Who is right Catholics or Orthodox. Catholics and Orthodox - what's the difference? The main reasons for the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox

Catholicism is one of the three main Christian denominations. In total there are three confessions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. The youngest of the three is Protestantism. It arose from an attempt to reform the Catholic Church by Martin Luther in the 16th century.

The division into Orthodoxy and Catholicism has a rich history. The beginning was the events that took place in 1054. It was then that the legates of the then-reigning Pope Leo IX drew up an act of excommunication against Patriarch Michael Ceroullarius of Constantinople and the entire Eastern Church. During the liturgy in the Hagia Sophia, they put him on the throne and left. Patriarch Michael responded by convening a council, at which, in turn, he excommunicated the papal ambassadors. The pope took their side, and since then the commemoration of popes at divine services has ceased in the Orthodox Churches, and the Latins have been considered schismatics.

We have collected the main differences and similarities between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, information about the tenets of Catholicism and features of the confession. It is important to remember that all Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ, so neither Catholics nor Protestants can be considered “enemies” of the Orthodox Church. However, there are controversial issues in which each denomination is closer or further from the Truth.

Features of Catholicism

Catholicism has over a billion followers worldwide. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope, not the Patriarch, as in Orthodoxy. The Pope is the supreme ruler of the Holy See. Previously, in the Catholic Church, all bishops were called that. Contrary to popular belief about the total infallibility of the Pope, Catholics consider only doctrinal statements and decisions of the Pope to be infallible. Pope Francis is currently the head of the Catholic Church. He was elected on March 13, 2013, and this is the first Pope in many years who. In 2016, Pope Francis met with Patriarch Kirill to discuss critical issues for Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In particular, the problem of persecution of Christians, which exists in some regions even today.

Doctrine of the Catholic Church

A number of dogmas of the Catholic Church differ from the corresponding understanding of the Gospel truth in Orthodoxy.

• Filioque is the Dogma that the Holy Spirit comes from both God the Father and God the Son.
• Celibacy is the dogma of the celibacy of the clergy.
• The Holy Tradition of Catholics includes the decisions taken after the seven Ecumenical Councils and the Papal Epistles.
• Purgatory is a dogma about an intermediate “station” between hell and heaven, where you can atone for your sins.
• The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and her bodily ascension.
• Communion of the laity only with the Body of Christ, the clergy with the Body and Blood.

Of course, these are not all differences from Orthodoxy, but Catholicism recognizes those dogmas that are not considered true in Orthodoxy.

Who are Catholics

The largest number of Catholics, people who practice Catholicism, live in Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Interestingly, in each country, Catholicism has its own cultural characteristics.

Differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

• Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy believes that the Holy Spirit comes only from God the Father, as stated in the Creed.
• In Orthodoxy, only monastics observe celibacy, the rest of the clergy can marry.
• The sacred tradition of the Orthodox does not include, in addition to the ancient oral tradition, the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, the decisions of subsequent church councils, papal messages.
• In Orthodoxy there is no dogma about purgatory.
• Orthodoxy does not recognize the doctrine of the "treasury of grace" - an overabundance of the good deeds of Christ, the apostles, the Virgin Mary, which allow you to "draw" salvation from this treasury. It was this doctrine that allowed for the possibility of indulgences, which at one time became a stumbling block between Catholics and future Protestants. Indulgence was one of those phenomena in Catholicism that deeply revolted Martin Luther. His plans included not the creation of a new confession, but the reformation of Catholicism.
• In Orthodoxy, the laity Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ: “Take, eat: this is my body, and drink all of you from it: this is my blood.”

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 says "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 ones.

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.

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 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 division

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 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. This is 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 a 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.

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 the communion of children 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 the 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 each 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.

The first external difference between Catholic and Orthodox symbols concerns the image of the cross and the crucifix. If in the early Christian tradition there were 16 types of cross shapes, today traditionally a four-sided cross is associated with Catholicism, and an eight-pointed or six-pointed cross with Orthodoxy.

The words on the tablet on the crosses are the same, only the languages ​​\u200b\u200bare different, in which the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. In Catholicism, this is Latin: INRI. In some Eastern churches, the Greek abbreviation INBI is used from the Greek text Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων. The Romanian Orthodox Church uses the Latin version, and in Russian and Church Slavonic versions, the abbreviation looks like I.Н.Ц.I. Interestingly, this spelling was approved in Russia only after Nikon's reform, before that, "King of Glory" was often written on the tablet. This spelling was preserved by the Old Believers.

The number of nails often also differs on Orthodox and Catholic crucifixes. Catholics have three, Orthodox have four. The most fundamental difference between the symbolism of the cross in the two churches is that on the Catholic cross Christ is depicted extremely naturalistically, with wounds and blood, in a crown of thorns, with his hands sagging under the weight of his body, while on the Orthodox crucifix there are no naturalistic traces of Christ's suffering, the image of the Savior shows the victory of life over death, the Spirit over the body.

