The relationship between Orthodoxy and Catholicism in history. Common features of Catholicism and Orthodoxy
The split of the Christian Church into Western and Eastern occurred in 1054. Different views on one religion forced each of the directions to go their own way. Differences appeared not only in the interpretation of the Bible, but also in the arrangement of temples.
External differences
You can find out which direction a church belongs to even from a distance. An Orthodox church is distinguished by the presence of domes, the number of which carries one meaning or another. One dome is a symbol of the one Lord God. Five domes - Christ with four apostles. Thirty-three domes remind us of the age at which the Savior was crucified on the cross.
Internal differences
There are also differences in the internal space of Orthodox and Catholic churches. The Catholic building begins with a narthex, on both sides of which there are bell towers. Sometimes bell towers are not built or only one is built. Next comes the naos, or main nave. On both sides of it there are side naves. Then you can see the transverse nave, which intersects the main and side naves. The main nave ends with an altar. It is followed by a de-ambulatory, which is a semicircular bypass gallery. Next is the crown of the chapels.
Catholic churches may differ from each other in the organization of internal space. Large churches have much more space. In addition, they use an organ, which adds solemnity to the service. Small churches in small populated areas equipped more modestly. In a Catholic church, the walls are decorated with frescoes, not icons.
Part Orthodox church, preceding the altar, is tripled much simpler than in the Catholic Church. The main temple space serves as a place where worshipers pray. This part of the temple is most often a square or rectangle. In the Catholic Church, the space for praying parishioners always has the shape of an elongated rectangle. In an Orthodox church, unlike a Catholic church, benches are not used. Believers must pray standing.
The altar part of the Orthodox church is separated from the rest of the space by soles. The iconostasis is located here. Icons can also be placed on the walls of the main temple space. The altar part is preceded by the pulpit and the royal doors. Behind the royal doors is a veil, or katapetasma. Behind the veil is the throne, behind which are the altar, the synthron and the high place.
Architects and builders working on the construction of Orthodox and Catholic churches strive to create buildings in which people would feel closer to God. The churches of both Western and Eastern Christians embody the unity of the earthly and the heavenly.
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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.
Separation of Catholic and Orthodox Church occurred in 1054, when Pope Leo IX drew up an act of excommunication of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the entire 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 includes only decisions made after the 7 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.
- There is no dogma of purgatory in Orthodox Christianity.
- 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.”
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 am sharing with you a useful video WHAT THE MOVIE “AREAS OF DARKNESS” TAUGHT ME:
From time immemorial, the Christian faith has been attacked by opponents. In addition, attempts to interpret the Holy Scriptures in their own way were made in different time different people. Perhaps this was the reason that the Christian faith was divided over time into Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox. They are all very similar, but there are differences between them. Who are Protestants and how does their teaching differ from Catholic and Orthodox? Let's try to figure it out. Let's start with the origins - with the formation of the first Church.
How did the Orthodox and Catholic Churches appear?
Around the 50s of Christ, the disciples of Jesus and their supporters created the Orthodox Christian Church, which still exists today. At first there were five ancient Christian Churches. In the first eight centuries since the birth of Christ, the Orthodox Church, led by the Holy Spirit, built its teaching, developed its methods and its traditions. For this purpose, all Five Churches took part in the Ecumenical Councils. This teaching has not changed today. The Orthodox Church includes Churches that are not connected with each other by anything other than faith - Syrian, Russian, Greek, Jerusalem, etc. But there is no other organization or any person uniting all these Churches under its leadership. The only boss in the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ. Why is the Orthodox Church called Catholic in prayer? It's simple: if an important decision needs to be made, all Churches take part in the Ecumenical Council. Later, a thousand years later, in 1054, the Roman Church, also known as the Catholic Church, separated from the five ancient Christian churches.
This Church did not ask advice from other members of the Ecumenical Council, but itself made decisions and carried out reforms in church life. We will talk in more detail about the teachings of the Roman Church a little later.
How did Protestants appear?
Let's return to the main question: "Who are Protestants?" After the separation of the Roman Church, many people did not like the changes it introduced. It was not in vain that it seemed to the people that all the reforms were aimed only at making the Church richer and more influential.
After all, even in order to atone for sins, a person had to pay a certain amount Church money. And in 1517, in Germany, the monk Martin Luther gave impetus to the Protestant faith. He denounced the Roman Catholic Church and its ministers for seeking only their own benefit, forgetting about God. Luther said that the Bible should be preferred when there is a conflict between church traditions and the Holy Scriptures. Luther also translated the Bible from Latin into German, proclaiming the assertion that each person can study the Holy Scriptures for himself and interpret it in his own way. So are Protestants? Protestants demanded a revision of attitudes towards religion, getting rid of unnecessary traditions and rituals. Enmity began between two Christian denominations. Catholics and Protestants fought. The only difference is that Catholics fought for power and subordination, and Protestants fought for freedom of choice and Right way in religion.
