Catholicism and Orthodoxy are different directions. About Orthodoxy and Catholicism

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, or 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 Russia). Jesus Christ is considered the head of the church, there is no figure like the Pope in Orthodoxy. The institution 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 primacy 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 common 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 of the authority of the Pope by the Anglicans 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

ORTHODOXY AND PROTESTANTISM: WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

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.(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 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 delusions 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 lying, 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.

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 (Brianchaninov) 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 the Scriptures 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 durable - 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 resolved by itself, 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 indivisible 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 organization 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, like a tradition.

The Bible was given by God for the Orthodox Church, it was in accordance with 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 Protestants, lovingly preserved the Holy Scriptures in its communities.

Protestants, using the Bible, not written by them, not collected by them, not preserved 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, he also 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. And 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 be taken 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 , fifteen). 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: 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 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 learns 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, everyone who is really interested in the truth, and not in 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 could not be the real Church, since they assumed that after the apostles the Church of Christ had 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 Eric. 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 are really looking for 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 are Roman rites, Byzantine rites, 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.

divine service

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, Chrismation (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:

1. 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.
2. World Orthodoxy has no single leadership. It is divided into several independent churches. World Catholicism is one church.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. The same sacraments operate in the Orthodox and Catholic churches, but the ceremonies of their implementation are different.
6. Unlike Catholicism, in Orthodoxy there is no dogma about purgatory.
7. Orthodox and Catholics make the cross in different ways.
8. Orthodoxy allows divorce, and its "white clergy" can marry. In Catholicism, divorce is prohibited, and all monastic clergy take a vow of celibacy.
9. The Orthodox and Catholic Churches recognize the decisions of different Ecumenical Councils.
10. 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 on some issues differ. 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 alien 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...

Both in Orthodoxy and in Catholicism, the sacred scripture - the Bible - is recognized as the basis of dogma. In the Creed of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the foundations of the doctrine are formulated in 12 parts or members:

The first member speaks of God as the creator of the world - the first hypostasis of the Holy Trinity;

In the second - about faith in the Son of God Jesus Christ;

The third is the dogma of the incarnation, according to which Jesus Christ, while remaining God, at the same time became a man, having been born of the virgin Mary;

The fourth is about the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, this is the dogma of redemption;

The fifth is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ;

The sixth refers to the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven;

In the seventh - about the second, coming coming of Jesus Christ to the earth;

The eighth member is about faith in the Holy Spirit;

The ninth is about the attitude towards the church;

The tenth is about the sacrament of Baptism;

Eleventh - about the future general resurrection of the dead;

The twelfth is about eternal life.

An important place in Orthodoxy and Catholicism is occupied by rites - sacraments. Seven sacraments are recognized: Baptism, chrismation, communion, repentance or confession, the sacrament of the priesthood, wedding, anointing (unction).

Orthodox and Catholic churches attach great importance to holidays and fasts. Lent, as a rule, precedes major church holidays. The essence of fasting is "the purification and renewal of the human soul", preparation for an important event in religious life. There are four large fasts of many days in Orthodoxy and Catholicism: before Easter, before the day of Peter and Paul, before the Assumption of the Virgin and before Christmas.

Differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

The beginning of the division of the Christian Church into Catholic and Orthodox was laid by the rivalry between the popes of Rome and the patriarchs of Constantinople for supremacy in the Christian world. About 867. There was a gap between Pope Nicholas I and Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are often referred to as the Western and Eastern Churches, respectively.

The basis of the Catholic faith, as well as of all Christianity, is the Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition. However, unlike the Orthodox Church, the Catholic Church considers the sacred tradition of the resolutions not only of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, but also of all subsequent councils, and in addition - papal messages and decrees.

The organization of the Catholic Church is marked by strict centralization. The Pope is the head of this church. It defines doctrines on matters of faith and morality. His power is higher than the power of the Ecumenical Councils. The centralization of the Catholic Church gave rise to the principle of dogmatic development, expressed, in particular, in the right of non-traditional interpretation of the dogma. Thus, in the Creed, recognized by the Orthodox Church, in the dogma of the Trinity it is said that the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father. Catholic dogma proclaims that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son.

