy of the rational Latin and the mystical-intuitive Byzantine traditions;
- He was echoed by his successor, Benedict XVI, who declared that the Eastern churches were not separated from Rome;
- Since 1980, regular plenums of the Commission for Theological Dialogue between the two churches have been held. The last meeting devoted to issues of catholicity was held in 2016 in Italy.
A few hundred years ago, religious contradictions caused serious conflicts even in prosperous European countries. However, secularization has done its job: who are Catholics and Orthodox, what is the difference between them - this is of little concern to the modern man in the street. Omnipotent agnosticism and atheism have turned a millennium-old Christian conflict into ashes, leaving it at the mercy of gray-haired elders in clothes creeping on the floor.
Video: the story of the split between Catholics and Orthodox
In this video, the historian Arkady Matrosov will tell you why Christianity split into two religious movements, which preceded this:
On July 16, 1054, at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, official representatives of the Pope announced the deposition of Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople. In response, the patriarch anathematized the papal envoys. Since then, there have been churches that we today call Catholic and Orthodox.
Let's define concepts
Three main directions in Christianity - Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism. There is no single Protestant church, because there are many hundreds of Protestant churches (denominations) in the world. Orthodoxy and Catholicism are churches with a hierarchical structure, with their own doctrine, worship, their own internal legislation and their own religious and cultural traditions inherent in each of them.
Catholicism is an integral church, all components and all members of which are subject to the Pope as their head. The Orthodox Church is not so monolithic. At the moment it consists of 15 independent, but mutually recognizing each other and fundamentally identical churches. Among them are Russian, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, Georgian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Greek, etc.
What do Orthodoxy and Catholicism have in common?
Both Orthodox and Catholics are Christians who believe in Christ and striving to live according to His commandments. Both of them have one Holy Scripture - the Bible. No matter what we say about the differences, the Christian everyday life of both Catholics and Orthodox is built, first of all, according to the Gospel. The true role model, the basis of all life for any Christian is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is one and only. Therefore, despite differences, Catholics and Orthodox profess and preach faith in Jesus Christ all over the world, proclaim the same Gospel to the world.
The history and traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox Church go back to the apostles. Peter, Paul, Mark and other disciples of Jesus founded Christian communities in significant cities of the ancient world - Jerusalem, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, etc. Those churches were formed around these centers that became the basis of the Christian world. That is why Orthodox and Catholics have sacraments (baptism, weddings, ordination of priests,), similar dogma, venerate common saints (who lived before the 11th century), and proclaim the same Nikeo-Tsaregradsky. Despite certain differences, both churches profess faith in the Holy Trinity.
For our time, it is important that both Orthodox and Catholics have a very similar view of the Christian family. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Marriage is blessed by the church and is considered a sacrament. Divorce is always a tragedy. Sexual relations before marriage are unworthy of the title of Christian, they are sinful. It is important to emphasize that both Orthodox and Catholics generally do not recognize homosexual marriages. Homosexual relationships themselves are considered a grave sin.
It should be especially noted that both Catholics and Orthodox recognize that they are not the same thing, that Orthodoxy and Catholicism are different churches, but Christian churches. This difference is so significant for both sides that for a thousand years there has been no mutual unity in the most important thing - in worship and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Catholics and Orthodox do not receive communion together.
At the same time, which is very important, both Catholics and Orthodox look at the mutual division with bitterness and repentance. All Christians are convinced that the unbelieving world needs a common Christian witness for Christ.
About separation
It is not possible to describe the development of the gap and the formation of the separated Catholic and Orthodox churches in this note. I will only note that the tense political situation of a thousand years ago between Rome and Constantinople prompted both sides to look for a reason to sort things out. Attention was drawn to the peculiarities of the hierarchical church structure, which were fixed in the Western tradition, the peculiarities of dogma, ritual and disciplinary customs, which are not characteristic of the East.
