What is the difference between Christianity and Catholicism. How does the Orthodox Church differ from the Catholic Church?

Catholics and Orthodox - what's the difference? Differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism? This article answers these questions briefly in simple words.

Catholics belong to one of the 3 main denominations of Christianity. There are three Christian denominations in the world: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. The youngest is Protestantism, which arose in the 16th century as a result of Martin Luther's attempt to reform the Catholic Church.

The division of the Catholic and Orthodox churches occurred in 1054, when Pope Leo IX drew up an act of excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople and all Eastern Church. Patriarch Michael convened a council, at which he was excommunicated from the Church and the commemoration of popes in the Eastern churches was stopped.

The main reasons for the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox:

different languages of worship ( Greek in the eastern and Latin in the western church)
dogmatic, ritual differences between eastern(Constantinople) and western(Rome)churches ,
the Pope's desire to become first, dominant among 4 equal Christian patriarchs (Rome, Constantinople, Antioch, Jerusalem).

IN 1965 Head of the Orthodox Church of Constantinople Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras and Pope Paul VI canceled mutual anathemas and signed Joint Declaration. However, many contradictions between the two churches have unfortunately not yet been overcome.

In the article you will find the main differences in the dogmas and beliefs of the 2 Christian churches - Catholic and Christian. But it is important to understand that all Christians: Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox, are in no way “enemies” of each other, but, on the contrary, brothers and sisters in Christ.

Dogmas of the Catholic Church. Differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

These are the main dogmas of the Catholic Church, which differ from the Orthodox understanding of the Gospel truth.

Filioque - dogma about the Holy Spirit. Claims that He comes from both God the Son and God the Father.
Celibacy is the dogma of celibacy for all clergy, not just monks.
For Catholics, Sacred Tradition is only decisions made after the 7th Ecumenical Councils, as well as Papal Epistles.
Purgatory is the dogma that between hell and heaven there is an intermediate place (purgatory) where atonement for sins is possible.
Dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and her bodily ascension.
The dogma of the communion of the clergy with the Body and Blood of Christ, and the laity - only with the Body of Christ.

Dogmas of the Orthodox Church. Differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Orthodox Christians, unlike Catholics, believe that the Holy Spirit comes only from God the Father. This is stated in the Creed.
In Orthodoxy, celibacy is observed only by monks; the rest of the clergy marry.
For the Orthodox, the Holy Tradition is the ancient oral tradition, the decrees of the first 7 Ecumenical Councils.
IN Orthodox Christianity there is no dogma of purgatory.
In Orthodox Christianity there is no teaching about the overabundance of good deeds of the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, and the apostles (“treasury of grace”), which allows one to “draw” salvation from this treasury. This teaching allowed the emergence of indulgences * , which became a stumbling block between Protestants and Catholics. Indulgences deeply angered Martin Luther. He did not want to create a new denomination, he wanted to reform Catholicism.
Laity and clergy in Orthodoxy Communicate with the Body and Blood of Christ: “Take, eat: this is My Body, and drink of it, all of you: this is My Blood.”

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Who are Catholics and in what countries do they live?

The largest numbers of Catholics live in Mexico (about 91% of the population), Brazil (74% of the population), the United States (22% of the population) and Europe (ranging from 94% of the population in Spain to 0.41% in Greece).

You can see what percentage of the population in all countries professes Catholicism in the table on Wikipedia: Catholicism by country >>>

There are more than a billion Catholics in the world. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope (in Orthodoxy - the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople). There is a popular belief about the total infallibility of the Pope, but this is not true. In Catholicism, only the doctrinal decisions and statements of the Pope are considered infallible. The Catholic Church is now led by Pope Francis. He was elected on March 13, 2013.

Both Orthodox and Catholics are Christians!

Christ teaches us love for absolutely all people. And even more so, to our brothers in faith. Therefore, you should not argue about which faith is more correct, but it is better to show your neighbors, helping those in need, a virtuous life, forgiveness, non-judgment, meekness, mercy and love for neighbors.

I hope the article " Catholics and Orthodox - what's the difference? was useful for you and now you know what the main differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy are, what is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox.

I wish everyone to notice the good in life, enjoy everything, even bread and rain, and thank God for everything!

I share with you useful video WHAT THE MOVIE “AREAS OF DARKNESS” TAUGHT ME:

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 God's 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 give great importance holidays and fasting. Lent is usually preceded by great church holidays. The essence of fasting is “cleansing and renewal human soul", preparation for important event 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

Beginning of separation christian church the Catholic and Orthodox were influenced by the rivalry between the popes and the patriarchs of Constantinople for supremacy in Christendom. 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 similar canonical device, recognize each other’s sacraments and are in fellowship. 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 refers to scriptures, writings and deeds of the church fathers as sacred word came from the Lord and was given 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 church life. In a secular government this would correspond to ministries.

