What is the difference between Orthodox and Catholic. On Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Doctrines of the Orthodox Church. Differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Faith in Jesus Christ united and inspired Christians, becoming the basis of the religious worldview. Without it, believers would not be able to do right and do honest work.

The role of Orthodoxy in the history of Russia is enormous. People who professed this direction in Christianity not only developed the spiritual culture of our country, but also contributed to the way of life of the Russian people.

Catholicism has also brought great meaning to people's lives for centuries. The head of the Catholic Church - the Pope of Rome determines the norms of the social and spiritual sphere of society.

Differences in the teachings of Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Orthodoxy primarily recognizes that knowledge that has not changed since the time of Jesus Christ - the 1st millennium of our era. It is based on faith in a single Creator who created the world.

Catholicism, on the other hand, allows for changes and additions to the basic dogmas of religion. So, we can determine the main differences between the teachings of the two directions in Christianity:

Catholics consider the Holy Spirit emanating from the Father and the Son as a symbol of Faith, while the Orthodox accept only the Holy Spirit emanating from the Father.
Catholics believe in the conception of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, while the Orthodox do not accept it.
The Pope of Rome was elected as the sole head of the church and vicar of God in Catholicism, while Orthodoxy does not imply such an appointment.
The teaching of the Catholic Church, unlike Orthodoxy, forbids the dissolution of marriage.
In Orthodox teaching, there is no dogma about purgatory (wandering of the soul of a dead person).

Despite all the differences, both directions religions are very similar. Both Orthodox believers and Catholics believe in Jesus Christ, observe fasts, build churches. The Bible is of great importance to them.

Church and clergy in Orthodoxy and Catholicism

The Orthodox Church includes at least 14 local churches recognized at the end of the 20th century. She governs the community of believers with the help of the rulebook of the apostles, the lives of the saints, theological texts and church customs. The Catholic Church, unlike the Orthodox, is a single religious center and is headed by the Pope.

First of all, churches of different directions in Christianity differ in their appearance. The walls of Orthodox churches are decorated with stunning frescoes and icons. The service is accompanied by the singing of prayers.

The Catholic church in the Gothic style is decorated with carvings and stained glass windows. Statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus Christ replace the icons in it, and the service takes place to the sounds of the organ.

In both the Catholic and Orthodox churches there is altar. For Orthodox believers, it is surrounded by an iconostasis, while for Catholics it is located in the middle of the church.

Catholicism created such church positions as bishop, archbishop, abbot and others. All of them take a vow of celibacy upon entering the service.

In Orthodoxy, the clergy are represented by such titles as patriarch, metropolitan, deacon. Unlike the strict rules of the Catholic Church, Orthodox clergy can marry. A vow of celibacy is given only by those who have chosen monasticism for themselves.

In general, the Christian Church has been closely connected with people's lives for centuries. It regulates human behavior in everyday life and is endowed with great opportunities.

Rites of Orthodoxy and Catholicism

This is a direct appeal of a believer to God. Orthodox believers face east during prayer, but for Catholics this does not matter. Catholics are baptized with two fingers, and Orthodox - with three.

In Christianity, the sacrament of baptism is allowed at any age. But most often, both Orthodox and Catholics baptize their children shortly after birth. In Orthodoxy, during baptism, a person is immersed in water three times, and among Catholics, water is poured three times on his head.

Every Christian at least once in his life comes to church for confession. Catholics confess in a special place - the confessional. At the same time, the confessor sees the clergyman through the bars. A Catholic priest will carefully listen to the person and give the necessary advice.

An Orthodox priest at confession can forgive sins and appoint penance- performing pious deeds as a correction of mistakes. Confession in Christianity is the secret of the believer.

The cross is the main symbol of Christianity. It decorates churches and temples, is worn on the body and set on graves. The words depicted on all Christian crosses are the same, but written in different languages.

A pectoral cross worn during baptism will become for the believer a symbol of Christianity and the suffering of Jesus Christ. For the Orthodox cross, the form does not matter, what is depicted on it is much more important. Most often you can see six-pointed or eight-pointed crosses. The image of Jesus Christ on it symbolizes not only torment, but also victory over evil. By tradition, the Orthodox cross has a lower crossbar.