A peculiar doctrine about the role of the church in the work of salvation was also formed. It is believed that the basis of salvation is faith and good deeds. The Church, according to the teachings of Catholicism (this is not the case in Orthodoxy), has a treasury of "overdue" deeds - a "reserve" of good deeds created by Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, holy, pious Christians. The Church has the right to dispose of this treasury, to give a part of it to those who need it, that is, to forgive sins, to grant forgiveness to the penitent. Hence the doctrine of indulgences - the remission of sins for money or for any merits before the church. Hence - the rules of prayers for the dead and the right to shorten the period of stay of the soul in purgatory.

Ecumenical Orthodoxy is a collection of local Churches that have the same dogmas and a similar canonical structure, recognize each other's sacraments and are in communion. Orthodoxy consists of 15 autocephalous and several autonomous churches. Unlike Orthodox churches, Roman Catholicism is distinguished primarily by its solidity. The principle of organization of this church is more monarchical: it has a visible center of its unity - the Pope. The apostolic authority and teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church is concentrated in the image of the Pope.

Orthodoxy refers to the Holy Scriptures, writings and deeds of the Church Fathers as a sacred word that came from the Lord and was transmitted to people. Orthodoxy claims that God-given texts cannot be changed or supplemented and must be read in the language in which they were first given to people. Thus, Orthodoxy seeks to preserve the spirit of the Christian faith such as Christ brought it, the spirit in which the apostles, the first Christians and the fathers of the Church lived. Therefore, Orthodoxy appeals not so much to logic as to the conscience of a person. In Orthodoxy, the system of cult actions is closely connected with dogmatic doctrine. The foundations of these cult actions are seven main sacramental rites: baptism, communion, repentance, chrismation, marriage, unction, priesthood. In addition to performing the sacraments, the Orthodox cult system includes prayers, worship of the cross, icons, relics, relics and saints.

Catholicism regards Christian tradition rather as "seeds" that Christ, the apostles, etc. planted in the souls and minds of people so that they could find their way to God.

The pope is elected by the cardinals, that is, the highest layer of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, who immediately follows the pope. The pope is elected by a two-thirds vote of the cardinals. The Pope directs the Roman Catholic Church through a central state apparatus called the Roman Curia. It is a kind of government that has divisions called congregations. They exercise leadership in certain areas of church life. In a secular government, this would correspond to ministries.

Mass (liturgy) is the main worship service in the Catholic Church, which until recently was held in Latin. To strengthen the influence on the masses, it is now permissible to use national languages ​​and introduce national melodies into the liturgy.

The Pope of Rome leads the Catholic Church as an absolute monarch, while congregations are only deliberative and administrative bodies under him.

Nika Kravchuk

How is the Orthodox Church different from the Catholic

Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, two branches of Christianity. Both originate from the preaching of Christ and apostolic times, honor the Most Holy Trinity, worship the Mother of God and the saints, have the same sacraments. But there are many differences between these churches.

The most fundamental dogmatic differences, Perhaps there are three.

Symbol of faith. The Orthodox Church teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. The Catholic Church has the so-called "filioque" - the addition of "and the Son." That is, Catholics claim that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Honoring the Mother of God. Catholics have a dogma about the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, according to which the Mother of God did not inherit original sin. The Orthodox Church says that Mary was freed from original sin from the moment of the conception of Christ. Catholics also believe that the Mother of God ascended to heaven, so they do not know such a revered holiday in Orthodoxy of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. The Catholic Church believes that the teaching on matters of faith and morality delivered by the Pope ex cathedra (from the pulpit) is infallible. The Pope is filled with the Holy Spirit, so he cannot make mistakes.

But there are many other differences as well.

Celibacy. In the Orthodox Church there are black and white clergy, the second one is supposed to have families. The Catholic clergy take a vow of celibacy - celibacy.

Marriage. The Catholic Church considers it a sacred union and does not recognize divorce. Orthodoxy allows different circumstances.

Cross sign. Orthodox are baptized with three fingers, from left to right. Catholics - five and from right to left.

Baptism. If in the Catholic Church it is supposed only to water the person being baptized with water, then in the Orthodox Church - to dip with his head. In Orthodoxy, the sacraments of baptism and chrismation are performed at the same moment, while among Catholics, chrismation is performed separately (possibly on the day of the First Communion).

Communion. Orthodox during this sacrament eat bread from leavened dough, and Catholics - from unleavened bread. In addition, the Orthodox Church blesses children to receive communion from a very early age, and in Catholicism this is preceded by catechesis (teaching the Christian faith), after which there is a big holiday - the First Communion, which falls somewhere in the 10-12th year of a child's life.

Purgatory. The Catholic Church, in addition to hell and heaven, also recognizes a special intermediate place in which the soul of a person can still be cleansed for eternal bliss.

