Christians and Orthodox in what. Catholics and Orthodox - what's the difference? The main reasons for the division of the church into Catholic and Orthodox

Orthodoxy is not Christianity. How historical myths appeared

The Greek-Catholic Orthodox (Right Faithful) Church (now the Russian Orthodox Church) began to be called Orthodox Slavic only on September 8, 1943 (approved by Stalin’s decree in 1945). What then was called Orthodoxy for several millennia?

“In our time, in modern Russian vernacular in official, scientific and religious designation, the term “Orthodoxy” is applied to anything related to the ethnocultural tradition and it is necessarily associated with the Russian Orthodox Church and the Christian religion ( Judeo-Christian religion – ed.).

To a simple question: “What is Orthodoxy,” any modern person, without hesitation, will answer that Orthodoxy is the Christian faith that has been accepted Kievan Rus during the reign of Prince Vladimir the Red Sun from the Byzantine Empire in 988 AD. And that Orthodoxy, i.e. The Christian faith has existed on Russian soil for more than a thousand years. Historical scientists and Christian theologians, in support of their words, declare that the earliest use of the word Orthodoxy on the territory of Rus' is recorded in the “Sermon on Law and Grace” of the 1037-1050s of Metropolitan Hilarion.

But was it really so?

We advise you to carefully read the preamble to federal law on freedom of conscience and religious associations, adopted on September 26, 1997. Please note the following points in the preamble: “Recognizing the special role Orthodoxy in Russia...and further respecting Christianity , Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and other religions..."

Thus, the concepts of Orthodoxy and Christianity are not identical and carry within them completely different concepts and meanings.

Orthodoxy. How historical myths appeared

It is worth thinking about who participated in the seven councils of Christian ( Judeo-Christian – ed.) churches? Orthodox holy fathers or still Orthodox holy fathers, as indicated in the original Word on Law and Grace? Who and when made the decision to replace one concept with another? And was there ever any mention of Orthodoxy in the past?

The answer to this question was given by the Byzantine monk Belisarius in 532 AD. Long before the baptism of Rus', this is what he wrote in his Chronicles about the Slavs and their ritual of visiting the bathhouse: “Orthodox Slovenians and Rusyns - wild people, and their life is wild and godless, men and girls locking themselves together in a hot, heated hut and exhausting their bodies...”

We will not pay attention to the fact that for the monk Belisarius the usual visit to the bathhouse by the Slavs seemed something wild and incomprehensible; this is quite natural. Something else is important for us. Pay attention to how he called the Slavs: Orthodox Slovenians and Rusyns.

For this one phrase alone we must express our gratitude to him. Since with this phrase the Byzantine monk Belisarius confirms that the Slavs were Orthodox for many hundreds ( thousands – ed.) years before their conversion to Christianity ( Judeo-Christian – ed..) faith.

The Slavs were called Orthodox because they RIGHT was praised.

What is "RIGHT"?

Our ancestors believed that reality, the cosmos, is divided into three levels. And this is also very similar to the Indian division system: Upper world, Middle world and the Lower World.

In Rus' these three levels were called:

>The highest level is the level of Government orEdit.

>Second, average level, ThisReality.

>And the lowest level isNav. Nav or Non-reality, unmanifested.

>Peace Ruleis a world where everything is right orideal higher world.This is a world where ideal beings with higher consciousness live.

> Reality- this is ours, the manifest, obvious world, the world of people.

>And peace Navi or do not appear, the unmanifest is the negative, unmanifested or lower or posthumous world.

The Indian Vedas also speak of the existence of three worlds:

>The upper world is a world where energy dominates goodness.

>The middle world is covered passion.

>The lower world is immersed in ignorance

Christians have no such division. The Bible is silent about this.

Such a similar understanding of the world gives similar motivation in life, i.e. it is necessary to strive for the world of Rule or Goodness. And in order to get into the world of Rule, you need to do everything correctly, i.e. according to God's law.

Words such as “truth” come from the root “rule.” Is it true- what gives the right. “Yes” is “to give,” and “rule” is “highest.” So, “truth” is what gives the truth. Control. Correction. Government. Right Not right. Those. The roots of all these words are this “right”. “Right” or “rule”, i.e. highest beginning. Those. The point is that real management should be based on the concept of Rule or a higher reality. And real governance should spiritually elevate those who follow the ruler, leading his wards along the paths of rule.

>Details in the article:Philosophical and cultural similarities of Ancient Rus' and Ancient India" .

Substitution of the name "Orthodoxy" is not "Orthodoxy"

The question is, who and when on Russian soil decided to replace the terms orthodoxy with Orthodoxy?

This happened in the 17th century, when Moscow Patriarch Nikon instituted church reform. The main goal of this reform by Nikon was not to change the rituals of the Christian church, as it is interpreted now, where everything supposedly comes down to replacing the double finger sign of the cross for tripartite and walking procession On the other side. The main goal of the reform was the destruction of dual faith on Russian soil.

Nowadays, few people know that before the reign of Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich in Muscovy, dual faith existed on Russian lands. In other words, the common people professed not only orthodoxy, i.e. Greek Rite Christianity, which came from Byzantium, but also the old pre-Christian faith of their ancestors ORTHODOXY. This is what most worried Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov and his spiritual mentor Christian Patriarch Nikon, for Orthodox Old Believers lived by their own principles and did not recognize any power over themselves.