The Catholic cross depicts Jesus Christ as a dead man. His arms are bent, legs are crossed. This image is striking in its realism. The shape of the cross is more concise, without a crossbar.

The classic Catholic image of the crucifixion is the image of the Savior with his feet crossed and pierced with one nail. On his head is a crown of thorns.

Orthodoxy sees Jesus Christ triumphant over death. His palms are open and his legs are not crossed. According to the tradition of Orthodoxy, images of the crown of thorns on the crucifix are very rare.

Orthodoxy differs from Catholicism, but not everyone will answer the question of what exactly these differences are. There are differences between the churches in symbolism, and in the ritual, and in the dogmatic part.

We have different crosses

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

The words on the tablet on the crosses are the same, only the languages \u200b\u200bare different, in which the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. In Catholicism, this is Latin: INRI. In some Eastern churches, the Greek abbreviation INBI is used from the Greek text Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

In this document, in the second paragraph of the first part, the text of the Creed without the filioque is given: "Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre procedit, qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas" . (“And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, proceeding from the Father, who, together with the Father and the Son, is to be worshiped and glorified, who spoke through the prophets.”)

No official, conciliar decisions followed this declaration, so the situation with the filioque remains the same.

The main difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that the head of the Orthodox Church is Jesus Christ, in Catholicism the church is headed by the vicar of Jesus Christ, its visible head (Vicarius Christi), the Pope of Rome.

Until 1054 the Christian Church was one and indivisible. The split occurred due to disagreements between Pope Leo IX and the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Cirularius. The conflict began due to the last closing of several Latin churches in 1053. For this, the papal legates excommunicated Cirularius from the Church. In response, the patriarch anathematized the papal envoys. In 1965 mutual curses were lifted. However, the schism of the Churches has not yet been overcome. Christianity is divided into three main areas: 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 doctrine, the performance of the sacraments, etc. About which ones, we'll talk a little later. First, let's make a small overview of the main directions of Christianity.

Orthodoxy, called in the West an orthodox religion, is currently practiced by about 200 million people. Approximately 5,000 people are baptized every day. This direction of Christianity was spread mainly in Russia, as well as in some countries of the CIS 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 Basil II, Anna. But for this he had to accept Christianity. An alliance with Byzantium was essential to strengthen the authority of Rus'. At the end of the summer of 988, a huge number of Kyivans were christened in the waters of the Dnieper.

Catholic Church

As a result of the split in 1054, a separate confession arose in Western Europe. Representatives of the Eastern Church called her "Catholicos". In Greek it means "universal". The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism lies not only in the approach of these two Churches to some of the dogmas of Christianity, but also in the very history of development. 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 much grief to the common population. The first of these was organized at the call of Pope Urban II in 1095. The last - the eighth - ended in 1270. The official goal of all crusades was the liberation of the "holy land" of Palestine and the "Holy Sepulcher" from the infidels. The actual one is the conquest of lands that belonged to Muslims.

In 1229, Pope George IX issued a decree establishing the Inquisition - an ecclesiastical court for cases of 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 briefly discussed in the article) is a very large and deep topic. However, with regard to the attitude of the Church towards the population, in general terms, its traditions and basic concept can be understood. The Western denomination has always been considered more dynamic, but at the same time 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 XIV century. a split occurred. This was connected with the Reformation - a revolutionary movement that arose at that time in Europe. In 1526, at the request of the German Lutherans, the Swiss Reichstag issued a decree on the right of free choice of religion by 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 direction is subdivided into two more branches: early and late.

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

In our time, the World Council of Protestant Churches is pursuing an active peacemaking policy. Representatives of this religion advocate detente of international tension, support the efforts of states in defense of peace, etc.

The difference between Orthodoxy from Catholicism and Protestantism

Of course, during the centuries of schism, significant differences arose in the traditions of the churches. The basic principle of Christianity - the acceptance of Jesus as the Savior and the Son of God - they did not touch. However, in relation to certain events of the New and Old Testaments, there are often even mutually exclusive differences. In some cases, the methods of conducting various kinds of rites and sacraments do not converge.