Temple arrangement. In Catholic churches, an organ is installed, there are relatively fewer icons, but there are still sculptures and many places to sit. In Orthodox churches there are many icons, murals, it is customary to pray while standing (there are benches and chairs for those who need to sit).

Universality. Each of the Churches has its own understanding of universality (catholicity). Orthodox believe that the Universal Church is embodied in every local Church headed by a bishop. The Catholics specify that this local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church.

Cathedrals. The Orthodox Church recognizes these Ecumenical Councils, while the Catholic Church recognizes 21.

Many are concerned about the question: can both churches unite? There is such an opportunity, but what about the differences that have existed for many centuries? The question remains open.

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When people first come to the temple, the text of the services seems completely incomprehensible to them. “Elitsya catechumens, come out,” the priest gives an exclamation. Who does he mean? Where to go? Where did such a name come from? The answers to these questions must be sought in the history of the Church.

God is one, God is love - these statements are familiar to us from childhood. Why then is the Church of God divided into Catholic and Orthodox? And within each direction there are many more confessions? All questions have their historical and religious answers. We will get to know some of them now.

History of Catholicism

It is clear that a Catholic is a person who professes Christianity in its offshoot called Catholicism. The name goes back to Latin and ancient Roman roots and is translated as “corresponding to everything”, “consistent with everything”, “cathedral”. That is, universal. The meaning of the name emphasizes that a Catholic is a believer belonging to that religious movement, the founder of which was Jesus Christ himself. When it originated and spread across the Earth, its followers considered each other to be spiritual brothers and sisters. Then there was one opposition: a Christian - a non-Christian (pagan, orthodox, etc.).

The western part of the Ancient Roman Empire is considered the birthplace of confessions. It was there that the words themselves appeared: This direction was formed during the entire first millennium. During this period, both spiritual texts, chants and services were the same for everyone who venerates Christ and the Trinity. And only around 1054 was the Eastern one, with its center in Constantinople, and the Catholic proper, the Western one, whose center was Rome. Since then, it has been considered that a Catholic is not just a Christian, but an adherent of precisely the Western religious tradition.

Reasons for the split

How to explain the causes of discord, which has become so deep and irreconcilable? After all, what is interesting: for a long time after the schism, both Churches continued to call themselves catholic (the same as “Catholic”), that is, universal, ecumenical. The Greek-Byzantine branch as a spiritual platform relies on the "Revelations" of John the Theologian, the Roman - "On the Epistle to the Hebrews." The first is characterized by asceticism, moral quest, "the life of the soul." For the second - the formation of iron discipline, a strict hierarchy, the concentration of power in the hands of priests of the highest ranks. Differences in the interpretation of many dogmas, rituals, church administration and other important areas of church life became the watershed that separated Catholicism and Orthodoxy on different sides. Thus, if before the schism the meaning of the word Catholic was equal to the concept of "Christian", then after it it began to indicate the Western direction of religion.

Catholicism and the Reformation

Over time, the Catholic clergy so departed from the norms that the Bible affirmed and preached that this served as the basis for the organization within the Church of such a trend as Protestantism. The spiritual and ideological basis of it was the teaching and its supporters. The Reformation gave birth to Calvinism, Anbaptism, Anglicanism and other Protestant denominations. Thus, Lutherans are Catholics, or, in other words, evangelical Christians who were against the church actively interfering in worldly affairs, so that papal prelates would go hand in hand with secular power. The trade in indulgences, the advantages of the Roman Church over the Eastern one, the abolition of monasticism - this is not a complete list of those phenomena that the followers of the Great Reformer actively criticized. In their faith, the Lutherans rely on the Holy Trinity, especially worshiping Jesus, recognizing his divine-human nature. Their main criterion of faith is the Bible. A distinctive feature of Lutheranism, as well as others, is a critical approach to various theological books and authorities.

On the question of the unity of the Church

However, in the light of the materials under consideration, it is not completely clear: are Catholics Orthodox or not? This question is asked by many who are not too deeply versed in theology and all sorts of religious subtleties. The answer is both simple and difficult at the same time. As already mentioned above, initially - yes. While the Church was the One Christian Church, all who were part of it prayed the same way, and worshiped God according to the same rules, and used common rituals. But even after the separation, each - both Catholic and Orthodox - consider themselves the main successors of the heritage of Christ.

