The fundamental difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The history of a split. Orthodoxy and Catholicism

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

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"Table "Comparison of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches""

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church.

How many mistakes are made? What mistakes are made?

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 direction 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 split of the Christian Church into Western and Eastern took place in 1054. Different views on one religion forced each of the directions to go their own way. Differences manifested themselves not only in the interpretation of the Bible, but also in the arrangement of temples.

External differences

You can find out which direction the church belongs to even at a distance. An Orthodox church is distinguished by the presence of domes, the number of which carries one meaning or another. One dome is a symbol of the one Lord God. Five domes - Christ with four apostles. Thirty-three domes remind of the age at which the Savior was crucified on the cross.

Internal differences

There are also differences in the internal space of the Orthodox and Catholic churches. The Catholic building begins with a narthex, on both sides of which there are bell towers. Sometimes bell towers are not built or only one is built. Next comes the naos, or main nave. On either side of it are the side naves. Then you can see the transverse nave, which crosses the main and side. The main nave ends with an altar. It is followed by a de-ambulatory, which is a semicircular bypass gallery. Next is the crown of chapels.

Catholic churches may differ from each other in the organization of the internal space. In large churches, there are much more rooms. In addition, they use an organ that gives solemnity to the service. Small churches in small settlements are more modestly equipped. In a Catholic church, the walls are decorated with frescoes, not icons.

The part of the Orthodox church preceding the altar is tripled much simpler than in the Catholic Church. The main temple space serves as a place where parishioners pray. This part of the temple is most often a square or rectangle. In the Catholic Church, the space for praying parishioners always has the shape of an elongated rectangle. In an Orthodox church, unlike a Catholic one, benches are not used. Believers should pray standing up.

The altar part of the Orthodox church is separated from the rest of the space by solea. Here is the iconostasis. Icons can also be placed on the walls of the main temple space. The altar part is preceded by an ambo and royal gates. The veil, or catapetasma, follows the royal doors. Behind the veil is a throne, behind which are an altar, a sintron and a high place.

Architects and builders working on the construction of Orthodox and Catholic churches strive to create buildings in which a person would feel closer to God. The churches of both Western and Eastern Christians embody the unity of the earthly and the heavenly.

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In the countries of the former CIS, most people are familiar with Orthodoxy, but little is known about other Christian denominations and non-Christian religions. So the question is:What is the difference between Catholic and Orthodox?”or, to put it more simply, “the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy” - Catholic and Orthodox theologians are asked very often.

Primarily, Catholics are also Christians. Christianity is divided into three main areas: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. But there is no single Protestant Church (there are several thousand Protestant denominations in the world), and the Orthodox Church includes several independent Churches.

In addition to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there is the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, etc.. The Orthodox Churches are governed by patriarchs, metropolitans and archbishops. Not all Orthodox Churches have communion with each other in prayers and sacraments (which is necessary for individual Churches to be part of the one Ecumenical Church according to the catechism of Metropolitan Philaret) and recognize each other as true churches.

Even in Russia itself there are several Orthodox Churches (the Russian Orthodox Church itself, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, etc.). It follows from this that world Orthodoxy does not have a unified leadership. But Orthodox believe that the unity of the Orthodox Church is manifested in a single dogma and in mutual communion in the sacraments.

Catholicism is one Universal Church. All its parts in different countries of the world are in communion with each other, share a single dogma and recognize the Pope as their head. In the Catholic Church there is a division into rites (communities within the Catholic Church, differing from each other in forms of liturgical worship and church discipline): Roman, Byzantine, etc. Therefore, there are Roman Catholics, Byzantine Rite Catholics, etc., but they are all members of the same Church.

NOW YOU CAN TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENCES:

1) So, the first difference between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches is in a different understanding of the unity of the Church. For the Orthodox, it is enough to share one faith and sacraments, Catholics, in addition to this, see the need for a single head of the Church - the Pope;

2) The Catholic Church differs from the Orthodox Church in its understanding of universality or catholicity. The Orthodox claim that the Universal Church is "embodied" in every local Church headed by a bishop. The Catholics add that this local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church in order to belong to the Universal Church.

3) The Catholic Church confesses in the Creed that The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (Filioque). The Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Spirit, which proceeds only from the Father. Some Orthodox saints spoke of the procession of the Spirit from the Father through the Son, which does not contradict the Catholic dogma.

4) The Catholic Church confesses that the sacrament of marriage is for life and forbids divorce, The Orthodox Church in some cases allows divorces;

5)The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of purgatory. This is the state of souls after death, destined for paradise, but not yet ready for it. There is no purgatory in Orthodox teaching (although there is something similar - ordeals). But the prayers of the Orthodox for the dead suggest that there are souls in an intermediate state for whom there is still hope of going to heaven after the Last Judgment;

6) The Catholic Church accepted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This means that even original sin did not touch the Mother of the Savior. Orthodox glorify the holiness of the Mother of God, but believe that she was born with original sin, like all people;

7)Catholic dogma about the taking of Mary into heaven body and soul is a logical continuation of the previous dogma. The Orthodox also believe that Mary is in Heaven in body and soul, but this is not dogmatically fixed in Orthodox teaching.

8) The Catholic Church has adopted the dogma of the supremacy of the Pope over the whole Church in matters of faith and morality, discipline and government. Orthodox do not recognize the primacy of the Pope;

9) One rite predominates in the Orthodox Church. In the Catholic Church this a rite that arose in Byzantium is called Byzantine and is one of several.