Persecution of Protestants
Of course, the Roman Church could not ignore the attacks of those who opposed unquestioning submission. Catholics did not want to accept and understand who Protestants were. There were massacres of Catholics against Protestants, public executions of those who refused to become Catholics, oppression, ridicule, and persecution. Adherents of Protestantism also did not always peacefully prove that they were right. Protests by opponents of the Catholic Church and its rule in many countries resulted in mass pogroms of Catholic churches. For example, in the 16th century in the Netherlands there were more than 5,000 pogroms by people who rebelled against Catholics. In response to the riots, the authorities conducted their own court; they did not understand how Catholics differed from Protestants. In the same Netherlands, during the 80 years of war between the authorities and Protestants, 2,000 conspirators were convicted and executed. In total, about 100,000 Protestants suffered for their faith in this country. And this is only in one country. Protestants, in spite of everything, defended their right to a different point of view on the issue of Church life. But the uncertainty present in their teaching led to the fact that other groups began to separate from the Protestants. There are more than twenty thousand different Protestant churches all over the world, for example, Lutheran, Anglican, Baptist, Pentecostal, and among the Protestant movements there are Methodists, Presbyterians, Adventists, Congregationalists, Quakers, etc. Catholics and Protestants have greatly changed the Church. Let's try to figure out who Catholics and Protestants are according to their teaching. In fact, Catholics, Protestants, and Orthodox Christians are all Christians. The differences between them are that the Orthodox Church has what can be called the fullness of the teachings of Christ - it is a school and an example of goodness, it is a hospital for human souls, and Protestants are simplifying all this more and more, creating something in which it is very difficult to know the doctrine of virtue, and what cannot be called the complete doctrine of salvation.
Basic Protestant Principles
The question of who Protestants are can be answered by understanding the basic principles of their teaching. Protestants consider all the rich church experience, all spiritual art, collected over centuries, invalid. They recognize only the Bible, believing that it is the only true source of how and what to do in church life. For Protestants, the Christian communities of the time of Jesus and his apostles are the ideal of what the life of a Christian should be. But adherents of Protestantism do not take into account the fact that at that time the church structure simply did not exist. Protestants simplified everything in the Church except the Bible, mainly due to the reforms of the Roman Church. Because Catholicism has greatly changed its teachings and deviated from the Christian spirit. And schisms among Protestants began to occur because they rejected everything - even the teachings of great saints, spiritual teachers, and leaders of the Church. And since Protestants began to deny these teachings, or rather, did not accept them, they began to have disputes in the interpretation of the Bible. Hence the split in Protestantism and the waste of energy not on self-education, like the Orthodox, but on a useless struggle. The difference between Catholics and Protestants is erased against the background of the fact that the Orthodox, who have kept their faith in the form in which Jesus transmitted it for more than 2000 years, are called a mutation of Christianity by both. Both Catholics and Protestants are confident that their faith is the true one, the way Christ intended it.
Differences between Orthodox and Protestants
Although Protestants and Orthodox Christians are Christians, the differences between them are significant. First, why do Protestants reject saints? It's simple - the Holy Scriptures say that members of ancient Christian communities were called "saints." Protestants, taking these communities as a basis, call themselves saints, which for Orthodox man unacceptable and even wild. Orthodox saints are heroes of the spirit and role models. They are a guiding star on the path to God. Believers treat Orthodox saints with trepidation and respect. Christians of the Orthodox denomination turn to their saints with prayers for help, for prayerful support in difficult situations. People decorate their homes and churches with icons of saints for a reason.
Looking at the faces of the saints, a believer strives to improve himself through studying the lives of those depicted on the icons, being inspired by the exploits of his heroes. Having no example of the holiness of spiritual fathers, monks, elders and other very respected and authoritative people among Orthodoxy, Protestants can give only one high title and honor for a spiritual person - “one who has studied the Bible.” A Protestant person deprives himself of such tools for self-education and self-improvement as fasting, confession and communion. These three components are the hospital of the human spirit, forcing us to humble our flesh and work on our weaknesses, correcting ourselves and striving for the bright, the good, the Divine. Without confession, a person cannot cleanse his soul, begin to correct his sins, because he does not think about his shortcomings and continues to live an ordinary life for and for the sake of the flesh, in addition being proud of the fact that he is a believer.
What else do Protestants lack?
It is not for nothing that many people do not understand who Protestants are. After all, people of this religion, as mentioned above, do not have spiritual literature, such as Orthodox Christians. In the spiritual books of the Orthodox you can find almost everything - from sermons and interpretation of the Bible to the lives of saints and advice on how to fight your passions. It becomes much easier for a person to understand issues of good and evil. And without an interpretation of the Holy Scriptures, it is extremely difficult to understand the Bible. among Protestants it began to appear, but it is still in its infancy, while in Orthodoxy this literature has been perfected for more than 2000 years. Self-education, self-improvement are concepts inherent in everyone Orthodox Christian, among Protestants, boil down to studying and memorizing the Bible. In Orthodoxy, everything - repentance, prayers, icons - everything calls for a person to strive to get at least one step closer to the ideal that is God. But a Protestant directs all his efforts to being virtuous outwardly, and does not care about his own internal content. That's not all. Protestants and Orthodox Christians notice differences in religion by the arrangement of churches. An Orthodox believer has support in striving to be better both in mind (thanks to preaching), and in heart (thanks to decoration in churches, icons), and will (thanks to fasting). But Protestant churches are empty and Protestants hear only sermons that influence the mind without touching the hearts of people. Having abandoned monasteries and monasticism, Protestants lost the opportunity to see for themselves examples of a modest, humble life for the sake of the Lord. After all, monasticism is a school of spiritual life. It is not for nothing that among the monks there are many elders, saints or almost saints of Orthodox Christians. And also the concept of Protestants that nothing but faith in Christ is needed for salvation (neither good deeds, nor repentance, nor self-correction) is a false path that leads only to the addition of another sin - pride (due to the feeling that If you are a believer, then you are the chosen one and will certainly be saved).
