Differences between the Catholic and Orthodox Church. Is a Catholic a Christian or not? Catholicism and Christianity. The history of the existence of two currents

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

The words on the sign on the crosses are the same, only the languages ​​in which the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” is written are different. In Catholicism it is Latin: INRI. Some Eastern churches use the Greek abbreviation INBI from the Greek text Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

The Romanian Orthodox Church uses the Latin version, and in the Russian and Church Slavonic versions the abbreviation looks like I.Н.Ц.I.

It is interesting that this spelling was approved in Russia only after Nikon’s reform; before that, “Tsar 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 in an extremely naturalistic way, with wounds and blood, wearing a crown of thorns, with his arms sagging under the weight of his body, while on the Orthodox crucifix there are no naturalistic traces of the suffering of Christ, the image of the Savior shows the victory of life over death, the Spirit over the body.

Until 1054, the Christian Church was one and indivisible. The schism occurred due to disagreements between Pope Leo IX and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cyroularius. The conflict began due to the closing of several Latin churches by the latter in 1053. For this, the papal legates excommunicated Kirularius from the Church. In response, the patriarch anathematized the papal envoys. In 1965, the mutual curses were lifted. However, the schism of the Churches has not yet been overcome. Christianity is divided into three main directions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism.

Eastern Church

The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, since both of these religions are Christian, is not very significant. However, there are still some differences in teaching, performance of sacraments, etc. We'll talk about which ones a little later. First, let's make a short overview of the main directions of Christianity.

Orthodoxy, called the orthodox religion in the West, is currently practiced by about 200 million people. Approximately 5 thousand people are baptized every day. This direction of Christianity spread mainly in Russia, as well as in some CIS countries and Eastern Europe.

The baptism of Rus' took place at the end of the 9th century on the initiative of Prince Vladimir. The ruler of a huge pagan state expressed a desire to marry the daughter of the Byzantine Emperor Vasily II, Anna. But for this he needed to convert to Christianity. An alliance with Byzantium was extremely necessary to strengthen the authority of Rus'. At the end of the summer of 988, a huge number of Kiev residents were baptized in the waters of the Dnieper.

Catholic Church

As a result of the schism in 1054, a separate denomination arose in Western Europe. Representatives of the Eastern Church called her “Catholicos”. Translated from Greek it means “universal”. The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism lies not only in the approach of these two Churches to some dogmas of Christianity, but also in the history of development itself. The Western confession, compared to the Eastern one, is considered much more rigid and fanatical.

One of the most important milestones in the history of Catholicism was, for example, the Crusades, which brought a lot of grief to the common population. The first of these was organized at the call of Pope Urban II in 1095. The last - the eighth - ended in 1270. The official goal of all crusades was the liberation of the “holy land” of Palestine and the “Holy Sepulcher” from the infidels. The actual one is the conquest of lands that belonged to Muslims.

In 1229, Pope George IX issued a decree establishing the Inquisition - a church court for apostates from the faith. Torture and burning at the stake - this is how extreme Catholic fanaticism was expressed in the Middle Ages. In total, during the existence of the Inquisition, more than 500 thousand people were tortured.

Of course, the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy (this will be discussed briefly in the article) is a very large and deep topic. However, in general terms, its traditions and basic concept can be understood in relation to the Church’s relationship with the population. The Western confession has always been considered more dynamic, but also aggressive, in contrast to the “calm” Orthodox one.

Currently, Catholicism is the state religion in most European and Latin American countries. More than half of all (1.2 billion people) modern Christians profess this particular religion.

Protestantism

The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism also lies in the fact that the former has remained united and indivisible for almost a millennium. In the Catholic Church in the 14th century. there was a split. This was connected with the Reformation - a revolutionary movement that arose at that time in Europe. In 1526, at the request of German Lutherans, the Swiss Reichstag issued a decree on the right of free choice of religion for citizens. In 1529, however, it was abolished. As a result, a protest followed from a number of cities and princes. This is where the word “Protestantism” comes from. This Christian movement is further divided into two branches: early and late.

At the moment, Protestantism is widespread mainly in the Scandinavian countries: Canada, USA, England, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. In 1948, the World Council of Churches was created. The total number of Protestants is about 470 million people. There are several denominations of this Christian movement: Baptists, Anglicans, Lutherans, Methodists, Calvinists.