Why are they baptized differently?

Catholics and Orthodox have many differences in the ritual part. Thus, there are obvious differences in making the sign of the cross. Orthodox are baptized from right to left, Catholics from left to right. The norm of the Catholic cross blessing was approved in 1570 by Pope Pius V "He who blesses himself ... makes a cross from his forehead to his chest and from his left shoulder to his right." In the Orthodox tradition, the norm for performing the sign of the cross changed in terms of double and triple fingers, but church leaders wrote about the need to be baptized from right to left before and after Nikon's reform.

Catholics usually cross themselves with all five fingers as a sign of "ulcers on the body of the Lord Jesus Christ" - two on the hands, two on the legs, one from the spear. In Orthodoxy, after the reform of Nikon, three fingers are accepted: three fingers are folded together (symbolism of the Trinity), two fingers are pressed to the palm (two natures of Christ - divine and human. In the Romanian Church, these two fingers are interpreted as a symbol of Adam and Eve falling to the Trinity).

The overdue merits of the saints

In addition to the obvious differences in the ritual part, in the monastic system of the two churches, in the traditions of iconography, Orthodox and Catholics have a lot of differences in terms of dogma. Thus, the Orthodox Church does not recognize the Catholic doctrine of the overdue merits of saints, according to which the great Catholic saints,

The teachers of the church have left an inexhaustible treasury of "excessive good deeds" so that sinners can then use the riches from it for their salvation. The manager of the wealth from this treasury is the Catholic Church and personally the Pontifex. Depending on the diligence of the sinner, the Pontiff can take riches from the treasury and provide them to the sinful person, since a person does not have enough of his own good deeds for salvation.

The concept of "super-due merit" is directly related to the concept of "indulgence", when a person is freed from punishment for his sins for the amount paid.

Pope Infallibility

At the end of the 19th century, the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. According to him, when the pope (as the head of the Church) determines her doctrine concerning faith or morality, he has infallibility (infallibility) and is protected from the very possibility of error. This doctrinal infallibility is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to the Pope as the successor of the Apostle Peter by virtue of apostolic succession, and is not based on his personal sinlessness.

The dogma was officially proclaimed in the dogmatic constitution of Pastor Aeternus on July 18, 1870, along with the assertion of the "ordinary and immediate" authority of the jurisdiction of the pontiff in the universal Church. The Pope used his right to proclaim a new doctrine ex cathedra only once: in 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The dogma of infallibility was confirmed at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in the dogmatic constitution of the Church Lumen Gentium. Neither the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope nor the dogma of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary was accepted by the Orthodox Church. Also, the Orthodox Church does not recognize the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

Purgatory and ordeal

The understanding of what the human soul goes through after death also differs in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In Catholicism, there is a dogma about purgatory - a special state in which the soul of the deceased is located. Orthodoxy denies the existence of purgatory, although it recognizes the need for prayers for the dead. In Orthodoxy, unlike Catholicism, there is a doctrine of air ordeals, obstacles through which the soul of every Christian must pass on the way to the throne of God for a private trial.

Two angels guide the soul along this path. Each of the ordeals, the number of which is 20, is controlled by demons - unclean spirits trying to take the soul going through the ordeals to hell. In the words of St. Theophan the Recluse: “No matter how wild the thought of ordeals seems to smart people, but they cannot be avoided.” The Catholic Church does not recognize the doctrine of ordeals.

"Filioque"

The key dogmatic difference between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is the “filioque” (lat. filioque - “and the Son”) - an addition to the Latin translation of the Creed adopted by the Western (Roman) Church in the 11th century in the dogma of the Trinity: about the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from God the Father, but "from the Father and the Son." Pope Benedict VIII included the term "filioque" in the Creed in 1014, which caused a storm of indignation on the part of Orthodox theologians. It was the filioque that became the “stumbling block” and caused the final division of the churches in 1054. It was finally established at the so-called "unifying" councils - Lyons (1274) and Ferrara-Florentine (1431-1439).

In modern Catholic theology, the attitude towards the filioque, oddly enough, has changed a lot. So, on August 6, 2000, the Catholic Church published the declaration “Dominus Iesus” (“Lord Jesus”). The author of this declaration was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI). In this document, in the second paragraph of the first part, the text of the Creed without the filioque is given: "Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre procedit, qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas" . (“And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father, who, together with the Father and the Son, is to be worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.”)

No official, conciliar decisions followed this declaration, so the situation with the filioque remains the same. The main difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that the head of the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ, in Catholicism the church is headed by the vicar of Jesus Christ, its visible head (Vicarius Christi), the Pope of Rome.