The difference between Catholics and Protestants
Despite the fact that Protestants are descendants of Catholicism, there are significant differences between the two religions. Thus, in Catholicism it is believed that the sacrifice of Christ atoned for all the sins of all people, while Protestants, like the Orthodox, believe that man is initially sinful and the blood shed by Jesus alone is not enough to atone for sins. A person must atone for his sins. Hence the difference in the structure of the temples. For Catholics, the altar is open, everyone can see the throne; for Protestants and Orthodox churches, the altar is closed. Here's another way that Catholics differ from Protestants - communication with God for Protestants occurs without an intermediary - a priest, while for Catholics priests are required to mediate between man and God.
Catholics on earth have a representative of Jesus himself, at least that is what they believe, - the Pope. He is an infallible person for all Catholics. The Pope is located in the Vatican - the single central governing body of all the Catholic Churches in the world. Another difference between Catholics and Protestants is the Protestants' rejection of the Catholic concept of purgatory. As mentioned above, Protestants reject icons, saints, monasteries and monasticism. They believe that believers are holy in themselves. Therefore, among Protestants there is no distinction between a priest and a parishioner. A Protestant priest is accountable to the Protestant community and can neither confess nor administer communion to believers. In essence, he is simply a preacher, that is, he reads sermons for believers. But the main thing that distinguishes Catholics from Protestants is the issue of the connection between God and man. Protestants believe that the personal is enough for salvation, and a person receives Grace from God without the participation of the Church.
Protestants and Huguenots
These names of religious movements are closely related to each other. To answer the question of who the Huguenots and Protestants are, we need to remember the history of 16th century France. The French began to call those protesting against Catholic rule Huguenots, but the first Huguenots were called Lutherans. Although an evangelical movement independent from Germany, directed against the reforms of the Roman Church, existed in France at the beginning of the 16th century. The struggle of Catholics against the Huguenots did not affect the increase in the number of adherents of this movement.
Even the famous one when Catholics simply carried out a massacre and killed many Protestants did not break them. In the end, the Huguenots achieved recognition by the authorities of their right to exist. In the history of the development of this Protestant movement there were oppressions, and the granting of privileges, then oppression again. And yet the Huguenots survived. By the end of the twentieth century in France, the Huguenots, although a small part of the population, were very influential. Distinctive feature in the religion of the Huguenots (followers of the teachings of John Calvin) is that some of them believed that God determines in advance which of the people will be saved, no matter whether the person is a sinner or not, and the other part of the Huguenots believed that all people are equal before God, and The Lord grants salvation to everyone who accepts this salvation. Disputes between the Huguenots did not cease for a long time.
Protestants and Lutherans
The history of Protestants began to take shape in the 16th century. And one of the initiators of this movement was M. Luther, who spoke out against the excesses of the Roman Church. One of the directions of Protestantism began to be called by the name of this man. The name "Evangelical Lutheran Church" became widespread in the 17th century. The parishioners of this church began to be called Lutherans. It should be added that in some countries all Protestants were first called Lutherans. For example, in Russia, right up to the revolution, all adherents of Protestantism were considered Lutherans. To understand who Lutherans and Protestants are, you need to turn to their teaching. Lutherans believe that during the Reformation, Protestants did not create a new Church, but restored the ancient one. Also, according to Lutherans, God accepts any sinner as his child, and the salvation of a sinner is only the initiative of the Lord. Salvation does not depend either on human efforts or on going through church rituals; it is God’s grace, for which you don’t even need to prepare. Even faith, according to the teachings of Lutherans, is given only by the will and action of the Holy Spirit and only to people chosen by him. A distinctive feature of Lutherans and Protestants is that Lutherans recognize baptism, and even baptism in infancy, which Protestants do not.
Protestants today
There is no point in judging which religion is correct. Only the Lord knows the answer to this question. One thing is clear: Protestants have proven their right to exist. The history of Protestants, starting from the 16th century, is a history of the right to have your own view, your own opinion. Neither oppression, nor executions, nor ridicule could break the spirit of Protestantism. And today Protestants occupy the second place in the number of believers among the three Christian religions. This religion has penetrated almost all countries. Protestants make up approximately 33% of the total population globe or 800 million people. There are Protestant churches in 92 countries around the world, and in 49 countries the majority of the population is Protestant. This religion predominates in countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Iceland, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland, etc.
Three Christian religions, three directions - Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants. Photos from the life of parishioners of churches of all three faiths help to understand that these directions are so similar, but with significant differences. It would, of course, be wonderful if all three forms of Christianity came to a common opinion on controversial issues of religion and church life. But so far they differ in many ways and do not compromise. A Christian can only choose which of the Christian denominations is closer to his heart and live according to the laws of the chosen Church.
The significance of Orthodoxy in Russian history and culture is spiritually decisive. In order to understand this and be convinced of it, you do not have to be Orthodox yourself; It is enough to know Russian history and have spiritual vigilance. It is enough to admit that the thousand-year history of Russia is created by people Christian faith; that Russia was formed, strengthened and developed its spiritual culture precisely in Christianity, and that it accepted, professed, contemplated and introduced Christianity into life precisely in the act of Orthodoxy. This is precisely what was comprehended and expressed by the genius of Pushkin. Here are his actual words:“The great spiritual and political revolution of our planet is Christianity. In this sacred element the world disappeared and was renewed.” “The Greek religion, separate from all others, gives us a special national character" “Russia has never had anything in common with the rest of Europe,” “its history requires a different thought, a different formula”...
And now, when our generations are experiencing a great state, economic, moral and spiritual-creative failure in the history of Russia and when we see everywhere its enemies (religious and political) preparing a campaign against its identity and integrity, we must firmly and precisely say: Do we value our Russian identity and are we ready to defend it? And further: what is this originality, what are its foundations and what are the attacks on it that we must foresee?