The main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism

	Orthodoxy		Catholicism	Protestantism
Control	Patriarch, Cathedral			World Council of Churches, Councils of Bishops
Organization	Bishops do not depend much on the Patriarch, they 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. Holy 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 proceeds both from the Father and from 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	By crucifixion, all the sins of mankind were atoned for. Only the original remains. That is, when committing a new sin, a person again becomes the object of God's wrath.		The man 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		Forbidden	Allowed but frowned upon
Immaculate Conception of the Virgin	It is believed that the Mother of God is not spared 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. With regard to the original sin of the Mother of God, therefore, there are also quite significant differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Taking the Virgin to Heaven	It is unofficially believed that this event may have taken place, but it is not enshrined in dogmas.		The taking of the Mother of God to 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 Byzantine-like Orthodox liturgy can be held	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
Marriage of clergy	Allowed		Only allowed in the Byzantine Rite	Allowed
Ecumenical Councils	Based on the decisions of the first seven		Guided by decisions 21 (last passed in 1962-1965)	Recognize the decisions of all Ecumenical Councils, if they do not contradict each other and Holy Scripture
	Eight-pointed with crossbeams at the bottom and at the top		A simple four-pointed Latin cross is used	Not used in worship. Worn by representatives of not all faiths
	Used in large quantities and are equated with the Holy Scriptures. 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	Recognized as Hebrew and Greek		Greek only	Only Jewish canonical
Absolution	The ceremony is performed by a priest			Not allowed
Science and religion	Based on scientists' assertion, 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 too significant, but still discrepancies. They arose long ago, and, apparently, none of the churches expresses a special desire to resolve these contradictions.

There are differences in the attributes of different areas of Christianity. For example, the Catholic cross has a simple quadrangular shape. The Orthodox have eight-pointed. 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 bar, it contains two more. The upper one personifies a tablet nailed to the cross and containing the inscription "Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews." The lower slanting crossbar - a prop for the feet of Christ - symbolizes the "righteous measure".

Table of differences of 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, in relation to the cross there is also a quite noticeable difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The table shows this clearly.

As for the Protestants, they consider the cross to be a symbol of the Pope, and therefore they 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) in relation to paraphernalia is quite noticeable. There are even greater discrepancies in these directions in icons. The rules for depicting Christ, the Mother of God, saints, etc. may differ.

Below are the main differences.

The main difference between an Orthodox icon and a Catholic one is that it is written in strict accordance with the canons established back in Byzantium. Western images of saints, Christ, etc., strictly speaking, have nothing to do with the icon. Usually such paintings have a very broad plot and are 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 the service of 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 is subordinate only to its own bishop. Catholics have a different organization in this regard. Monasteries are united in the so-called Orders, each of which has its own head and its charter. These associations may be scattered throughout the world, but nevertheless they always have a common leadership.

Protestants, unlike Orthodox and Catholics, reject monasticism altogether. 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. In both of these Churches, 7 sacraments are accepted. The difference is primarily in the meaning attached 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, chrismation, etc., will be effective only for believers who are completely disposed towards them. Orthodox priests even often compare Catholic rites 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. Everything else is considered superficial and rejected by representatives of this trend.

Baptism

This main Christian sacrament is recognized by all churches: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism. Differences are only in the ways of performing the ceremony.

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

The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism (the 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, therefore, is not very significant, but it still exists.

Protestants usually perform the rite of baptism also 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 performed exclusively for adults.

Differences in the sacrament of the Eucharist

We have considered the main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. This is an attitude to the descent of the Holy Spirit and to the virginity of the birth of the Virgin Mary. Such significant divergences have emerged over the centuries of schism. Of course, they are also present in the celebration of one of the main Christian sacraments - the Eucharist. Catholic priests take communion only with bread, and unleavened. 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 is allowed to receive communion. Representatives of this branch of Christianity celebrate the Eucharist in the same way as the Orthodox - with wine and bread.

