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. IN at the moment The head of the Catholic Church is Pope Francis. He was elected on March 13, 2013, and is the first Pope in for many years, which . 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 numbers of Catholics, people who practice 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 angered 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.”

Nika Kravchuk

How Orthodox Church different from Catholic

Orthodox Church And 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 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 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. Catholic churches have an organ, relatively fewer icons, but still have 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.

Take it for yourself and tell your friends!

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“Table “Comparison of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches””

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church

	Catholic Church	Orthodox Church
Name	Roman Catholic	Greek Orthodox Eastern Catholic
	Pope (Pontiff)	Patriarch of Constantinople
		Constantinople

Relation to Our Lady
Images in temples	Sculptures and frescoes
Music in the temple	Use of the organ

Language of worship

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church.

How many mistakes were made? What mistakes were made?

	Catholic Church	Orthodox Church
Name	Roman Catholic	Greek Orthodox Eastern Catholic
	Pope (Pontiff)	Patriarch of Constantinople
		Constantinople
	Believes that the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father through the Son.	Believes that the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son (filioque; lat. filioque - “and from the Son”). Eastern Rite Catholics have a different opinion on this issue.
Relation to Our Lady	The embodiment of Beauty, Wisdom, Truth, Youth, happy motherhood	Queen of Heaven, patroness and comforter
Images in temples	Sculptures and frescoes
Music in the temple		Use of the organ
	Seven sacraments are accepted: baptism, confirmation, repentance, Eucharist, marriage, priesthood, consecration of oil. You can sit on benches during ceremonies. The Eucharist is celebrated on leavened bread (bread prepared with yeast); communion for clergy and laity with the Body of Christ and His Blood (bread and wine)	Seven sacraments are accepted: baptism, confirmation, repentance, Eucharist, marriage, priesthood, consecration of oil (unction). The Eucharist is celebrated on unleavened bread (unleavened bread prepared without yeast); communion for the clergy - with the Body and Blood of Christ (bread and wine), for the laity - only with the Body of Christ (bread). You are not allowed to sit during the rituals.
Language of worship	In most countries, worship is in Latin	In most countries, services are held in national languages; in Russia, as a rule, in Church Slavonic.

The Orthodox and Catholic Church, as we know, are two branches of the same 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 sacellar 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 only monastics can achieve the highest ranks and titles in Orthodoxy. Sometimes, in order to be promoted to bishop, local priests have to part with their wives. Most the best way at the same time - send his 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, a 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 contraceptives that do not have an abortifacient effect, for example, condoms and female contraceptives. 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.

In the CIS countries, most people are familiar with Orthodoxy, but know little about other Christian denominations and non-Christian religions. Therefore the question is: “ How does the Catholic Church differ from the Orthodox Church?“or, to put it more simply, “the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy” - Catholics are asked very often. Let's try to answer it.

First of all, Catholics are also Christians. Christianity is divided into three main directions: 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 Churches independent of each other.

Besides the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there is the Georgian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church, 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 single leadership. But the Orthodox believe that the unity of the Orthodox Church is manifested in a single doctrine and in mutual communication in the sacraments.

Catholicism is one Universal Church. All its parts are different countries the world are in communication with each other, share a single creed 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 Catholics of the Roman rite, Catholics of the Byzantine rite, etc., but they are all members of the same Church.

Now we can talk about the differences:

1) So, the first difference between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches is in different understandings 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 each local Church, headed by a bishop. 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 in that The Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son (“filioque”). The Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Spirit emanating only from the Father. Some Orthodox saints spoke about the procession of the Spirit from the Father through the Son, which does not contradict Catholic dogma.

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

5)The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of purgatory. This is the state of souls after death, destined for heaven, but not yet ready for it. There is no purgatory in Orthodox teaching (although there is something similar - ordeal). But the prayers of the Orthodox for the dead assume 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 Immaculate Conception Virgin Mary. This means that even original sin did not touch the Mother of the Savior. Orthodox Christians glorify the holiness of the Mother of God, but believe that she was born with original sin, like all people;

7)Catholic dogma of Mary's assumption to heaven body and soul is a logical continuation of the previous dogma. The Orthodox also believe that Mary resides in Heaven in body and soul, but this is not dogmatically enshrined in Orthodox teaching.

8) The Catholic Church accepted the dogma of the primacy of the Pope over the entire Church in matters of faith and morals, discipline and government. The Orthodox do not recognize the primacy of the Pope;

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

In Russia, the Roman (Latin) rite of the Catholic Church is better known. Therefore, the differences between the liturgical practice and church discipline of the Byzantine and Roman rites of the Catholic Church are often mistaken for differences between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. But if the Orthodox liturgy is very different from the Roman rite mass, then the Catholic liturgy of the Byzantine rite is very similar. And the presence of married priests in the Russian Orthodox Church 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 morals in those cases where 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 accepts the decisions of only 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, preserving apostolic succession and true sacraments. Both Catholics and Orthodox Christians have the same Creed.

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

Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples. His disciples are all of us, both Catholics and Orthodox. Let us join in His prayer: “That they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21). The unbelieving world needs our common witness for Christ.

Video lectures on the Dogmas of the Catholic Church