The identity of the Russian people is expressed in its special and unique spiritual act. By “act” we must understand the internal structure and way of life of a person: his way of feeling, contemplating, thinking, desiring and acting. Each of the Russians, having gone abroad, had, and still has, every opportunity to be convinced by experience that other peoples have a different everyday and spiritual way of life from us; we experience this at every step and have difficulty getting used to it; sometimes we see their superiority, sometimes we acutely feel their dissatisfaction, but we always experience their foreignness and begin to yearn and yearn for their “homeland.” This is explained by the originality of our everyday and spiritual way of life, or, to put it in the shortest word, we have a different act.
The Russian national act was formed under the influence of four great factors: nature (continentality, plain, climate, soil), the Slavic soul, a special faith and historical development(statehood, wars, territorial dimensions, multinationality, economy, education, technology, culture). It is impossible to cover all of this at once. There are books about this, some precious ones (N. Gogol “What, finally, is the essence of Russian poetry”; N. Danilevsky “Russia and Europe”; I. Zabelin “The History of Russian Life”; F. Dostoevsky “The Diary of a Writer”; V. Klyuchevsky “Essays and Speeches”), then stillborn (P. Chaadaev “Philosophical Letters”; P. Milyukov “Essays on the History of Russian Culture”). In understanding and interpreting these factors and the Russian creative act itself, it is important to remain objective and fair, without turning into either a fanatical “Slavophile” or a “Westerner” blind to Russia. And this is especially important in the main question that we are posing here - about Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Among the enemies of Russia, who do not accept its entire culture and condemn its entire history, Roman Catholics occupy a very special place. They proceed from the fact that there is “good” and “truth” in the world only where the Catholic Church “leads” and where people unquestioningly recognize the authority of the Bishop of Rome. Everything else is (so they understand) on the wrong path, in darkness or heresy and must sooner or later be converted to their faith. This constitutes not only the “directive” of Catholicism, but the self-evident basis or premise of all its doctrines, books, opinions, organizations, decisions and actions. What is not Catholic in the world must disappear: either as a result of propaganda and conversion, or through the destruction of God.
How many times in last years Catholic prelates began to explain to me personally that “The Lord is sweeping out the Orthodox East with an iron broom so that a united Catholic Church may reign”... How many times have I shuddered at the bitterness with which their speeches breathed and their eyes sparkled. And listening to these speeches, I began to understand how Prelate Michel d’Herbigny, the head of Eastern Catholic propaganda, could travel to Moscow twice (in 1926 and 1928) to establish a union with the “Renovationist Church” and, accordingly, the “concordat” "with the Bolsheviks, and how could he, returning from there, reprint without reservation the vile articles of the communists, calling the martyred, Orthodox, patriarchal Church (literally) “syphilitic" and “depraved.” And I realized then that the “concordat” of the Vatican with the Third The International has not yet been realized not because the Vatican “rejected” and “condemned" such an agreement, but because the Communists themselves did not want it. I understood the destruction of Orthodox cathedrals, churches and parishes in Poland, carried out by Catholics in the thirties of the current (twenties. - Ed.) century... I finally understood what true meaning Catholic “prayers for the salvation of Russia”: both the original, short one, and the one that was compiled in 1926 by Pope Benedict XV and for the reading of which they are granted (by announcement) “three hundred days of indulgence”...
And now, when we see how the Vatican has been preparing for years for a campaign against Russia, carrying out a massive purchase of Russian religious literature, Orthodox icons and entire iconostases, mass preparation of the Catholic clergy for simulating Orthodox worship in Russian (“Eastern Rite Catholicism”), a close study Orthodox thought and soul for the sake of proving their historical inconsistency - we all, Russian people, must pose the question of what is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, and try to answer this question for ourselves with all objectivity, directness and historical fidelity.
This is a dogmatic, church-organizational, ritual, missionary, political, moral and legislative difference. The last difference is vitally original: it provides the key to understanding all the others.
The dogmatic difference is known to every Orthodox Christian: firstly, contrary to the decrees of the Second Ecumenical Council (Constantinople,381) and the Third Ecumenical Council (Ephesus, 431, Canon 7), Catholics introduced into the 8th article of the Creed the addition of the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from the Father, but also from the Son (“filioque”); secondly, in the 19th century, this was joined by a new Catholic dogma that the Virgin Mary was conceived immaculate (“de immaculata conceptione”); thirdly, in 1870, a new dogma was established on the infallibility of the Pope in the affairs of the Church and doctrine (“ex catedra”); fourthly, in 1950 another dogma was established about the posthumous bodily ascension of the Virgin Mary. These dogmas are not recognized by the Orthodox Church. These are the most important dogmatic differences.
The church-organizational difference lies in the fact that Catholics recognize the Roman high priest as the head of the Church and the deputy of Christ on earth, while the Orthodox recognize the single head of the Church - Jesus Christ and consider it only correct that the Church be built by the Ecumenical and Local Councils. Orthodoxy also does not recognize the temporal power of bishops and does not honor Catholic order organizations (especially the Jesuits). These are the most important differences.
The ritual differences are as follows. Orthodoxy does not recognize services in Latin; it observes the liturgies compiled by Basil the Great and John Chrysostom, and does not recognize Western models; it observes the communion bequeathed by the Savior under the guise of bread and wine and rejects the “communion” introduced by Catholics for the laity with only “blessed wafers”; it recognizes icons, but does not allow sculptural images in temples; it elevates confession to the invisibly present Christ and denies the confessional as an organ of earthly power in the hands of the priest. Orthodoxy has created a completely different culture of church singing, prayer and ringing; he has a different vestment; he has a different sign of the cross; a different arrangement of the altar; it knows kneeling, but rejects the Catholic "squatting"; it does not know the jingling bell during perfect prayers and much more. These are the most important ritual differences.