In Russia, the Roman (Latin) rite of the Catholic Church is better known. Therefore, differences between the liturgical practice and ecclesiastical discipline of the Byzantine and Roman rites of the Catholic Church are often mistaken for the differences between the ROC and the Catholic Church. But if the Orthodox liturgy is very different from the Mass of the Roman rite, then it is very similar to the Catholic liturgy of the Byzantine rite. And the presence of married priests in the ROC is also not a difference, since they are also in the Byzantine rite of the Catholic Church;

10) The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope o in matters of faith and morality, when he, in agreement with all the bishops, affirms what the Catholic Church has already believed for many centuries. Orthodox believers believe that only the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils are infallible;

11) The Orthodox Church takes decisions only in the first seven Ecumenical Councils, while The Catholic Church is guided by the decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council, the last of which was the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

It should be noted that the Catholic Church recognizes that Local Orthodox Churches are True Churches who preserved the apostolic succession and the true sacraments. And the Symbol of Faith among Catholics and Orthodox is one.

Despite differences, Catholics and Orthodox profess and preach throughout the world one faith and one teaching of Jesus Christ. Once upon a time, human mistakes and prejudices separated us, but until now, faith in one God unites us.

Faith in Jesus Christ united and inspired Christians, becoming the basis of the religious worldview. Without it, believers would not be able to do right and do honest work.

The role of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia is enormous. People who professed this direction in Christianity not only developed the spiritual culture of our country, but also contributed to the way of life of the Russian people.

Catholicism has also brought great meaning to people's lives for centuries. The head of the Catholic Church - the Pope of Rome determines the norms of the social and spiritual sphere of society.

Differences in the teachings of Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Orthodoxy primarily recognizes that knowledge that has not changed since the time of Jesus Christ - the 1st millennium of our era. It is based on faith in a single Creator who created the world.


Catholicism, on the other hand, allows for changes and additions to the basic dogmas of religion. So, we can determine the main differences between the teachings of the two directions in Christianity:

• Catholics consider the Holy Spirit emanating from the Father and the Son as a symbol of Faith, while the Orthodox accept only the Holy Spirit emanating from the Father.
• Catholics believe in the conception of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, while the Orthodox do not accept it.
• The Pope of Rome is elected as the sole head of the church and vicar of God in Catholicism, while Orthodoxy does not imply such an appointment.
• The teaching of the Catholic Church, unlike Orthodoxy, forbids the dissolution of marriage.
• In Orthodox teaching, there is no dogma about purgatory (wandering of the soul of a dead person).

Despite all the differences, both directions religions are very similar. Both Orthodox believers and Catholics believe in Jesus Christ, observe fasts, build churches. The Bible is of great importance to them.

Church and clergy in Orthodoxy and Catholicism

The Orthodox Church includes at least 14 local churches recognized at the end of the 20th century. She governs the community of believers with the help of the rulebook of the apostles, the lives of the saints, theological texts and church customs. The Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox, is a single religious center and is headed by the Pope.

First of all, churches of different directions in Christianity differ in their appearance. The walls of Orthodox churches are decorated with stunning frescoes and icons. The service is accompanied by the singing of prayers.

The Catholic church in the Gothic style is decorated with carvings and stained glass windows. Statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ replace the icons in it, and the service takes place to the sounds of the organ.

Catholicism created such church positions as bishop, archbishop, abbot and others. All of them take a vow of celibacy upon entering the service.

In Orthodoxy, the clergy are represented by such titles as patriarch, metropolitan, deacon. Unlike the strict rules of the Catholic Church, Orthodox clergy can marry. A vow of celibacy is given only by those who have chosen monasticism for themselves.

In general, the Christian Church has been closely connected with people's lives for centuries. It regulates human behavior in everyday life and is endowed with great opportunities.

Rites of Orthodoxy and Catholicism

This is a direct appeal of a believer to God. Orthodox believers face east during prayer, but for Catholics this does not matter. Catholics are baptized with two fingers, and Orthodox - with three.

In Christianity, the sacrament of baptism is allowed at any age. But most often, both Orthodox and Catholics baptize their children shortly after birth. In Orthodoxy, during baptism, a person is immersed in water three times, and among Catholics, water is poured three times on his head.

Every Christian at least once in his life comes to church for confession. Catholics confess in a special place - the confessional. At the same time, the confessor sees the clergyman through the bars. A Catholic priest will carefully listen to the person and give the necessary advice.

An Orthodox priest at confession can forgive sins and appoint penance- performing pious deeds as a correction of mistakes. Confession in Christianity is the secret of the believer.

The cross is the main symbol of Christianity. It decorates churches and temples, is worn on the body and set on graves. The words depicted on all Christian crosses are the same, but written in different languages.

A pectoral cross worn during baptism will become for the believer a symbol of Christianity and the suffering of Jesus Christ. For the Orthodox cross, the form does not matter, what is depicted on it is much more important. Most often you can see six-pointed or eight-pointed crosses. The image of Jesus Christ on it symbolizes not only torment, but also victory over evil. By tradition, the Orthodox cross has a lower crossbar.

The Catholic cross depicts Jesus Christ as a dead man. His arms are bent, legs are crossed. This image is striking in its realism. The shape of the cross is more concise, without a crossbar.

The classic Catholic image of the crucifixion is the image of the Savior with his feet crossed and pierced with one nail. On his head is a crown of thorns.

Orthodoxy sees Jesus Christ triumphant over death. His palms are open and his legs are not crossed. According to the tradition of Orthodoxy, images of the crown of thorns on the crucifix are very rare.