Contemporary Church Relations

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

Relations between the two main confessions, Orthodox and Catholic, are also rather ambiguous in our time. Until the middle of the last century, serious tensions remained between these two churches. The key concept in the relationship was the word "heresy".

Recently, this situation has changed a bit. 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 such an 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 denominations still persists. 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 noteworthy and serious difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Osipov considers many saints of the Western Church almost crazy. He also warns the Russian Orthodox Church that, for example, cooperation with the Catholics threatens the Orthodox with complete submission. However, he repeatedly mentioned that among Western Christians there are wonderful people.

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

Almost the whole world celebrates Christian holidays, today it is difficult to find a person who is not familiar with the Christmas tree or painted eggs. Moreover, our reckoning is from the moment of the birth of Jesus. And it seems that everything is clear and simple: a little more than 2000 years ago, a baby was born, followed by people, proclaiming him the son of God, a king, a prophet.

His apostles carried the message to the people. People erected churches and temples, and began to call themselves Christians. But what then are Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism? Why do parishioners stand in some churches and sit in others? Why do priests look different, while icons and saints are so different? These and other questions are discussed in detail in this article.

Christians - general

Most of the people on our planet consider themselves Christians. But they are all divided into different churches. It is important to understand that these churches have their own hierarchy of power, their own head, their own separate principles and even their own interpretation of biblical events.

The most famous and numerous of the churches are Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodoxy. All Christians regard the Bible as their main book. Every follower of religion recognizes that Jesus Christ was a real person who was born by the Virgin Mary from an immaculate conception.

Everyone believes in the existence of heaven and hell, in the existence of angels, their help and possible appearance to people.

The Bible is a book consisting of the Old and New Testaments. The New Testament is actually evidence collected by different authors about the life of Jesus Christ. The text of the New and Old Testaments is the same for all churches, but the interpretation may differ.

Church division

What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism? This is difficult to understand without knowing the events of the previous days. Let's start with history. Until 1054, Christianity was united, but a dispute over land in southern Italy put an end to peace and tranquility.

The case took place in Byzantium, Patriarch Michael Cerularius demanded the closure of many churches in Constantinople. He was not satisfied with the fact that the Greek rites were supplanted by the Latin ones.

The Patriarch claimed to be not only Constantinople, but also Ecumenical. Rome disagreed. The parties never came to peace. Moreover, Humbert (a Roman cardinal) accused Michael Cerularius of heresy.

The Western Church separated from the Eastern. The first continued to conduct services in Latin, and the second - in Greek. Further in history there were Crusades, claims to foreign lands, struggle for power, attacks and wars. All this only exacerbated the alienation.

Today, historians call the events of those years the Great Schism, or the Great Schism. Surprisingly, the mutual anathemas of those days were removed by the modern Ecumenical Patriarch and the Pope, but the division became impossible to prevent.

Christianity today

So, after 1054, the Eastern and Western churches (Orthodox and Catholic) began to build their own hierarchy, went their separate ways. Protestantism emerged in the 16th century due to political differences among Catholics.

Christianity today can be characterized by the presence of the following canonical churches:

Catholicism: Catholic Church, Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Catholic Churches, Old Catholicism, Traditionalist Catholics;
orthodoxy: Russian Orthodox Church and Constantinople Orthodox Church.
Protestantism: Protestant Church.

Catholic and Orthodox Church, differences

So, let's consider the most significant differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism today.

Different calendars

Ordinary believers believe that the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is that these two Christian churches celebrate Christmas on different days.

Naturally, in fact, this is just the tip of the iceberg, a noticeable difference for the laity. The fact is that some celebrate according to the old Julian calendar, and the second - according to the Gregorian.

Few Christian churches have chosen a more modern version, although it is more accurate, as it takes into account errors in the calculations of the time of early astronomers.

Many are confused by the fact that the dates according to the Gregorian calendar will constantly change. For example, in a hundred years the Orthodox will have to celebrate Christmas on January 8, and in another hundred years it will be on the 9th. This innovation was brought to our country by the Soviet government.