The missionary differences are as follows. Orthodoxy recognizes freedom of confession and rejects the entire spirit of the Inquisition; extermination of heretics, torture, bonfires and forced baptism (Charlemagne). When converting, it observes the purity of religious contemplation and its freedom from all extraneous motives, especially from intimidation, political calculation and material assistance (“charity”); it does not consider that earthly help to a brother in Christ proves the “belief” of the benefactor. It, in the words of Gregory the Theologian, seeks “not to win, but to gain brothers” in faith. It does not seek power on earth at any cost. These are the most important missionary differences.
The political differences are as follows. The Orthodox Church has never claimed either secular dominance or the struggle for state power as a political party. The original Russian Orthodox resolution of the issue is this: the Church and the state have special and different tasks, but help each other in the struggle for the good; the state rules, but does not command the Church and does not engage in forced missionary activities; The Church organizes its work freely and independently, observes secular loyalty, but judges everything by its Christian standard and gives good advice, and perhaps even reproof to the rulers and good teaching to the laity (remember Metropolitan Philip and Patriarch Tikhon). Her weapon is not the sword, not party politics and not order intrigue, but conscience, instruction, reproof and excommunication. Byzantine and post-Petrine deviations from this order were unhealthy phenomena.
Catholicism, on the contrary, always seeks in everything and in all ways - power (secular, clerical, property and personally suggestive).
The moral difference is this. Orthodoxy appeals to the free human heart. Catholicism appeals to a blindly submissive will. Orthodoxy seeks to awaken in man living, creative love and Christian conscience. Catholicism requires obedience and compliance with precepts (legalism). Orthodoxy asks for the best and calls for evangelical perfection. Catholicism asks about what is “prescribed,” “forbidden,” “allowed,” “forgivable,” and “unforgivable.” Orthodoxy goes deep into the soul, seeking sincere faith and sincere kindness. Catholicism disciplines outer man, seeks outward piety and is satisfied with the formal appearance of doing good.
And all this is closely connected with the initial and deepest actual difference, which must be thought through to the end, and, moreover, once and for all.
Confession differs from confession in its basic religious act and its structure. It is important not only what you believe in, but also what, that is, by what forces of the soul, your faith is carried out. Since Christ the Savior established faith on living love (see Mark 12:30-33; Luke 10:27; cf. 1 John 4:7-8, 16), we know where to look for faith and how find her. This is the most important thing for understanding not only your own faith, but especially the faith of others and the entire history of religion. This is how we must understand both Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
There are religions that are born out of fear and feed on fear; Thus, most African blacks are primarily afraid of darkness and night, evil spirits, witchcraft, and death. It is in the struggle against this fear and in exploiting it in others that their religion is formed.
There are religions that are born out of lust; and feed on eroticism, taken as “inspiration”; such is the religion of Dionysus-Bacchus; this is “left-hand Shaivism” in India; Such is Russian Khlystyism.
There are religions that live by fantasy and imagination; their supporters are satisfied mythical legends and chimeras, poetry, sacrifices and rituals, neglecting love, will and thought. This is Indian Brahmanism.
Buddhism was created as a religion of life-denial and asceticism. Confucianism arose as a religion of historically hard-won and sincerely felt moral doctrine. The religious act of Egypt was dedicated to overcoming death. The Jewish religion sought first of all national self-affirmation on earth, putting forward henotheism (the god of national exclusivity) and moral legalism. The Greeks created a religion of family hearth and visible beauty. Romans - religion magical ritual. What about Christians?
Orthodoxy and Catholicism equally place their faith in Christ, the Son of God, and in the gospel. And yet their religious acts are not only different, but also incompatible in their opposites. This is precisely what determines all the differences that I pointed out in the previous article (“On Russian nationalism.” - Ed.).
The primary and fundamental awakening of faith for the Orthodox is a movement of the heart, contemplating love, which sees the Son of God in all His goodness, in all His perfection and spiritual power, bows and accepts Him as the real truth of God, as its main life treasure. In the light of this perfection, the Orthodox recognizes his sinfulness, strengthens and cleanses his conscience with it, and embarks on the path of repentance and purification.
On the contrary, for a Catholic, “faith” awakens from a volitional decision: to trust such and such (Catholic-Church) authority, to submit and submit to it and force oneself to accept everything that this authority decides and prescribes, including the question of good and evil, sin and its admissibility.
Why does an Orthodox soul come to life from free tenderness, from kindness, from heartfelt joy - and then it blooms with faith and the voluntary deeds corresponding to it. Here the gospel of Christ causes sincere love to God, and free love awakens the Christian will and conscience in the soul.
On the contrary, a Catholic, through constant efforts of will, forces himself to the faith that his authority prescribes to him.
However, in reality, only external bodily movements are completely subordinated to the will; conscious thought is subordinated to a much lesser extent; even less is the life of imagination and everyday feelings (emotions and affects). Neither love, nor faith, nor conscience are subordinate to the will and may not respond at all to its “compulsions.” You can force yourself to stand and bow, but it is impossible to force yourself to reverence, prayer, love and thanksgiving. Only external “piety” obeys the will, and it is nothing more than an external appearance or simply a pretense. You can force yourself to make a property “donation”; but the gift of love, compassion, mercy is not forced either by will or authority. Thought and imagination follow love - both earthly and spiritual - by themselves, naturally and willingly, but the will can fight over them all their lives and not subordinate them to its pressure. From an open and loving heart, conscience, like the voice of God, will speak independently and powerfully. But discipline of the will does not lead to conscience, and submission to external authority completely drowns out personal conscience.