In our time, the World Council of Protestant Churches pursues an active peacemaking policy. Representatives of this religion advocate easing international tension, support the efforts of states to defend peace, etc.

The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism

Of course, over the centuries of schism, significant differences have arisen in the traditions of the churches. They did not touch upon the basic principle of Christianity - the acceptance of Jesus as the Savior and Son of God. However, in relation to certain events of the New and Old Testaments, there are often even mutually exclusive differences. In some cases, the methods of conducting various kinds of rituals and sacraments do not agree.

Christian cross: differences

Disagreements regarding the descent of the Holy Spirit are the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The table also shows many other, albeit not very significant, but still discrepancies. They arose a long time ago, and, apparently, none of the churches expresses any particular desire to resolve these contradictions.

There are also differences in the attributes of different directions of Christianity. For example, the Catholic cross has a simple quadrangular shape. The Orthodox have eight points. The Orthodox Eastern Church believes that this type of crucifix most accurately conveys the shape of the cross described in the New Testament. In addition to the main horizontal crossbar, it contains two more. The top one represents a tablet nailed to the cross and containing the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” The lower oblique crossbar - a support for Christ's feet - symbolizes the “righteous standard”.

Table of differences between crosses

The image of the Savior on the crucifix used in the Sacraments is also something that can be attributed to the topic “the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.” The western cross is a little different from the eastern one.

As you can see, with regard to the cross there is also a very noticeable difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The table shows this clearly.

As for Protestants, they consider the cross to be a symbol of the Pope, and therefore practically do not use it.

Icons in different Christian directions

So, the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism (the table of comparisons of crosses confirms this) with regard to attributes is quite noticeable. There are even greater differences in these directions in icons. The rules for depicting Christ, the Mother of God, saints, etc. may differ.

Below are the main differences.

The main difference between an Orthodox icon and a Catholic one is that it is painted in strict accordance with the canons established in Byzantium. Western images of saints, Christ, etc., strictly speaking, have nothing to do with the icon. Typically, such paintings have a very broad subject and were painted by ordinary, non-church artists.

Protestants consider icons to be a pagan attribute and do not use them at all.

Monasticism

With regard to leaving worldly life and devoting oneself to serving God, there is also a significant difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism. The comparison table above shows only the main differences. But there are other differences, also quite noticeable.

For example, in our country, each monastery is practically autonomous and subordinate only to its own bishop. Catholics have a different organization in this regard. The monasteries are united into so-called Orders, each of which has its own head and its own charter. These associations may be scattered throughout the world, but nevertheless they always have a common leadership.

Protestants, unlike Orthodox and Catholics, completely reject monasticism. One of the inspirers of this teaching, Luther, even married a nun.

Church Sacraments

There is a difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism in relation to the rules for conducting various kinds of rituals. Both of these Churches have 7 sacraments. The difference lies primarily in the meaning attached to the main Christian rituals. Catholics believe that the sacraments are valid whether a person is in tune with them or not. According to the Orthodox Church, baptism, confirmation, etc. will be effective only for believers who are completely disposed towards them. Orthodox priests even often compare Catholic rituals with some kind of pagan magical ritual that operates regardless of whether a person believes in God or not.

The Protestant Church practices only two sacraments: baptism and communion. Representatives of this trend consider everything else superficial and reject it.

Baptism

This main Christian sacrament is recognized by all churches: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism. The only differences are in the methods of performing the ritual.

In Catholicism, it is customary for infants to be sprinkled or doused. According to the dogmas of the Orthodox Church, children are completely immersed in water. Recently there has been some movement away from this rule. However, now the Russian Orthodox Church is again returning in this rite to the ancient traditions established by Byzantine priests.

The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism (crosses worn on the body, like large ones, may contain the image of an “orthodox” or “Western” Christ) in relation to the performance of this sacrament is therefore not very significant, but it still exists.

Protestants usually perform baptism with water. But in some denominations it is not used. The main difference between Protestant baptism and Orthodox and Catholic baptism is that it is carried out exclusively for adults.

Differences in the Sacrament of the Eucharist

We have examined the main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. This refers to the descent of the Holy Spirit and the virginity of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Such significant differences have emerged over centuries of schism. Of course, they also exist in the celebration of one of the main Christian sacraments - the Eucharist. Catholic priests administer communion only with unleavened bread. This church product is called wafers. In Orthodoxy, the sacrament of the Eucharist is celebrated with wine and ordinary yeast bread.