Patriarch Nikon decided to put an end to dual faith in a very original way. To do this, under the guise of reform in the church, allegedly due to the discrepancy between the Greek and Slavic texts, he ordered all liturgical books to be rewritten, replacing the phrases “orthodox Christian faith” with “ Orthodox faith Christian." In the Chetiy Menaia that have survived to this day, we can see the old version of the entry “Orthodox Christian Faith.” This was Nikon’s very interesting approach to the matter of reform.

Firstly, there was no need to rewrite many ancient Slavic, as they said then, charati books, or chronicles, which described the victories and achievements of pre-Christian Orthodoxy.

Secondly, life during the times of dual faith was erased from the memory of the people and original meaning Orthodoxy, because after such a church reform, any text from liturgical books or ancient chronicles could be interpreted as the beneficial influence of Christianity on Russian lands. In addition, the Patriarch sent out a reminder to Moscow churches about the use of the three-finger sign of the cross instead of the two-finger sign.

Thus began the reform, as well as the protest against it, which led to a church schism. The protest against Nikon's church reforms was organized by the patriarch's former comrades, archpriests Avvakum Petrov and Ivan Neronov. They pointed out to the patriarch the arbitrariness of his actions, and then in 1654 he organized a Council at which, as a result of pressure on the participants, he sought to carry out a book review of ancient Greek and Slavic manuscripts. However, for Nikon, the comparison was not with the old rituals, but with the modern Greek practice of that time. All the actions of Patriarch Nikon led to the fact that the church split into two warring parts.

Supporters of the old traditions accused Nikon of a trilingual heresy and indulgence in paganism, as Christians called Orthodoxy, that is, the old pre-Christian faith. The split spread throughout the country. This led to the fact that in 1667 a large Moscow council condemned and deposed Nikon, and anathematized all opponents of the reforms. Since then, adherents of new liturgical traditions began to be called Nikonians, and adherents of old rituals and traditions began to be called schismatics and persecuted. The confrontation between the Nikonians and the schismatics at times led to armed clashes until the tsarist troops came out on the side of the Nikonians. To avoid large-scale religious war Some of the higher clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate condemned some provisions of Nikon’s reforms.

In liturgical practices and government documents the term Credibility began to be used again. For example, let us turn to the spiritual regulations of Peter the Great: “...And as a Christian Sovereign, he is a guardian of orthodoxy and all piety in the Holy Church...”

As we see, even in the 18th century, Peter the Great was called the Christian sovereign, the guardian of Orthodoxy and piety. But about Orthodoxy in this document there is not a word. It is not in the editions of the Spiritual Regulations of 1776-1856.

Education of the Russian Orthodox Church

Based on this, the question arises: when did the term Orthodoxy begin to be officially used by the Christian Church?

The fact is that in the Russian Empire did not have Russian Orthodox Church. The Christian Church existed under a different name - “Russian Greek Catholic Church”. Or as it was also called “Russian Orthodox Church of the Greek Rite”.

Christian church called The Russian Orthodox Church appeared during the reign of the Bolsheviks.

At the beginning of 1945, by order of Joseph Stalin, a local council of the Russian church was held in Moscow under the leadership of responsible persons from the State Security of the USSR and a new Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus' was elected.

It should be mentioned that many Christian priests, those who did not recognize the power of the Bolsheviks left Russia and beyond its borders they continue to profess Christianity of the Eastern Rite and call their church nothing more than Russian Orthodox Church or Russian Orthodox Church.

In order to finally move away from well crafted historical myth and to find out what the word Orthodoxy actually meant in ancient times, let us turn to those people who still keep old faith ancestors

Having received his education in Soviet time, these pundits either do not know or are carefully trying to hide from ordinary people, that even in ancient times, long before the birth of Christianity, Orthodoxy existed in the Slavic lands. It covered not only the basic concept when our wise ancestors glorified the Rule. And the deep essence of Orthodoxy was much larger and more voluminous than it seems today.

The figurative meaning of this word also included the concept of when our ancestors The right was praised. But it was not Roman law or Greek law, but ours, our native Slavic law.

It included:

>Clan Law, based on the ancient cultural traditions, laws and foundations of the Family;

>Communal law, creating mutual understanding between various Slavic clans living together in one small settlement;

>Copper law that regulated the interaction between communities living in large settlements, which were cities;

>Weighty law, which determined the relationships between communities living in different cities and settlements within one Vesi, i.e. within one area of settlement and residence;

>Veche law, which was adopted at a general gathering of all the people and was observed by all clans of the Slavic community.

Any Right from the Tribal to the Veche was established on the basis of the ancient Laws, the culture and foundations of the Family, as well as on the basis of the commandments of the ancient Slavic gods and the instructions of the ancestors. This was our native Slavic Right.

Our wise ancestors commanded to preserve it, and we preserve it. Since ancient times, our ancestors glorified the Rule and we continue to glorify the Rule, and we preserve our Slavic Right and pass it on from generation to generation.

Therefore, we and our ancestors were, are and will be Orthodox.