This is how this opposition and irreconcilability of two confessions unfolds, and we, Russian people, need to think it through to the end.
Anyone who builds a religion on will and obedience to authority will inevitably have to limit faith to mental and verbal “confession,” leaving the heart cold and callous, replacing living love with legalism and discipline, and Christian kindness with “commendable” but dead deeds . And his prayer itself will turn into soulless words and insincere body movements. Anyone who knows the religion of ancient pagan Rome will immediately recognize its tradition in all this. It is precisely these features of Catholic religiosity that the Russian soul has always experienced as alien, strange, artificially strained and insincere. And when we hear from Orthodox people that in Catholic worship there is external solemnity, sometimes brought to the point of grandeur and “beauty,” but there is no sincerity and warmth, no humility and burning, no true prayer, and therefore spiritual beauty, then we know where to look for an explanation for this.
This opposition between the two confessions is revealed in everything. Thus, the first task of an Orthodox missionary is to give people the Holy Gospel and worship in their language and in full text; Catholics hold on Latin language, incomprehensible to most peoples, and prohibit believers from reading the Bible independently. The Orthodox soul seeks direct approach to Christ in everything: from inner solitary prayer to communion of the Holy Mysteries. A Catholic dares to think and feel about Christ only what the authoritative mediator standing between him and God allows him to do, and in communion itself he remains deprived and deranged, not accepting transubstantiated wine and receiving, instead of transubstantiated bread, some kind of “wafer” that replaces it.
Further, if faith depends on the will and decision, then, obviously, an unbeliever does not believe because he does not want to believe, and a heretic is a heretic because he decided to believe in his own way; and the “witch” serves the devil because she is possessed by an evil will. It is natural that they are all criminals against the Law of God and that they must be punished. Hence the Inquisition and all those cruel deeds with which medieval history Catholic Europe: crusades against heretics, bonfires, torture, extermination of entire cities (for example, the city of Steding in Germany in 1234); in 1568, all residents of the Netherlands, except those named by name, were sentenced to death as heretics.
In Spain, the Inquisition finally disappeared only in 1834. The rationale for these executions is clear: an unbeliever is someone who does not want to believe, he is a villain and a criminal in the face of God, Gehenna awaits him; and now the short-term fire of an earthly fire is better than the eternal fire of hell. Naturally, people who have forced faith from their own will try to force it from others and see in unbelief or heterodoxy not delusion, not misfortune, not blindness, not spiritual poverty, but evil will.
Against, Orthodox priest follows the Apostle Paul: not to strive to “take power over the will of others,” but to “promote joy” in the hearts of people (see 2 Cor. 1:24) and firmly remember Christ’s covenant about “tares” that should not be weeded out prematurely (see Matt. 13, 25-36). He recognizes the guiding wisdom of Athanasius the Great and Gregory the Theologian: “What is done by force against desire is not only forced, not free and not glorious, but simply did not even happen” (Sermon 2, 15). Hence the instruction of Metropolitan Macarius, given by him in 1555 to the first Kazan Archbishop Gury: “By all sorts of customs, as possible, accustom the Tatars to yourself and bring them to baptism with love, but do not lead them to baptism through fear.” From time immemorial, the Orthodox Church has believed in freedom of faith, in its independence from earthly interests and calculations, in its sincerity of heart. Hence the words of Cyril of Jerusalem: “Simon the sorcerer washed his body with water in the font, but did not enlighten his heart in spirit, and came and went in body, but was not buried in soul and did not rise.”
Further, the will of earthly man seeks power. And the Church, which builds faith on freedom, will certainly seek power. This is how it was with the Mohammedans; This has been the case with Catholics throughout their history. They always sought power in the world, as if the Kingdom of God were of this world - all power: independent temporal power for the pope and cardinals, as well as power over kings and emperors (remember the Middle Ages); power over souls and especially over the will of their followers (the confessional as a tool); party power in a modern “democratic” state; secret order power, totalitarian-cultural power over everything and in all matters (Jesuits). They consider power a tool for establishing the Kingdom of God on earth. And this idea has always been alien to both the Gospel teaching and the Orthodox Church.
Power on earth requires cunning, compromise, cunning, pretense, lies, deceit, intrigue and betrayal, and often crime. Hence the doctrine that the end resolves the means. In vain do opponents present this teaching of the Jesuits as if the end “justifies” or “sanctifies” evil means; by doing this they only make it easier for the Jesuits to object and rebut. Here we are not talking about “righteousness” or “holiness” at all, but either about church permission - about permissibility or about moral “good quality”. It is in this regard that the most prominent Jesuit fathers, such as Escobar a Mendoza, Sot, Tolet, Vascotz, Lessius, Sanketz and some others, claim that “actions are done good or bad depending on the good or bad goal.” . However, a person’s goal is known only to him alone; it is a personal matter, secret and easy to simulate. Closely connected with this is the Catholic teaching about the permissibility and even non-sinfulness of lies and deception: you just need to interpret the spoken words to yourself “otherwise”, or use an ambiguous expression, or silently limit the scope of what is said, or remain silent about the truth - then the lie is not a lie, and deception is not deception, and a false oath in court is not sinful (for this see the Jesuits Lehmkuhl, Suarez, Busenbaum, Lyman, Sanketz, Alagona, Lessius, Escobar and others).