Interchurch relations

At the same time, they treat each other with sufficient respect. Thus, the Decree of the Second Vatican Council notes that those people who accept Christ as their God, believe in him and were baptized, are considered by Catholics as brothers in faith. It also has its own documents, also confirming that Catholicism is a phenomenon whose nature is related to the nature of Orthodoxy. And the differences in dogmatic postulates are not so fundamental that both Churches are at enmity with each other. On the contrary, relations between them should be built in such a way as to serve the common cause together.

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? Let's try to figure it out. Let's start from the origins - with the formation of the first Church.

How did the Orthodox and Catholic Churches appear?

Approximately in the 50s from the Nativity of Christ, the disciples of Jesus and their supporters created the Orthodox Christian Church, which still exists today. First there were five ancient Christian Churches. In the first eight centuries since the birth of Christ, the Orthodox Church, led by the Holy Spirit, built her teaching, developed her own methods and traditions. To this end, all the Five Churches took part in the Ecumenical Councils. This teaching has not changed today. The Orthodox Church includes Churches that are not connected with each other by anything other than faith - the Syrian, Russian, Greek, Jerusalem, etc. But there is no other organization or no person that unites all these Churches under its leadership. The only leader in the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ. Why is the Orthodox Church called the Catholic Church in prayer? It's simple: if you need to make an important decision, all the Churches take part in the Ecumenical Council. Later, a thousand years later, in 1054, the Roman Church, which is also Catholic, separated from the five ancient Christian churches.

This Church did not seek advice from other members of the Ecumenical Council, but made decisions and carried out reforms in church life itself. We will talk in more detail about the teachings of the Roman Church a little later.

How did the Protestants appear?

Let's return to the main question: "Who are the Protestants?" After the separation of the Roman Church, many people did not like the changes introduced by it. It was not in vain that the people thought that all the reforms were aimed only at making the Church richer and more influential.

After all, even in order to atone for sins, a person had to pay a certain amount of money to the Church. And in 1517, in Germany, the monk Martin Luther gave impetus to the Protestant faith. He denounced the Roman Catholic Church and its ministers that they are looking only for their own benefit, forgetting about God. Luther said that the Bible should be preferred if there is a conflict between church tradition and Scripture. Luther also translated the Bible from Latin into German, proclaiming that each person can study the Holy Scriptures for himself and interpret it in his own way. So are Protestants? Protestants demanded a revision of attitudes towards religion, getting rid of unnecessary traditions and rituals. The enmity began between the two Christian denominations. Catholics and Protestants fought. The only difference is that Catholics fought for power and subjugation to themselves, while Protestants fought for freedom of choice and the right path in religion.

Persecution of Protestants

Of course, the Roman Church could not ignore the attacks of those who opposed unquestioning submission. Catholics did not want to accept and understand who the Protestants were. There were massacres of Catholics against Protestants, public executions of those who refused to become Catholics, harassment, ridicule, persecution. Adherents of Protestantism also did not always prove their case in a peaceful way. Protests by opponents of the Catholic Church and its rule in many countries swept with mass pogroms of Catholic churches. For example, in the 16th century in the Netherlands there were more than 5,000 pogroms by people who rebelled against Catholics. In response to the riots, the authorities repaired their own court, they did not understand how Catholics differ from Protestants. In the same Netherlands, over 80 years of war between the authorities and the Protestants, 2,000 conspirators were convicted and executed. In total, about 100,000 Protestants suffered for their faith in this country. And that's just in one country. Protestants, in spite of everything, defended their right to a different point of view on the issue of Church life. But, the uncertainty that was present in their teaching led to the fact that other groups began to separate from the Protestants. There are more than twenty thousand different Protestant churches all over the world, for example, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, and among the Protestant movements there are Methodists, Presbyterians, Adventists, Congregationalists, Quakers, etc. Catholics and Protestants have greatly changed the Church. Who are Catholics and Protestants according to their teachings, let's try to figure it out. In fact, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians are both Christians. The difference between them is that the Orthodox Church has what can be called the fullness of the teachings of Christ - it is a school and an example of goodness, it is a clinic for human souls, and Protestants simplify all this more and more, creating something in which it is very difficult to know the doctrine of virtue, and what cannot be called a complete doctrine of salvation.