Substitution on Wikipedia

Modern interpretation of the term ORTHODOX = Orthodox, appeared on Wikipedia only after this resource switched to funding from the UK government. In fact, Orthodoxy is translated as rightVerie, Orthodox is translated as orthodox.

Either, Wikipedia, continuing the idea of the “identity” Orthodoxy = Orthodoxy, should call Muslims and Jews Orthodox (for the terms Orthodox Muslim or Orthodox Jew are found throughout world literature) or still admit that Orthodoxy = Orthodoxy and in no way relates to Orthodoxy, as well as the Christian Church of the Eastern Rite, called the Russian Orthodox Church since 1945.

Orthodoxy is not a religion, not Christianity, but a faith

Any Indian follower Vedanta knows that his religion, together with the Aryans, came from Rus'. And modern Russian is their ancient Sanskrit. It’s just that in India it changed to Hindi, but in Russia it remained the same. Therefore, Indian Vedism is not fully Russian Vedism.

Russian nicknames for gods Vyshen (Rod) And Kryshen (Yar, Christ) became the names of Indian gods Vishnu And Krishna. The Encyclopedia is cunningly silent about this.

Witchcraft is an everyday understanding of Russian Vedism, including elementary skills of magic and mysticism. “Fight against witches” in Western Europe in the 15th-16th centuries. was a struggle with Slavic women who prayed to the Vedic gods.

The Russian god corresponds to the Christian God the Father Genus, but not at all Jehovah-Yahweh-Sabaoth, who among the Masons is the god of darkness and death of Rus' Mary. Myself Jesus Christ on many Christian icons is designated as Yar and his mother Maria- How Mara.

The word "devil" has the same root as Virgo. This is the prince of darkness, Masonic hosts, which is otherwise called Satan. There are also no “servants of God” in the Vedic religion. And only the desire of the West to belittle Russian Vedism and force Russians to abandon their gods, in which Russians believed for hundreds of thousands of years, led to the fact that Russian Christianity became more and more pro-Western, and the followers of Russian Vedism began to be considered “servants of the devil.” In other words, in the West they turned all Russian concepts inside out.

After all, the concept "Orthodoxy" originally belonged to Russian Vedism and meant: "The Rule was Praised".

Therefore, early Christianity began to call itself "true believers", however this term was then transferred to Islam. As you know, Christianity has the epithet “Orthodox” only in Russian; on the rest it calls itself “orthodox,” that is, “orthodox.”

In other words, modern Christianity has secretly appropriated the Vedic name, which is deeply rooted in the Russian consciousness.

Veles functions in much to a greater extent, than Saint Blaise, was inherited by Saint Nicholas of Myra, nicknamed Nicholas the Wonderworker. (See the result of the study published in the book: Uspensky B.A.. Philological research in the field of Slavic antiquities.. - M.: Moscow State University, 1982 .)

By the way, on many of his icons it is written in implicit letters: MARY LIK. Hence the original name of the area in honor of the face of Mary: Marlykian. So in fact this bishop was Nicholas of Marlikiysky. And his city, which was originally called “ Mary"(that is, the city of Mary), is now called Bari. There was a phonetic replacement of sounds.

Bishop Nicholas of Myra - Nicholas the Wonderworker

However, now Christians do not remember these details, hushing up the Vedic roots of Christianity. For now Jesus in Christianity is interpreted as the God of Israel, although Judaism does not consider him a god. But Christianity says nothing about the fact that Jesus Christ, as well as his apostles, are different faces of Yar, although this is read on many icons. The name of the god Yara is also read on Shroud of Turin .

At one time, Vedism reacted very calmly and brotherly to Christianity, seeing in it simply a local outgrowth of Vedism, for which there is a name: paganism (that is, an ethnic variety), like Greek paganism with another name Yara - Ares, or Roman, with with the name Yara - Mars, or with the Egyptian, where the name Yar or Ar was read in reverse side, Ra. In Christianity, Yar became Christ, and Vedic temples made icons and crosses of Christ.

And only over time, under the influence of political, or rather geopolitical reasons, Christianity was opposed to Vedism, and then Christianity saw manifestations of “paganism” everywhere and waged a struggle with it not to the stomach, but to the death. In other words, he betrayed his parents, his heavenly patrons, and began to preach humility and submission.

>Details in the article:V.A. Chudinov - Proper education .

Secret writing on Russian and modern Christian icons

Thus Christianity within ALL Rus' was adopted not in 988, but in the interval between 1630 and 1635.

The study of Christian icons made it possible to identify sacred texts on them. Explicit inscriptions cannot be included among them. But they absolutely include implicit inscriptions associated with Russian Vedic gods, temples and priests (memes).

On old Christian icons of the Virgin Mary with the baby Jesus there are Russian inscriptions in runes, saying that these are depicted Slavic Goddess Makosh with the baby God Yar. Jesus Christ was also called HOR OR HORUS. Moreover, the name CHOR on the mosaic depicting Christ in the Church of Christ Choir in Istanbul is written like this: “NHOR”, that is, ICHOR. The letter I used to be written as N. The name IGOR is almost identical to the name IHOR OR CHORUS, since the sounds X and G could transform into each other. By the way, it is possible that the respectful name HERO came from here, which later entered many languages practically unchanged.