The Mass (liturgy) is the main worship service in the Catholic Church, which until recently was held on 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.

For obvious reasons, I will answer the other way around - about the differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy in spiritual terms.

A large number of spiritual practices: these include prayers of the rosary (Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy and others), and adoration of the Holy Gifts (adoration), and reflection on the Gospel in the most different traditions(from Ignatian to Lectio Divina), and spiritual exercises (from the simplest recollections to a month’s silence according to the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola) - I have described almost all of them in detail here:

The absence of the institution of “elders”, who are perceived among believers as enlightened and infallible saints living in their lifetime. And the attitude towards priests is different: there is no usual Orthodox “father blessed me to buy a skirt, father did not bless me to be friends with Petya” - Catholics make decisions themselves, without shifting responsibility to a priest or nun.

Catholics, for the most part, know better the course of the Liturgy - both because they are participants, and not spectators-listeners, and because they have undergone catechesis (you cannot become a Catholic without studying the faith).

Catholics receive communion more often, and here, alas, it is not without abuse - either it becomes a habit and faith in the Eucharist is lost, or they begin to receive Communion without confession.

By the way, Eucharistic veneration is characteristic only of Catholics - Orthodox Christians have neither adoration nor a procession for the celebration of the Body and Blood of the Lord (Corpus Christi). The holy place of veneration of the Eucharist is occupied by popular saints, as far as I understand.

With all this, Catholics are more inclined to simplify, increase “closeness to the people” and “compliance modern world" - are more inclined to become like Protestants. At the same time, forgetting the nature and purpose of the Church.

Catholics love to play ecumenism and rush around with it like a white bag, not paying attention to the fact that these games are of no interest to anyone except themselves. A sort of non-aggressive, naive-romantic “mouse brother”.

For Catholics, the exclusivity of the Church, as a rule, remains only on paper, not in their heads, but Orthodox Christians remember very well why they are truer.

Well, the monastic traditions, which have already been mentioned here - a huge number of very different orders and congregations, from ultra-liberal Jesuits and entertaining Franciscans, slightly more moderate Dominicans to the invariably strict lifestyle of the highly spiritual Benedictines and Carthusians; movements of the laity - from the unbridled Neocatechumenate and careless focolars to the moderate Communione e Liberazione and the restrained prelature of Opus Dei.

And also rituals - there are about 22 of them in the Catholic Church. Not only Latin (the most famous) and Byzantine (identical to Orthodox), but also exotic Syro-Malabar, Dominican and others; here are traditionalists committed to the pre-reform Latin rite (according to the Missal of 1962) and former Anglicans who became Catholics in the pontificate of Benedict XVI, receiving a personal prelature and their own order of worship. That is, Catholics are not so monotonous and not at all homogeneous, but at the same time they get along well together - both thanks to the fullness of truth, and thanks to the understanding of the importance of the unity of the Church, and thanks to human factors. The Orthodox are split into 16 church communities (and these are only official ones!), their heads cannot even meet to resolve any issues - the intrigues and attempts to pull the blanket over themselves are too strong...

Nika Kravchuk

How does the Orthodox Church differ from the Catholic Church?

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

The most important dogmatic differences Perhaps we can single out three.

Symbol of faith. The Orthodox Church teaches that the Holy Spirit comes 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 comes from the Father and the Son.

Veneration of the Mother of God. Catholics have a dogma about immaculate conception Virgin Mary, according to which Our Lady did not inherit original sin. The Orthodox Church says that Mary was freed from original sin from the moment of Christ’s conception. Also, Catholics believe that the Mother of God ascended to heaven, so they do not know the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so revered in Orthodoxy.

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

But there are many other differences.

Celibacy. In the Orthodox Church there are black and white clergy, the latter, accordingly, are supposed to have families. The Catholic clergy takes a vow of celibacy.

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

Sign of the Cross. Orthodox Christians cross themselves with three fingers, from left to right. Catholics - five and from right to left.

Baptism. If in the Catholic Church it is only necessary to pour water over the person being baptized, then in the Orthodox Church it is necessary to immerse the person headlong. In Orthodoxy, the sacraments of baptism and confirmation are performed at the same moment, but among Catholics, confirmation is performed separately (possibly on the day of First Communion).