But the Jesuits also have another teaching that finally frees the hands of their order and their church leaders. This is the doctrine of evil deeds allegedly committed “at the command of God.” Thus, from the Jesuit Peter Alagona (also from Busenbaum) we read: “By the command of God, you can kill the innocent, steal, debauch, for He is the Lord of life and death and therefore you must fulfill His command.” It goes without saying that the existence of such a monstrous and impossible “command” of God is decided by Catholic ecclesiastical authority, obedience to which is the very essence of the Catholic faith.
Anyone who, having thought through these features of Catholicism, turns to the Orthodox Church, will see and understand once and for all that the deepest traditions of both confessions are opposite and incompatible. Moreover, he will also understand that the entire Russian culture was formed, strengthened and flourished in the spirit of Orthodoxy and became what it was at the beginning of the 20th century, primarily because it was not Catholic. The Russian person believed and believes with love, prays with his heart, reads the Gospel freely; and the authority of the Church helps him in his freedom and teaches him freedom, opening him the spiritual eye, and not frightening him with earthly executions in order to “avoid” the otherworldly. Russian charity and the “love of poverty” of the Russian tsars always came from the heart and kindness. Russian art has entirely grown out of free heartfelt contemplation: the soaring of Russian poetry, and the dreams of Russian prose, and the depth of Russian painting, and the sincere lyricism of Russian music, and the expressiveness of Russian sculpture, and the spirituality of Russian architecture, and the feeling of Russian theater. The spirit of Christian love also penetrated into Russian medicine with its spirit of service, selflessness, intuitive-holistic diagnosis, individualization of the patient, brotherly attitude towards the suffering; and into Russian jurisprudence with its search for justice; and into Russian mathematics with its subject-matter contemplation. He created the traditions of Solovyov, Klyuchevsky and Zabelin in Russian historiography. He created the tradition of Suvorov in the Russian army, and the tradition of Ushinsky and Pirogov in the Russian school. One must see with one’s heart the deep connection that connects Russian Orthodox saints and elders with the way of life of the Russian, common people and educated soul. The entire Russian way of life is different and special, because the Slavic soul strengthened its heart in the precepts of Orthodoxy. And most Russian heterodox confessions (with the exception of Catholicism) received the rays of this freedom, simplicity, cordiality and sincerity.
Let us also remember that our white movement, with all its state loyalty, with its patriotic fervor and sacrifice, arose from free and true hearts and they continue to do so to this day. A living conscience, sincere prayer and personal “volunteerism” belong to the best gifts of Orthodoxy, and we have not the slightest reason to replace these gifts with the traditions of Catholicism.
Hence our attitude towards “Catholicism of the Eastern Rite”, which is now being prepared in the Vatican and in many Catholic monasteries. The very idea - to subjugate the soul of the Russian people through a feigned imitation of their worship and to introduce Catholicism in Russia with this deceptive operation - we experience as religiously false, godless and immoral. So in war, ships sail under a foreign flag. This is how contraband is smuggled across the border. So in Shakespeare's Hamlet, the brother pours deadly poison into the ear of his brother the king while he sleeps.
And if anyone needed proof that Catholicism exists and in what ways it seizes power on earth, then this last enterprise makes all other proofs superfluous.
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03 / 08 / 2006
DIFFERENCES OF ORTHODOXY FROM CATHOLICISMCatholicism and Orthodoxy, like Protestantism, are branches of the same religion - Christianity. Despite the fact that both Catholicism and Orthodoxy belong to Christianity, there are significant differences between them.
The reason for the split Christian Church There was a political split into Western (Catholicism) and Eastern (Orthodoxy) that occurred at the turn of the 8th-9th centuries, when Constantinople lost the lands of the western part of the Roman Empire. In the summer of 1054, the Pope's ambassador to Constantinople, Cardinal Humbert, anathematized the Byzantine Patriarch Michael Cyrularius and his followers. A few days later, a council was held in Constantinople, at which Cardinal Humbert and his henchmen were reciprocally anathematized. Disagreements between representatives of the Roman and Greek churches also intensified due to political disagreements: Byzantium argued with Rome for power. The mistrust of East and West turned into open hostility after the Crusade against Byzantium in 1202, when Western Christians went against their eastern fellow believers. Only in 1964 did Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople and Pope Paul VI officially lift the anathema of 1054. However, differences in traditions have become deeply entrenched over the centuries.
Church organization
The Orthodox Church includes several independent Churches. In addition to the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there is Georgian, Serbian, Greek, Romanian and others. These Churches are governed by patriarchs, archbishops and metropolitans. Not all Orthodox Churches have communion with each other in sacraments and prayers (which, according to the catechism of Metropolitan Philaret, is a necessary condition for individual Churches to be part of a single Universal Church). Also, not all Orthodox Churches recognize each other as true churches. Orthodox believe that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church.
Unlike the Orthodox Church, Catholicism is one Universal Church. All its parts are different countries the world are in communication with each other, and also follow the same creed and recognize the Pope as their head. In the Catholic Church, there are communities within the Catholic Church (rites) that differ from each other in forms of liturgical worship and church discipline. There are Roman, Byzantine rites, etc. Therefore, there are Catholics of the Roman rite, Catholics of the Byzantine rite, etc., but they are all members of the same Church. Catholics also consider the Pope to be the head of the Church.
Divine service
The main worship service for the Orthodox is the Divine Liturgy, for Catholics it is the Mass (Catholic liturgy).