And then the need to disguise Vedic inscriptions becomes clear: their discovery on icons could entail accusing the icon painter of belonging to the Old Believers, and for this, Nikon reform, could be punished by exile or death.

On the other hand, as is now becoming obvious, the absence of Vedic inscriptions made the icon a non-sacred artifact. In other words, it was not so much the presence of narrow noses, thin lips and large eyes that made the image sacred, but it was the connection with the god Yar in the first place and with the goddess Mara in the second place through reference implicit inscriptions that added magical and miraculous properties to the icon. Therefore, icon painters, if they wanted to make an icon miraculous, and not a simple piece of art, were obliged to supply any image with the words: FACE OF YAR, MIM OF YAR AND MARA, TEMPLE OF MARA, YAR TEMPLE, YAR Rus', etc.

Nowadays, when persecution on religious charges has ceased, the icon painter no longer risks his life and property by applying implicit inscriptions to modern icon paintings. Therefore, in a number of cases, namely in the cases of mosaic icons, he no longer tries to hide this kind of inscription as much as possible, but transfers them to the category of semi-explicit.

Thus, using Russian material, the reason was revealed why explicit inscriptions on icons moved into the category of semi-explicit and implicit: the ban on Russian Vedism, which followed from reforms of Patriarch Nikon . However, this example gives rise to the assumption of the same motives for masking obvious inscriptions on coins.

This idea can be expressed in more detail as follows: once upon a time, the body of a deceased priest (mime) was accompanied by a funeral golden mask, on which there were all the corresponding inscriptions, but not very large and not very contrasting, so as not to destroy the aesthetic perception of the mask. Later, instead of a mask, smaller objects began to be used - pendants and plaques, which also depicted the face of the deceased mime with corresponding discreet inscriptions. Even later, portraits of mimes migrated to coins. And this kind of image was preserved as long as spiritual power was considered the most significant in society.

However, when power became secular, passing to military leaders - princes, leaders, kings, emperors, images of government officials, not mimes, began to be minted on coins, while images of mimes migrated to icons. At the same time, secular power, being more coarse, began to mint its own inscriptions weightily, roughly, visibly, and obvious legends appeared on coins. With the emergence of Christianity, such explicit inscriptions began to appear on icons, but they were no longer written in the runes of the Family, but in the Old Slavonic Cyrillic script. In the West, the Latin script was used for this.

Thus, in the West there was a similar, but still somewhat different motive, why the implicit inscriptions of mimes did not become explicit: on the one hand, aesthetic tradition, on the other hand, the secularization of power, that is, the transition of the function of managing society from priests to military leaders and officials.

This allows us to consider icons, as well as sacred sculptures of gods and saints, as substitutes for those artifacts that acted as carriers of sacred properties before: golden masks and plaques. On the other hand, icons existed before, but did not affect the sphere of finance, remaining entirely within religion. Therefore, their production has experienced a new heyday.

Modern Christian society is represented by three movements: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. Every church proves itself to be true, sometimes forgetting the principles of God. Jesus left only two commandments for the people who believed in Him: to love God and to love your neighbor. If every religion stands on these principles, then what is the difference between them?

What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Baptistism and what do they have in common?

A little history

Going to the Creator in heaven, Jesus left on earth a small amount of followers who united into a single society, a church. It was not a specific building.

The first Christians were united by the teachings of the Savior. the desire to convey to all nations the message of possible salvation through faith in the Living God and eternal life. (Matthew 28:19)

Important! The basis of Christianity was the belief in Jesus, God the Son, who, together with God the Father and the Holy Spirit, represents the Holy Trinity. All Christians, both Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, believe in it.

Trinity denotes the unity of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Then Christians began to build houses of prayer, temples, and create rituals. As a result of disagreement on the issue of the Holy Spirit, the united church split into Orthodoxy and Catholicism in 1054.

Orthodoxy, which comes from the word orthodoxy, has its own movements. Catholicism continued to acquire rituals and innovations, so indulgences appeared, according to which you can buy forgiveness from sins with money. The role of the saving power of the blood of Christ no longer matters in this case; it was replaced by mammon.

This was one of the reasons for the breakaway of some believers from Catholicism under the leadership of Martin Luther in the twenties of the sixteenth century. The newly formed religion was called Protestantism, the main differences of which were the absence of icons, indulgences and the replacement of rituals with sermons.

Disagreements among Christians did not stop; new denominations arose among Protestants:

Calvinists;
Baptists;
Pentecostals;
Adventists;
Lutherans and others.

Protestant churches cannot be classified as sectarianism. A sect is a closed group of people united by their religious beliefs, where freedom of personal opinion is limited. Sectarians cannot freely enter a sect and voluntarily leave it. Protestant churches are open to all people; there is no restriction on moving from one denomination to another when changing beliefs.

What is baptism

Less than a hundred years later, John Smith in 1609 created a new movement of Christians, which was based on the baptism of people at an age when they understand the sacrifice of Christ and are ready to take responsibility for their sins.

On a note! Baptists got their name from the Greek word "baptizo" - immersion in water with one's head. This rite of baptism, which occurs on a voluntary basis, symbolizes the death of Jesus.

Just as the Savior died on the cross and was buried before the resurrection, newly converted believers die for the world and are resurrected for Christ, therefore it is possible to accept the Savior’s sacrifice only at a conscious age.