It is worth noting that the idea of switching to the Julian calendar for celebrating memorable days is constantly underway, Christians may celebrate together in the future.

Immaculateness of the Virgin Mary

The difference between Catholics and Orthodox for some lies in the structure of the temple, but for the clergy it is much more serious. The dogma that the Virgin Mary was born sinless from an immaculate conception is accepted in the West and does not find support at all with us.

Orthodoxy considers her an ordinary righteous child, a girl chosen by God, the mother of the son of God, who became a saint after death.

From the clergy one can hear such a legend that before her death, the Virgin Mary was afraid of going through ordeals (according to the scripture, all souls must go through this stage after leaving for another world).

And Jesus Christ himself took his mother so that she would not be frightened. It is clear that such words would be completely inappropriate if the Mother of God was originally a saint.

Vow of celibacy in the Catholic Church (celibacy)

All Orthodox priests marry once. After the death of his wife, they remain alone, often leaving for monastic service. Monks in both Orthodoxy and Catholicism take a vow of celibacy.

But Catholic clergy take a vow not only in monasticism, but from the very beginning of their service. They renounce carnal relations with women for life, and they simply do not have the right to marry.

Different hierarchy system

In Orthodoxy, it is allowed to have a patriarch in each church (for example, one patriarch in Russia, another in Greece, etc.). In Catholicism, everyone - Americans, Italians, and French - consider the Pope of Rome to be their supreme head.

Relations with the state apparatus

The difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy is that the head of the first church is considered higher than any authority on earth, and in Orthodoxy our patriarch is subordinate to the head of state.

Attitude towards icons

The next difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that the Orthodox depict on icons not only Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and angels.

We have widespread images of saints. Moreover, in our country, the Orthodox pray to saints, to icons. For Catholics, the icon is just a kind of portal that evokes certain feelings (close to art), conveys the words and to the Almighty.

In Rus', for example, icons were elevated, they were revered. How many legends have been preserved in the history of the Russian state that the icon itself saved cities from enemies and. And what can we say about the fact that almost every citizen of our country has the faces of saints on personalized icons.

Purgatory

All Christians believe in hell and heaven. But Catholics are also convinced of the existence of purgatory - a place where the soul can change, become purer, or vice versa. The soul waits in the wings, and does not immediately go to the judgment of God.

Pope Infallibility

It can be attributed to the difference between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church and the fact that Catholics not only proclaimed the Pope of Rome the head of the entire church, but also consider him the only sinless person on earth.

For orthodox such understanding is alien. The only sinless person was Jesus Christ. All other people sin a lot - voluntarily or involuntarily, mentally, willingly or not.

Sins are forgiven by a clergyman, but there is not and cannot be a person who would be able to avoid vice in any form.

Attitude towards the study of God

Orthodoxy believes in miracles. The Holy Fathers urge their parishioners to trust their feelings, to find God through sensation, understanding. A person cannot see or study God, according to Orthodox traditions. Catholics, on the other hand, argue that, thinking analytically, God can be described, defined and structured.

small differences

For the lay people, God begins in the temple, and the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism sometimes lies only in the fact that some can sit for the entire service, while others are forced to stand, no matter how hard it is for them.

So, what differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy are especially noticeable:

at baptism, Catholics sprinkle water, and Orthodox try to dip a person;
baptism occurs in infancy, and also has a second stage at the age of 11-12 for Catholics (confirmation). For the Orthodox, it is performed once and completely;
Orthodox are baptized with three fingers from right to left. Catholics - with the whole palm from left to right;
in churches, Christians are dominated by icons, Catholics are sculptures;
Catholic services are held more magnificently, all human senses are involved;
Orthodox churches are filled with beautiful singing, which spreads thanks to acoustics. Catholics actively use organ music;
The patriarch can divorce the spouses if they ask for it. In Catholicism, divorce is still prohibited.

Christianity is not only the most widespread religion on earth, but also the most tolerant. Christians should be kind to all people and as tolerant as possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Catholic or Orthodox church, for a person who wants to pray and turn to God. Neither one nor the other religion should limit a person in this sense.