Communion. During this sacrament, Orthodox Christians eat bread made from leavened dough, while Catholics eat bread made from unleavened dough. In addition, the Orthodox Church blesses children to give communion from the very beginning. early age, and in Catholicism this is preceded by catechesis (teaching the Christian faith), after which there is a big holiday - 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 a person’s soul can still be purified for eternal bliss.

Construction of the temple. IN Catholic churches there is an organ installed, relatively fewer icons, but there are still sculptures and plenty of seating. IN Orthodox churches there are many icons, paintings, 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. Catholics specify that this local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church.

Cathedrals. The Orthodox Church recognizes seven Ecumenical Councils, and the Catholic Church recognizes 21.

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

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When people first come to church, the text of the services seems completely incomprehensible to them. “You catechumens, come forth,” the priest shouts. Who does he mean? Where to go? Where did this name even come from? Answers to these questions must be sought in the history of the Church.

Orthodox and Catholic Church, as we know, are two branches of one tree. Both of them revere Jesus, wear crosses around their necks and make the sign of the cross. How are they different? The division of the church occurred back in 1054. Actually, disagreements between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople began long before this, however, it was in 1054 that Pope Leo IX sent legates led by Cardinal Humbert to Constantinople to resolve the conflict, which began with the closure of the Latin churches in Constantinople in 1053 by order of Patriarch Michael Kirularia, during which his sacellarius Constantine threw out the Holy Gifts, prepared according to Western custom from unleavened bread, from the tabernacles, and trampled them under his feet. However, it was not possible to find a path to reconciliation, and on July 16, 1054, in the Hagia Sophia, the papal legates announced the deposition of Kirularius and his excommunication from the Church. In response to this, on July 20, the patriarch anathematized the legates.

Although in 1965 the mutual anathemas were lifted and Catholics and Orthodox no longer look askance at each other, proclaiming the idea of common roots and principles, in reality differences still remain.

So, what is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians? It turns out that the point is not at all that some cross themselves from right to left, and others 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 Christians see her primarily as the Mother of God. In addition, Catholics postulate the fact that the Virgin Mary was as immaculately conceived as Christ. From the point of view of Catholics, she was ascended alive to heaven during her lifetime, while Orthodox Christians even have an apocryphal story about the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. And this is not the Hicks Boson, 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. Here is a fundamental question - if you doubt the postulate of faith, then you cannot be considered a full-fledged believer.

2. Among Catholics, all priests must observe celibacy - they are forbidden to have sex, much less get married. Among the Orthodox, the clergy is divided into black and white. That is, this is why deacons and priests can and even must marry, be fruitful and multiply, while sex is prohibited for the black clergy (monks). At all. It is believed that senior officials and titles in Orthodoxy, but only monastics can achieve them. Sometimes, in order to be promoted to bishop, local priests have to part with their wives. The best way to do this is to send your wife to a monastery.

3. Catholics recognize the existence (besides hell and heaven) of purgatory - where the soul, recognized as not too sinful, but also not righteous, is properly fried 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 humans in earthly life. Catholics long ago calculated the thickness of all nine paradise crystal vaults, compiled a list of plants growing in paradise, and even measured in honey measures the sweetness experienced by the tongue of the soul that first inhaled the aromas of paradise.

4. The 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 life-giving Lord, who proceeds from the Father.” Unlike the Orthodox, Catholics also add “and from the Son” here. A question on which many theologians have broken spears.

5. At communion, Catholics eat unleavened bread, while Orthodox Christians eat bread made from leavened dough. It would seem that here we can meet each other, but who will take the first step?

6. During baptism, Catholics only pour water on children and adults, but in Orthodoxy it is necessary to plunge headlong into the font. Therefore, large babies who do not fit completely into the children's font, as a result of which the priest is forced to pour a handful of water on the protruding parts of their body, are called “drenched” in Orthodoxy. It is believed, although unofficially, that demons have more power over Oblivanians than over those who are normally baptized.

7. Catholics cross themselves from left to right and with all five fingers joined together. At the same time, they do not reach to the stomach, but make a lower touch in the chest area. This gives the Orthodox, who cross themselves with three fingers (in some cases two) from right to left, reason to claim that Catholics draw on themselves not a normal cross, but an upside-down one, that is, a satanic sign.

8. Catholics are obsessed with fighting any type of contraception, which seems especially appropriate during the AIDS pandemic. And Orthodoxy recognizes the possibility of using some contraception that do not have an abortifacient effect, for example, condoms and female caps. Of course, legally married.

9. Well, Catholics consider the Pope to be the infallible representative of God on earth. In the Orthodox Church, the Patriarch holds a similar position. Which, theoretically, can also fail.