Water baptism among Protestants

This was the reason why Baptists abandoned infant baptism. Babies are brought to church and presented before God, asking in prayer for the blessing, protection and mercy of the Creator over the child and parents.

Basic Principles of Baptistism

Differences between Baptists and Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy and Baptism are two movements in Christianity that arose from the same root, but have many differences in rituals and observance of the canons.

Baptistism	Orthodoxy
Baptists recognize the Virgin Mary as the chosen woman of all times and peoples, but do not consider Her a saint, do not worship the Mother of God and do not celebrate holidays related to life Mother of God.	The Holy Scripture says nothing about the death of the Virgin Mary, but according to the testimony of the 11 apostles, they were gathered by the power of the Holy Spirit on one day from all corners of the world at the bedside of the dying Mother of God. The deceased Mary was buried, and 3 days later Thomas arrived, he persuaded the apostles to open access to the grave in order to say goodbye to the Mother of God. Imagine their surprise when the coffin turned out to be empty. By the great mercy and love of God, the Virgin Mary was taken to heaven. One can argue about this, but the fact remains, and more than once over the centuries the Mother of God miraculously appeared to people in moments of danger; thousands of people saw her
Christians of the evangelical faith do not pray for the dead, they believe that only a living person can repent of his sins; whoever does not have time will go to hell if he does not accept the saving grace of Jesus Christ	Orthodox believers are sensitive to the deceased, believing that God has all the living. The body dies, but not the soul
Worship of icons is considered idolatry; representatives of the evangelical faith draw an explanation for this from the 3rd commandment, which says: “Thou shalt not make for yourself a man-made idol.”	Representatives of Orthodoxy can object to this by saying that the first image left to people was a towel, on which Jesus left the imprint of His bloody face. The history of Orthodoxy knows several cases of the appearance of miraculous images on trees, glass and other objects
Based on the same commandment, Baptists abolished the worship and prayers of saints, recognizing this as idolatry	Orthodox believers continue to worship the saints, accepting their lives as an example of true service to God, at the end of which eternal life awaits us
Protestants have no single ruler	Orthodox Christians submit to the Ecumenical Ruler
Baptists do not recognize hermitism; they believe that one can achieve unity with God by knowing Him through the Word of God	The highest feat in the Orthodox religion is monasticism, schema monks
According to Baptist principles, reading the Bible is required every day	Orthodox Christians spend little time reading and studying Holy Scripture, listening to it during services
Psalms are sung in the house of worship by the worship team and the entire church.	A church choir sings in an Orthodox church

What do Orthodoxy and Baptists have in common?

Should Orthodox Christians Fear Baptists?

You should be afraid of an enemy who has evil plans against you, but why be afraid of a brother who thinks a little differently from you. Another movement, which preaches the same principles of Christianity, but only with different rituals and ceremonies, cannot harm the time of a churchgoer.

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 in the West orthodox religion, currently professes about 200 million people. Approximately 5 thousand people are baptized every day. This direction of Christianity has 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 them 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 relation to the Church towards the population in general outline its traditions and basic concept can be understood. 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. Total Protestants number 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 - accepting Jesus as the Savior and Son of God. However, in relation to certain events of the New and Old Testament There are often even mutually exclusive differences. In some cases, the methods of conducting various kinds of rituals and sacraments do not agree.

The main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism

	Orthodoxy		Catholicism	Protestantism
Control	Patriarch, Cathedral			World Council of Churches, councils of bishops
Organization	Bishops depend little on the Patriarch and are mainly subordinate to the Council		There is a rigid hierarchy with subordination to the Pope, hence the name “Universal Church”	There are many denominations that have created the World Council of Churches. Sacred Scripture is placed above the authority of the Pope
Holy Spirit	It is believed that it comes only from the Father		There is a dogma that the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son. This is the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism.
	The statement is accepted that man himself is responsible for his sins, and God the Father is a completely impassive and abstract being		It is believed that God suffers because of human sins
Dogma of Salvation	The Crucifixion atoned for all the sins of mankind. Only the firstborn remained. That is, when a new sin is committed, a person again becomes the object of God’s wrath		The person was, as it were, “ransomed” by Christ through the crucifixion. As a result, God the Father changed his anger to mercy regarding original sin. That is, a person is holy by the holiness of Christ himself
	Sometimes allowed		Prohibited	Allowed, but frowned upon
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary	It is believed that the Mother of God is not free from original sin, but her holiness is recognized		The complete sinlessness of the Virgin Mary is preached. Catholics believe that she was conceived immaculately, like Christ himself. In relation to the original sin of the Mother of God, therefore, there are also quite significant differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism
Assumption of the Virgin Mary into Heaven	It is unofficially believed that this event may have taken place, but it is not enshrined in dogma		The assumption of the Mother of God into heaven in a physical body is a dogma	The cult of the Virgin Mary is denied
	Only liturgy is held		Both a mass and a similar Orthodox Byzantine liturgy can be celebrated	The mass was rejected. Divine services are held in modest churches or even in stadiums, concert halls, etc. Only two rites are practiced: baptism and communion
Clergy marriage	Allowed		Allowed only in the Byzantine rite	Allowed
Ecumenical Councils	The decisions of the first seven		Guided by 21 decisions (the last one passed in 1962-1965)	Recognize the decisions of all Ecumenical Councils if they do not contradict each other and the Holy Scriptures
	Eight-pointed with crossbars at the bottom and top		A simple four-pointed Latin cross is used	Not used in religious services. Not worn by representatives of all faiths
	Used in large quantities and are equated with Holy Scripture. Created in strict accordance with church canons		They are considered only decoration of the temple. They are ordinary paintings on a religious theme	Not used
Old Testament	Both Hebrew and Greek are recognized		Greek only	Only Jewish canonical
Absolution	The ritual is performed by a priest			Not allowed
Science and religion	Based on the statements of scientists, dogmas never change	Dogmas can be adjusted in accordance with the point of view of official science