In Protestantism, not only members of the Church, but also anyone who wishes, are allowed to receive communion. Representatives of this direction of Christianity celebrate the Eucharist in the same way as the Orthodox - with wine and bread.

Modern relations of the Churches

The split in Christianity occurred almost a thousand years ago. And during this time, churches of different directions failed to agree on unification. Disagreements regarding the interpretation of Holy Scripture, paraphernalia and rituals, as you can see, have persisted to this day and have even intensified over the centuries.

The relations between the two main faiths, Orthodox and Catholic, are also quite ambiguous in our time. Until the middle of the last century, serious tension remained between these two churches. The key concept in the relationship was the word “heresy.”

Recently this situation has changed a little. If earlier the Catholic Church considered Orthodox Christians almost a bunch of heretics and schismatics, then after the Second Vatican Council it recognized the orthodox Sacraments as valid.

Orthodox priests did not officially establish a similar attitude towards Catholicism. But the completely loyal acceptance of Western Christianity has always been traditional for our church. However, of course, some tension between Christian directions still remains. For example, our Russian theologian A.I. Osipov does not have a very good attitude towards Catholicism.

In his opinion, there is a more than worthy and serious difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Osipov considers many saints of the Western Church to be almost crazy. He also warns the Russian Orthodox Church that, for example, cooperation with Catholics threatens the Orthodox with complete subjugation. However, he also repeatedly mentioned that there are wonderful people among Western Christians.

Thus, the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is the attitude towards the Trinity. The Eastern Church believes that the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father. Western - both from the Father and from the Son. There are other differences between these faiths. However, in any case, both churches are Christian and accept Jesus as the Savior of mankind, whose coming, and therefore Eternal life for the righteous, is inevitable.

Catholicism is one of the three main Christian denominations. There are three faiths in total: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. The youngest of the three is Protestantism. It arose from Martin Luther's attempt to reform the Catholic Church in the 16th century.

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

We have collected the main differences and similarities between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, information about the dogmas of Catholicism and features of the confession. It is important to remember that all Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore 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 more than a billion followers worldwide. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope, and not the Patriarch, as in Orthodoxy. The Pope is the supreme ruler of the Holy See. Previously, all bishops were called this way in the Catholic Church. Contrary to popular belief about the total infallibility of the Pope, Catholics consider only the doctrinal statements and decisions of the Pope to be infallible. At the moment, Pope Francis is at the head of the Catholic Church. He was elected on March 13, 2013, and is the first Pope in many years to . In 2016, Pope Francis met with Patriarch Kirill to discuss issues of importance to Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In particular, the problem of persecution of Christians, which exists in some regions in our time.

Dogmas 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 proceeds 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 decisions taken after the seven Ecumenical Councils and Papal Epistles.
• Purgatory is a dogma about an intermediate “station” between hell and heaven, where you can atone for your sins.
• Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and her bodily ascension.
• Communion of the laity only with the Body of Christ, of 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 profess Catholicism, live in Brazil, Mexico and the United States. It is interesting that 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, or papal messages.
• There is no dogma of purgatory in Orthodoxy.
• Orthodoxy does not recognize the doctrine of the “treasury of grace” - the overabundance of good deeds of Christ, the apostles, and the Virgin Mary, which allow one to “draw” salvation from this treasury. It was this teaching that allowed for the possibility of indulgences, which at one time became a stumbling block between Catholics and future Protestants. Indulgences were one of those phenomena in Catholicism that deeply outraged Martin Luther. His plans included not the creation of new denominations, but the reformation of Catholicism.
• In Orthodoxy, the laity Commune with the Body and Blood of Christ: “Take, eat: this is My Body, and drink all of you from it: this is My Blood.”

Both Orthodoxy and Catholicism recognize the Holy Scripture as the basis of their doctrine - the Bible. In the Creed of Catholicism and Orthodoxy, the fundamentals 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, born of the Virgin Mary;

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

The fifth is about the resurrection of Jesus Christ;

The sixth speaks of the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven;

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

The eleventh is about the future general resurrection of the dead;

The twelfth is about eternal life.

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

The Orthodox and Catholic churches attach great importance to holidays and fasting. 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 multi-day fasts in Orthodoxy and Catholicism: before Easter, before the day of Peter and Paul, before the Dormition of the Virgin Mary and before the Nativity of Christ.

Differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

The division of the Christian church into Catholic and Orthodox began with the rivalry between the popes and the patriarchs of Constantinople for supremacy in the Christian world. Around 867 There was a break between Pope Nicholas I and Patriarch Photius of Constantinople. Catholicism and Orthodoxy are often called the Western and Eastern churches, respectively.

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

The organization of the Catholic Church is highly centralized. The Pope is the head of this church. It defines doctrines on matters of faith and morals. 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 to non-traditional interpretation of dogma. Thus, in the Creed recognized by the Orthodox Church, the dogma of the Trinity says that the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father. Catholic dogma declares that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son.

A unique teaching about the role of the church in the matter of salvation was also formed. It is believed that the basis of salvation is faith and good works. The Church, according to the teachings of Catholicism (this is not the case in Orthodoxy), has a treasury of “super-duty” deeds - a “reserve” of good deeds created by Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, saints, pious Christians. The Church has the right to dispose of this treasury, to give part of it to those who need it, that is, to forgive sins, to grant forgiveness to those who repent. Hence the doctrine of indulgences - the remission of sins for money or for some merit to the church. Hence the rules of prayer 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 the Orthodox churches, Roman Catholicism is distinguished primarily by its monolithic nature. The principle of organization of this church is more monarchical: it has a visible center of its unity - the Pope. The apostolic power and teaching authority of the Roman Catholic Church is concentrated in the image of the Pope.

Orthodoxy treats the Holy Scriptures, writings and acts of the church fathers as the sacred word that came from the Lord and was transmitted to people. Orthodoxy asserts 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 strives to preserve the spirit of the Christian faith 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 human conscience. In Orthodoxy, a system of cultic actions is closely connected with dogmatic dogma. The basis of these cult actions are seven main rites-sacraments: baptism, communion, repentance, anointing, marriage, consecration of oil, priesthood. In addition to performing the sacraments, the Orthodox cult system includes prayers, veneration of the cross, icons, relics, relics and saints.

Catholicism views Christian tradition rather as “seeds”, which are Christ, the apostles, etc. planted in the souls and minds of people so that they could find their paths to God.

The Pope is elected by the cardinals, that is, the highest stratum of the clergy of the Roman Catholic Church, who comes immediately behind the Pope. The Pope is elected by a two-thirds vote of the cardinals. The Pope leads the Roman Catholic Church through a central government apparatus called the Roman Curia. It is a kind of government in which there are divisions called congregations. They provide leadership to certain areas of church life. In a secular government this would correspond to ministries.

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

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

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? Are there many more denominations within each direction? All questions have their own historical and religious answers. We will now get acquainted with some of them.

History of Catholicism

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

The western part of the Ancient Roman Empire is considered the birthplace of the faiths. It was there that the words themselves appeared: This direction was formed throughout the first millennium. During this period, spiritual texts, chants and services were the same for all who worship Christ and the Trinity. And only around 1054 the Eastern one, with the center in Constantinople, and the Catholic one - the Western one, the center of which was Rome. Since then, it has come to be believed that a Catholic is not just a Christian, but an adherent of the Western religious tradition.

Reasons for the split

How can we explain the reasons for the discord that 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 Greco-Byzantine branch, as a spiritual platform, relies on the “Revelations” of John the Theologian, the Roman branch - on the Epistle to the Hebrews. The first is characterized by asceticism, moral quest, and “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 governance and other important areas of church life became the watershed that separated Catholicism and Orthodoxy on opposite 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 Reformation

Over time, the Catholic clergy deviated so much from the norms that the Bible affirmed and preached that this served as the basis for the organization within the Church of such a movement as Protestantism. Its spiritual and ideological basis was the teachings of its supporters. The Reformation gave birth to Calvinism, Anabaptism, 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 went hand in hand with secular power. The trade in indulgences, the advantages of the Roman Church over the Eastern, 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, 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, like others, is a critical approach to various theological books and authorities.

On the issue 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 do not understand theology and all sorts of religious subtleties too deeply. The answer is both simple and difficult at the same time. As stated above, initially - yes. While the Church was One Christian, everyone who was part of it prayed the same, and worshiped God according to the same regulations, and used common rituals. But even after the division, 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 are baptized are considered Catholics as brothers in faith. They also have their own documents, which also confirm that Catholicism is a phenomenon whose nature is akin 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 that together they serve a common cause.