Basic principles of Protestants

You can answer the question of who the Protestants are by understanding the basic principles of their teaching. Protestants consider all rich ecclesiastical experience, all spiritual art collected over the centuries, invalid. They recognize only the Bible, believing that it is the only true source of how and what to do in church life. For Protestants, the Christian communities of the time of Jesus and his apostles are the ideal of what the life of a Christian should be like. But adherents of Protestantism do not take into account the fact that at that time the church structure simply did not exist. The Protestants simplified everything of the Church, except for the Bible, mainly because of the reforms of the Roman Church. Because Catholicism has greatly changed the doctrine and deviated from the Christian spirit. And the splits among the Protestants began to occur because they threw away everything - up to the teachings of the great saints, spiritual teachers, leaders of the Church. And since the Protestants began to deny these teachings, or rather, did not perceive them, then they began to argue in the interpretation of the Bible. Hence the split in Protestantism and the waste of energy not on self-education, as with the Orthodox, but on a useless struggle. The difference between Catholics and Protestants is being erased against the background of the fact that the Orthodox, who have been keeping their faith for more than 2,000 years in the form in which it was transmitted by Jesus, are both called a mutation of Christianity. Both Catholics and Protestants are sure that it is their faith that is true, such as Christ intended it to be.

Differences between Orthodox and Protestants

Although Protestants and Orthodox are Christians, the differences between them are significant. First, why do Protestants reject saints? It's simple - in the Holy Scriptures it is written that the members of the ancient communities of Christians were called "saints". Protestants, taking these communities as a basis, call themselves saints, which is unacceptable and even wild for an Orthodox person. Orthodox saints are heroes of the spirit and role models. They are the guiding star on the path to God. Believers treat Orthodox saints with awe and respect. Christians of the Orthodox denomination turn to their saints with prayers for help, for prayer support in difficult situations. Icons with images of saints do not just decorate their homes and temples.

Looking at the faces of the saints, a believer seeks to improve himself through the study of the lives of those depicted on the icons, inspired by the exploits of his heroes. Without an example of the holiness of spiritual fathers, monks, elders and other very respected and authoritative people among Orthodoxy, Protestants can give only one high title and honor for a spiritual person - this is "the one who studied the Bible." A Protestant person deprives himself of such an instrument for self-education and self-improvement as fasting, confession and communion. These three components are the hospital of the human spirit, forcing you to humble your flesh and work on your weaknesses, correcting yourself and striving for the bright, kind, Divine. Without confession, a person cannot cleanse his soul, begin to correct his sins, because he does not think about his shortcomings and continues to live an ordinary life for and for the sake of the flesh, in addition, being proud that he is a believer.

What else do Protestants lack?

No wonder many do not understand who Protestants are. After all, people of this religion, as mentioned above, do not have spiritual literature, such as that of Orthodox Christians. Almost everything can be found in the spiritual books of the Orthodox - from sermons and interpretation of the Bible to the lives of the saints and advice on how to fight one's passions. It becomes much easier for a person to understand the issues of good and evil. And without the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, the Bible is extremely difficult to understand. Protestants began to appear, but it is still only in its infancy, and in Orthodoxy this literature has been improved for more than 2000 years. Self-education, self-improvement - the concepts inherent in every Orthodox Christian, among Protestants are reduced to the study and memorization of the Bible. In Orthodoxy, everything - both repentance, and prayers, and icons - everything calls for a person to strive at least one step closer to the ideal that God is. But the Protestant directs all his efforts to be virtuous outwardly, and does not care about his inner content. That's not all. Protestants and Orthodox differences in religion are noticed by the arrangement of churches. The Orthodox believer has support in striving to be better both in mind (thanks to preaching), and in heart (thanks to the decoration in churches, icons), and will (thanks to fasting). But Protestant churches are empty and Protestants hear only sermons that affect the mind without touching the hearts of people. Having abandoned monasteries, Protestant monasticism was deprived of the opportunity to see for themselves examples of a modest, humble life for the sake of the Lord. After all, monasticism is a school of spiritual life. It is not for nothing that there are many elders, saints or almost saints of Orthodox Christians among the monks. And also the concept of Protestants that nothing but faith in Christ is needed for salvation (neither good deeds, nor repentance, nor correction of oneself) is a false path, leading only to the addition of one more sin - pride (because of the feeling that once If you are a believer, then you are the chosen one and you will certainly be saved).