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 attributes different directions 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 Orthodox icon from the Catholic is that it is written 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 given to the main Christian rites. 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. IN Lately There has been some departure 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 counts many saints Western Church 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 Immortal life inevitable for the righteous.

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 birthplace of religions is considered West Side Ancient Roman Empire. 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’s interesting: for a long time already 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. 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 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.

How is Catholicism different from Orthodoxy? When did the division of the Churches occur and why did this happen? How should an Orthodox person react to all this correctly? We tell you the most important things.

The separation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism is a great tragedy in the history of the Church

The division of the United Christian Church into Orthodoxy and Catholicism happened almost a thousand years ago - in 1054.

The One Church consisted, as the Orthodox Church still does, of many local Churches. This means that the Churches, for example, the Russian Orthodox or the Greek Orthodox, have some external differences in themselves (in the architecture of churches; singing; the language of services; and even in how certain parts of the services are conducted), but they are united in the main doctrinal issues, and there is Eucharistic communion between them. That is, a Russian Orthodox can receive communion and confess in a Greek Orthodox church and vice versa.

According to the Creed, the Church is one, because the head of the Church is Christ. This means that there cannot be several Churches on earth that would have different creed. And it was precisely because of disagreements in doctrinal issues that in the 11th century there was a division into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. As a consequence of this, Catholics cannot receive communion and confession in Orthodox churches and vice versa.

Catholic cathedral Immaculate Conception The Blessed Virgin Mary in Moscow. Photo: catedra.ru

What are the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism?

Today there are a lot of them. And they are conventionally divided into three types.

Doctrinal differences- because of which, in fact, the split occurred. For example, the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope among Catholics.
Ritual differences. For example, Catholics have a different form of Communion from us or it is mandatory for Catholic priests vow of celibacy (celibacy). That is, we have fundamentally different approaches to some aspects of the Sacraments and Church life, and they can complicate the hypothetical reunification of Catholics and Orthodox. But they were not the reason for the split and they are not the ones preventing us from reuniting again.
Conditional differences in traditions. For example - org A we are in temples; benches in the middle of the church; priests with or without beards; different shape priests' vestments. In other words, external features that do not at all affect the unity of the Church - since some similar differences are found even within the Orthodox Church in different countries. In general, if the difference between Orthodox and Catholics were only in them, the United Church would never have been divided.

The division between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which occurred in the 11th century, became for the Church, first of all, a tragedy, which was and is acutely experienced by both “us” and Catholics. Over the course of a thousand years, attempts at reunification were made several times. However, none of them turned out to be truly viable - and we will also talk about this below.

What is the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy - why did the Church actually divide?

Western and Eastern Christian Churches - such a division has always existed. The Western Church is conditionally the territory of modern Western Europe, and later - all colonized countries Latin America. The Eastern Church is the territory of modern Greece, Palestine, Syria, and Eastern Europe.

However, the division we are talking about was conditional for many centuries. Too much different peoples and civilizations inhabit the Earth, therefore it is natural that the same teaching in different parts of the Earth and countries could have some characteristic external forms and traditions. For example, the Eastern Church (the one that became Orthodox) has always practiced a more contemplative and mystical lifestyle. It was in the East in the 3rd century that the phenomenon of monasticism arose, which then spread throughout the world. The Latin (Western) Church has always had an image of Christianity that is outwardly more active and “social.”

In the main doctrinal truths they remained common.

Venerable Anthony the Great, founder of monasticism

Perhaps disagreements that later became insurmountable could have been noticed much earlier and “agreeed upon.” But in those days there was no Internet, there were no trains and cars. Churches (not only Western and Eastern, but simply separate dioceses) sometimes existed on their own for decades and rooted certain views within themselves. Therefore, the differences that caused the division of the Church into Catholicism and Orthodoxy turned out to be too deep-rooted at the time of the “decision making”.

This is what the Orthodox cannot accept in Catholic teaching.

the infallibility of the Pope and the doctrine of the primacy of the Roman throne
changing the text of the Creed
doctrine of purgatory

Papal infallibility in Catholicism

Each church has its own primate - head. In Orthodox Churches this is the patriarch. The head of the Western Church (or the Latin Cathedra, as it is also called) was the pope, who now presides over the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Church believes that the Pope is infallible. This means that any judgment, decision or opinion that he voices before the flock is the truth and law for the entire Church.