In other words, it was precisely the political tension that revealed the already existing and strengthened originality of the religious life of the two parts of the former Roman Empire. In many ways, the current situation was due to the difference in cultures, mentalities, national characteristics of the West and East. With the disappearance of the empire uniting the Christian churches, Rome and Western tradition stood apart from Byzantium for several centuries. With weak communication and an almost complete absence of mutual interest, their own traditions took root.
It is clear that the division of a single church into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic) is a long and rather complicated process, which at the beginning of the 11th century only had its culmination. The until then united church, represented by five local or territorial churches, the so-called patriarchates, split. In July 1054, a mutual anathematization was proclaimed by the plenipotentiaries of the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople. A few months later, all the remaining patriarchates joined the position of Constantinople. The gap has only grown stronger and deeper over time. Finally, the Churches of the East and the Roman Church were divided after 1204 - the time of the destruction of Constantinople by the participants of the Fourth Crusade.
What is the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy?
Here are the main points, mutually recognized by both parties, that divide churches today:
The first important difference is the different understanding of the church. For Orthodox Christians, the one, so-called Universal Church, is manifested in specific independent, but mutually recognizing local churches. A person can belong to any of the existing Orthodox churches, thereby belonging to Orthodoxy in general. It is enough to share the same faith and sacraments with other churches. Catholics recognize one and only church as an organizational structure - Catholic, subordinate to the Pope. To belong to Catholicism, it is necessary to belong to the one and only Catholic Church, to have its faith and participate in its sacraments, and it is imperative to recognize the primacy of the pope.
In practice, this moment is revealed, first of all, in the fact that the Catholic Church has a dogma (obligatory doctrinal provision) about the primacy of the pope over the entire church and his infallibility in official teaching on matters of faith and morality, discipline and government. Orthodox do not recognize the primacy of the pope and believe that only the decisions of the Ecumenical (that is, universal) Councils are infallible and most authoritative. On the difference between the Pope and the Patriarch. In the context of what has been said, the imaginary situation of submission to the Pope of Rome of the now independent Orthodox patriarchs, and with them all bishops, priests and laity, looks absurd.
Second. There are differences in some important doctrinal matters. Let's point out one of them. It concerns the doctrine of God - the Holy Trinity. The Catholic Church professes in that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Spirit, which proceeds only from the Father. These seemingly “philosophical” subtleties of dogma have quite serious consequences in the theological doctrinal systems of each of the churches, sometimes contradicting each other. The unification and unification of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths at the moment seems to be an unsolvable task.
Third. Over the past centuries, many cultural, disciplinary, liturgical, legislative, mental, national features of the religious life of Orthodox and Catholics have not only strengthened, but also developed, which can sometimes contradict each other. First of all, it is about the language and style of prayer (memorized texts, or prayer in one's own words, or to music), about accents in prayer, about a special understanding of holiness and veneration of saints. But we must not forget about the benches in churches, scarves and skirts, the features of temple architecture or the styles of icon painting, the calendar, the language of worship, etc.
Both Orthodox and Catholic traditions have a fairly large degree of freedom in these quite secondary issues. It's clear. However, unfortunately, overcoming differences in this plane is unlikely, since it is this plane that represents the real life of ordinary believers. And, as you know, it is easier for them to give up some kind of “speculative” philosophizing than from their usual way of life and everyday understanding of it.
In addition, in Catholicism there is the practice of exclusively unmarried clergy, while in the Orthodox tradition the priesthood can be either married or monastic.
The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have different views on the topic of intimate relations between spouses. Orthodoxy condescendingly looks at the use of non-abortive contraceptives. And in general, the issues of the sexual life of the spouses are provided by them themselves and are not regulated by doctrine. Catholics, in turn, are categorically against any contraceptives.
In conclusion, I will say that these differences do not prevent the Orthodox and Catholic Churches from conducting a constructive dialogue, jointly opposing the massive departure from traditional and Christian values; jointly implement various social projects and peacekeeping actions.