The difference between Catholics and Protestants

Despite the fact that Protestants are natives of Catholicism, there are significant differences between these two religions. So, in Catholicism, it is believed that the sacrifice of Christ atoned for all the sins of all people, and Protestants, however, like the Orthodox, believe that a person is initially sinful and the blood shed by Jesus alone is not enough to atone for sins. Man must atone for his sins. Hence the difference in the construction of temples. For Catholics, the altar is open, everyone can see the throne, for Protestants and Orthodox in churches, the altar is closed. Here's another way Catholics differ from Protestants - Protestants communicate with God without an intermediary - a priest, while Catholics have priests to mediate between a person and God.

Catholics on earth have a representative of Jesus himself, at least they think so - this is the Pope. He is an infallible person for all Catholics. The Pope of Rome resides in the Vatican, the single central governing body for all the Catholic Churches in the world. Another difference between Catholics and Protestants is the rejection by Protestants of the Catholic notion of purgatory. As mentioned above, Protestants reject icons, saints, monasteries and monasticism. They believe that believers are holy in themselves. Therefore, Protestants do not distinguish between a priest and a parishioner. A Protestant priest is accountable to the Protestant community and cannot confess or give communion to believers. In fact, he is just a preacher, that is, he reads sermons for believers. But the main difference between Catholics and Protestants is the question of the connection between God and man. Protestants believe that the personal is enough for salvation, and a person receives Grace from God without the participation of the Church.

Protestants and Huguenots

These names of religious movements are closely related. To answer the question of who the Huguenots and Protestants are, you need to remember the history of 16th century France. The French began to call the Huguenots protesting against the rule of Catholics, but the first Huguenots were called Lutherans. Although an evangelical movement independent of Germany, directed against the reforms of the Roman Church, existed in France as early as the beginning of the 16th century. The struggle of Catholics against the Huguenots did not affect the increase in the number of adherents of this movement.

Even the famous one, when the Catholics simply staged a massacre and killed many Protestants, did not break them. In the end, the Huguenots achieved recognition by the authorities of the right to exist. In the history of the development of this Protestant movement, there were oppression, and the granting of privileges, then again oppression. Yet the Huguenots persevered. By the time of the end of the twentieth century in France, the Huguenots were, albeit a small number of the population, but they were very influential. A distinctive feature in the religion of the Huguenots (followers of the teachings of John Calvin) is that some of them believed that God determines in advance which of the people will be saved, whether a person is sinful or not, and the other part of the Huguenots believed that all people are equal before God and the Lord grants salvation to everyone who accepts this salvation. Disputes between the Huguenots did not stop for a long time.

Protestants and Lutherans

The history of Protestants began to take shape in the 16th century. And one of the initiators of this movement was M. Luther, who opposed the excesses of the Roman Church. One of the directions of Protestantism began to be called by the name of this person. The name "Evangelical Lutheran Church" became widespread in the 17th century. The parishioners of this church began to be called Lutherans. It should be added that in some countries all Protestants were first called Lutherans. For example, in Russia, until the revolution, all adherents of Protestantism were considered Lutherans. To understand who Lutherans and Protestants are, you need to turn to their teachings. Lutherans believe that during the Reformation, the Protestants did not create a new Church, but restored the ancient one. Also, according to Lutherans, God accepts any sinner as his child, and the salvation of a sinner is only the initiative of the Lord. Salvation does not depend on the efforts of a person, or on the passage of church rites, it is God's grace, for which you do not even need to prepare. Even faith, according to the teachings of the Lutherans, is given only by the will and action of the Holy Spirit and only by the people chosen by him. A distinctive feature of Lutherans and Protestants is that Lutherans recognize baptism, and even baptism in infancy, which Protestants do not.

Protestants today

Which religion is correct is not worth judging. Only the Lord knows the answer to this question. One thing is clear: the Protestants proved their right to be. The history of Protestants, starting from the 16th century, is the history of the right to one's own opinion, to one's opinion. Neither oppression, nor execution, nor ridicule could break the spirit of Protestantism. And today, Protestants are the second largest believers among the three Christian religions. This religion has penetrated almost all countries. Protestants make up approximately 33% of the total population of the globe, or 800 million people. There are Protestant churches in 92 countries of the world, and in 49 countries the majority of the population is Protestant. This religion prevails in countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, etc.

Three Christian religions, three directions - Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants. Photos from the life of parishioners of churches of all three denominations help to understand that these directions are so similar, but with significant differences. It would, of course, be wonderful if all three forms of Christianity came to a common opinion on controversial issues of religion and church life. But while they differ in many ways and do not compromise. A Christian can only choose which of the Christian denominations is closer to his heart and live according to the laws of the chosen Church.