The current Pope is Francis

By Orthodox teaching no person can be higher than the Church. For example, an Orthodox patriarch, if his decisions go against the teachings of the Church or deep-rooted traditions, may well be deprived of his rank by decision of a council of bishops (as happened, for example, with Patriarch Nikon in the 17th century).

In addition to the infallibility of the pope, in Catholicism there is a doctrine of the primacy of the Roman throne (Church). Catholics base this teaching on an incorrect interpretation of the words of the Lord in a conversation with the apostles in Caesarea Philippi - about the alleged superiority of the Apostle Peter (who later “founded” the Latin Church) over the other apostles.

(Matt 16:15–19) “He says to them: Who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered and said: You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Then Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven; and I say to you: you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it; And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”.

You can read more about the dogma of papal infallibility and the primacy of the Roman throne.

The difference between Orthodox and Catholics: the text of the Creed

The different text of the Creed is another reason for disagreement between Orthodox and Catholics - although the difference is only one word.

The Creed is a prayer that was formulated in the 4th century at the First and Second Ecumenical Councils, and it put an end to many doctrinal disputes. It states everything that Christians believe.

What is the difference between the texts of Catholics and Orthodox? We say that we believe “And in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father,” and Catholics add: “...from “the Father and the Son who proceeds...”.”

In fact, the addition of just this one word “And the Son...” (Filioque) significantly distorts the image of the entire Christian teaching.

The topic is theological, difficult, and it’s better to read about it right away, at least on Wikipedia.

The doctrine of purgatory is another difference between Catholics and Orthodox

Catholics believe in the existence of purgatory, but Orthodox Christians say that nowhere - not in any of the books of the Holy Scriptures of the Old or New Testaments, and even in none of the books of the Holy Fathers of the first centuries - is there any mention of purgatory.

It is difficult to say how this teaching arose among Catholics. However, now the Catholic Church fundamentally proceeds from the fact that after death there is not only the Kingdom of Heaven and hell, but also a place (or rather, a state) in which the soul of a person who died in peace with God finds himself, but is not holy enough to find himself in Paradise. These souls, apparently, will definitely come to the Kingdom of Heaven, but first they need to undergo purification.

Orthodox Christians view the afterlife differently than Catholics. There is Heaven, there is hell. There are ordeals after death in order to strengthen oneself in peace with God (or to fall away from Him). There is a need to pray for the dead. But there is no purgatory.

These are the three reasons why the difference between Catholics and Orthodox is so fundamental that a division of the Churches arose a thousand years ago.

At the same time, over 1000 years of separate existence, a number of other differences arose (or took root), which are also considered to be what distinguishes us from each other. Some concerns external rituals - and this may seem to be quite a serious difference - and some concerns external traditions that Christianity acquired here and there.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism: differences that don't really separate us

Catholics receive communion differently from us - is that true?

Orthodox Christians partake of the Body and Blood of Christ from the chalice. Until recently, Catholics received communion not with leavened bread, but with unleavened bread - that is, unleavened bread. Moreover, ordinary parishioners, unlike clergy, received communion only with the Body of Christ.

Before we talk about why this happened, it should be noted that this form of Catholic Communion has recently ceased to be the only one. Now other forms of this Sacrament are appearing in Catholic churches - including the “familiar” one for us: Body and Blood from the Chalice.

And the tradition of Communion, different from ours, arose in Catholicism for two reasons:

Regarding the use of unleavened bread: Catholics proceed from the fact that in the time of Christ, Jews at Easter did not break leavened bread, but unleavened bread. (The Orthodox proceed from the Greek texts of the New Testament, where, when describing the Last Supper, which the Lord celebrated with his disciples, the word “artos” is used, meaning leavened bread)
Regarding parishioners receiving Communion only with the Body: Catholics proceed from the fact that Christ abides equally and fully in any of the parts of the Blessed Sacrament, and not only when they are united. (The Orthodox are guided by the text of the New Testament, where Christ directly speaks about His Body and Blood. Matthew 26:26–28: “ And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to the disciples, saying, “Take, eat: this is My Body.” And taking the cup and giving thanks, he gave it to them and said, “Drink from it, all of you, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”»).

They sit in Catholic churches

Generally speaking, this is not even a difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy, since in some Orthodox countries - for example, in Bulgaria - it is also customary to sit, and in many churches there you can also see many benches and chairs.

There are many benches, but this is not Catholic, but Orthodox church- in NYC.

There is an org in Catholic churches A n

An organ is a part musical accompaniment services. Music is one of the integral parts of the service, because if it were otherwise, there would be no choir, and the entire service would be read. Another thing is that we Orthodox Christians are now accustomed to just singing.

In many Latin countries, an organ was also installed in churches, because it was considered a divine instrument - its sound was so sublime and unearthly.

(At the same time, the possibility of using the organ in Orthodox worship was also discussed in Russia at the Local Council of 1917-1918. A supporter of this instrument was the famous church composer Alexander Grechaninov.)

Vow of celibacy among Catholic priests (Celibacy)

In Orthodoxy, a priest can be either a monk or a married priest. We are quite detailed.

In Catholicism, any clergyman is bound by a vow of celibacy.