During services in the Russian Orthodox Church, it is customary to stand as a sign of humility before God. In other Eastern Rite Churches, sitting is allowed during services. As a sign of unconditional submission, Orthodox Christians kneel. Contrary to popular belief, it is customary for Catholics to both sit and stand during worship. There are services that Catholics listen to on their knees.
Mother of God
In Orthodoxy, the Mother of God is first and foremost the Mother of God. She is revered as a saint, but she was born in original sin, like all mere mortals, and died like all people. Unlike Orthodoxy, Catholicism believes that the Virgin Mary was conceived immaculately without original sin and at the end of her life was ascended to heaven alive.
Symbol of faith
Orthodox believe that the Holy Spirit comes only from the Father. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and from the Son.
Sacraments
The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church recognize seven main Sacraments: Baptism, Confirmation (Confirmation), Communion (Eucharist), Penance (Confession), Priesthood (Ordination), Anointing (Unction) and Marriage (Wedding). The rituals of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches are almost identical, the differences are only in the interpretation of the sacraments. For example, during the sacrament of baptism in the Orthodox Church, a child or adult is immersed in the font. In a Catholic church, an adult or child is sprinkled with water. The sacrament of communion (Eucharist) is celebrated on leavened bread. Both the priesthood and the laity partake of both the Blood (wine) and the Body of Christ (bread). In Catholicism, the sacrament of communion is celebrated on unleavened bread. The priesthood partakes of both the Blood and the Body, while the laity partakes only of the Body of Christ.
Purgatory
Orthodoxy does not believe in the existence of purgatory after death. Although it is assumed that souls may be in an intermediate state, hoping to go to heaven after the Last Judgment. In Catholicism, there is a dogma about purgatory, where souls remain awaiting heaven.
Faith and morals
The Orthodox Church recognizes only the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, which took place from 49 to 787. Catholics recognize the Pope as their head and share the same faith. Although within the Catholic Church there are communities with in different forms liturgical worship: Byzantine, Roman and others. The Catholic Church recognizes the decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council, the last of which took place in 1962-1965.
Within Orthodoxy, divorces are allowed in individual cases, which are decided by priests. The Orthodox clergy is divided into “white” and “black”. Representatives of the “white clergy” are allowed to marry. True, then they will not be able to receive episcopal or higher rank. "Black clergy" are monks who take a vow of celibacy. For Catholics, the sacrament of marriage is considered to be for life and divorce is prohibited. All Catholic religious clergy take a vow of celibacy.
Sign of the Cross
Orthodox Christians cross themselves only from right to left with three fingers. Catholics cross themselves from left to right. They dont have single rule, how to create a cross you need to fold your fingers, so several options have taken root.
Icons
On Orthodox icons, saints are depicted in two dimensions according to the tradition of reverse perspective. This emphasizes that the action takes place in another dimension - in the world of spirit. Orthodox icons monumental, strict and symbolic. Among Catholics, saints are depicted naturalistically, often in the form of statues. Catholic icons are painted in straight perspective.
Sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and saints, accepted in Catholic churches, are not accepted by the Eastern Church.
Crucifixion
The Orthodox cross has three crossbars, one of which is short and located at the top, symbolizing the tablet with the inscription “This is Jesus, King of the Jews,” which was nailed above the head of the crucified Christ. The lower crossbar is a footstool and one of its ends looks up, pointing to one of the thieves crucified next to Christ, who believed and ascended with him. The second end of the crossbar points down, as a sign that the second thief, who allowed himself to slander Jesus, went to hell. On the Orthodox cross, each foot of Christ is nailed with a separate nail. Unlike the Orthodox cross, the Catholic cross consists of two crossbars. If it depicts Jesus, then both of Jesus' feet are nailed to the base of the cross with one nail. Christ on Catholic crucifixes, as well as on icons, is depicted naturalistically - his body sags under the weight, torment and suffering are noticeable throughout the image.
Funeral service for the deceased
Orthodox Christians commemorate the dead on the 3rd, 9th and 40th days, then every other year. Catholics always remember the dead on Remembrance Day - November 1st. In some European countries November 1 is an official holiday. The deceased are also remembered on the 3rd, 7th and 30th days after death, but this tradition is not strictly observed.
Despite existing differences, both Catholics and Orthodox are united by the fact that they profess and preach throughout the world one faith and one teaching of Jesus Christ.
conclusions:
1. In Orthodoxy, it is generally accepted that the Universal Church is “embodied” in each local Church, headed by a bishop. Catholics add to this in order to belong to the Universal Church local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church.
2. World Orthodoxy does not have a single leadership. It is divided into several independent churches. World Catholicism is one church.
3. The Catholic Church recognizes the primacy of the Pope in matters of faith and discipline, morality and government. Orthodox churches do not recognize the primacy of the Pope.
4. Churches see differently the role of the Holy Spirit and the mother of Christ, who in Orthodoxy is called the Mother of God, and in Catholicism the Virgin Mary. In Orthodoxy there is no concept of purgatory.
5. The same sacraments operate in the Orthodox and Catholic Churches, but the rituals for their implementation are different.
6. Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy does not have a dogma about purgatory.
7. Orthodox and Catholics create the cross in different ways.
8. Orthodoxy allows divorce, and its “white clergy” can marry. In Catholicism, divorce is prohibited, and all monastic clergy take a vow of celibacy.
9. Orthodox and Catholic Church recognize the decisions of various Ecumenical Councils.
10. Unlike the Orthodox, Catholics depict saints on icons in a naturalistic manner. Also among Catholics, sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin Mary and saints are common.