Catholic priests shave their beards

This is another example of different traditions, and not of any fundamental differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Whether a person has a beard or not does not in any way affect his holiness and does not say anything about him as a good or bad Christian. It’s just that in Western countries it has been common for some time to shave the beard (most likely, this is the influence of the Latin culture of Ancient Rome).

Nowadays no one forbids shaving beards and Orthodox priests. It’s just that a beard on a priest or monk is such an ingrained tradition among us that breaking it can become a “temptation” for others, and therefore few priests decide to do it or even think about it.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh is one of the most famous Orthodox pastors of the 20th century. For some time he served without a beard.

Duration of services and severity of fasts

It so happens that over the past 100 years, the Church life of Catholics has become significantly “simplified” - so to speak. The duration of services has been shortened, fasts have become simpler and shorter (for example, before communion it is enough not to eat food for only a few hours). Thus, the Catholic Church tried to reduce the gap between itself and the secular part of society - fearing that excessive strictness of the rules might scare away modern people. Whether this helped or not is difficult to say.

The Orthodox Church, in its views on the severity of fasts and external rituals, proceeds from the following:

Of course, the world has changed a lot and it will now be impossible for most people to live as strictly as possible. However, the memory of the Rules and strict ascetic life is still important. “By mortifying the flesh, we free the spirit.” And we must not forget about this - at least as an ideal to which we must strive in the depths of our souls. And if this “measure” disappears, then how to maintain the required “bar”?

This is only a small part of the external traditional differences that have developed between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

However, it is important to know what unites our Churches:

presence of Church Sacraments (communion, confession, baptism, etc.)
veneration of the Holy Trinity
veneration of the Mother of God
veneration of icons
veneration of holy saints and their relics
common saints for the first ten centuries of the Church's existence
Holy Bible

In February 2016, the first ever meeting between the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church and the Pope (Francis) took place in Cuba. An event of historical proportions, but there was no talk of the unification of the Churches.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism - attempts to unite (Union)

The separation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism is a great tragedy in the history of the Church, which is acutely experienced by both Orthodox and Catholics.

Several times over 1000 years, attempts were made to overcome the schism. The so-called Union was concluded three times - between the Catholic Church and representatives of the Orthodox Church. They all had the following in common:

They were concluded primarily for political rather than religious reasons.
Each time these were “concessions” on the part of the Orthodox. Typically in the following form: external shape and the language of worship remained familiar to the Orthodox, but in all dogmatic disagreements the Catholic interpretation was taken.
Having been signed by some bishops, they were, as a rule, rejected by the rest of the Orthodox Church - the clergy and the people, and therefore turned out to be essentially unviable. The exception is the last Union of Brest-Litovsk.

These are the three Unions:

Union of Lyons (1274)

She was supported by the emperor of Orthodox Byzantium, since unification with Catholics was supposed to help restore the shaken financial position empires. The Union was signed, but the people of Byzantium and others Orthodox clergy she was not supported.

Ferraro-Florentine Union (1439)

Both sides were equally politically interested in this Union, since Christian states were weakened by wars and enemies (Latin states - crusades, Byzantium - in confrontation with the Turks, Rus' - with the Tatar-Mongols) and the unification of states on religious grounds would probably help everyone.

The situation repeated itself: the Union was signed (although not by all representatives of the Orthodox Church who were present at the council), but it remained, in fact, on paper - the people did not support the unification on such conditions.

Suffice it to say that the first “Uniate” service was performed in the capital of Byzantium in Constantinople only in 1452. And less than a year later it was captured by the Turks...

Union of Brest (1596)

This Union was concluded between Catholics and the Orthodox Church of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (the state that then united the Lithuanian and Polish principalities).

The only example where the union of Churches turned out to be viable - albeit within the framework of just one state. The rules are the same: all services, rituals and language remain familiar to the Orthodox, however, at the services it is not the patriarch who is commemorated, but the pope; The text of the Creed is changed and the doctrine of purgatory is accepted.

After the division of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, part of its territories was ceded to Russia - and along with it a number of Uniate parishes were ceded. Despite the persecution, they continued to exist until the middle of the 20th century, until they were officially banned by the Soviet government.

Today on the territory Western Ukraine There are Uniate parishes in the Baltic States and Belarus.

The separation of Orthodoxy and Catholicism: how to deal with this?

We would like to bring short quote from letters Orthodox bishop Hilarion (Troitsky), who died in the first half of the 20th century. Being a zealous defender of Orthodox dogmas, he nevertheless writes:

“Unfortunate historical circumstances tore the West away from the Church. Over the centuries, the church's perception of Christianity has gradually become distorted in the West. The teaching has changed, life has changed, the very understanding of life has retreated from the Church. We [the Orthodox] have preserved the church's wealth. But instead of lending to others from this unexpendable wealth, we ourselves in some areas still fell under the influence of the West with its theology alien to the Church.” (Letter five. Orthodoxy in the West)

And here is what Saint Theophan the Recluse answered to one woman a century earlier when she asked: “Father, explain to me: none of the Catholics will be saved?”

The saint replied: “I don’t know whether Catholics will be saved, but I know one thing for sure: that without Orthodoxy I myself will not be saved.”

This answer and the quote from Hilarion (Troitsky) perhaps very accurately indicate that correct attitude Orthodox man to such a misfortune as the division of the Churches.

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