Catholic and Christian Church difference. Orthodoxy and Catholicism: attitude and opinion about religion, the main differences from the Orthodox Church. Admission of new members to the Church

Faith in God is individual for each person. Someone believes from a young age, someone comes to her in his declining years. Everyone has their own reasons that lead a person to religious beliefs. Based on this belief(into a Higher Power) in the world exists a large number of religions. The most numerous among them: Orthodoxy, Catholicism. There are about 2 billion followers these teachings around the world, their representation can be found in any country on the planet.

What difference Catholic, Orthodox churches? What does the Bible say about each of their religions? Detailed in the article.

What is the Catholic Church

Catholic(Roman Catholic) - the largest structure in the world, numbering about 1.3 billion followers. This is one of oldest organizations with a centralized structure on the planet, which for many centuries has influenced the development of the civilization of Western countries. Its structure includes 23 Eastern Catholic.

The name comes from ancient Greek, in translation it means "around the world", "universal".

The definition was mentioned in the writings of the 2nd century, after the collapse of a single church into 2 parts: catholic in the West(center - Rome), Orthodox in the East(center - Constantinople).

The only head Pope. He possesses absolute power does everything right. In Catholicism there is dogma of papal infallibility. All of them are under the same leadership.

The concept of the Orthodox Church

Orthodox(Christian) - the second largest religious structure in the world, numbering 300,000,000 like-minded people. Its unity is based on the common recognition of faith in Jesus Christ. It consists of local (autonomous, patriarchates) with a central head:

Autonomous: Russian, Georgian, Ukrainian, Greek.
Patriarchates: Moscow, Constantinople.

There is no single chapter.

Holiness comes from God the Father, which is not subject to destruction by the sins of those who pray. She has universal power, indestructibility, apostolicity, as it is based on the teachings of the apostles sent by God to teach people the faith.

Local - independent of the central, but stay with it in one doctrine, are included in common centralized structure.

Widespread in the Eastern part of Eurasia.

Ritual and canonical differences

Religions are located in different countries, parts of the world, therefore they differ in the type of worship, rituals:

an Orthodox priest in prayer, speaks of himself as " witness of God', while in Catholicism, empowered"baptize people", "perform the Sacrament";
in Catholic churches altar without iconostasis;
in Catholicism widespread portrait iconography(Jesus Christ, Holy Mary), among Christians - Saints are depicted in heaven, with God, therefore blue, blue tones depicting the sky predominate in the icons;
various structures. Catholicism is the unified authority of the Pope of Rome, Orthodoxy is preserving the sacrament of dogmas and laws;
Pope of Rome - infallible. He cannot commit unrighteous deeds because he is vicar of God;
In Orthodoxy, infallibility is inherent decisions of the Ecumenical Council- a general meeting of representatives of patriarchates, independent churches.

Similarities in churches

The main similarity of religious structures - belief in one Almighty God, in his son Jesus Christ. God, who will give hope, restore faith in himself, strengthen the health of loved ones, relatives, dear people of the prayer, forgive all unrighteous deeds, give consolation, patience, give faith in a blessed future. Believe, pray, and God will hear you, help you - single concept of 2 religions.

Visiting churches, services, following the advice, instructions of the clergy, observing the Biblical laws is a must!

The difference between Catholics and Orthodox

Table 1 - Main differences:

difference	Orthodoxy	Catholicism
Structure	Separate patriarchates, churches	All obey the Pope
Faith in infallibility	Ecumenical Councils (general meetings)	Pope
Symbol of faith	The Holy Trinity is inseparable (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)	Holy Spirit - from the Father, the Son
Attitude to divorces, weddings	Allowed	Not allowed
Confession	Personally with Father	The face of a clergyman closed with a special partition so as not to embarrass the confessor
Indulgence (buying the forgiveness of future sin)	No concept	Eat
Purgatory	Private judgment on the soul after death	Exists
Name of the priest	Father, father (name of the clergyman)	Holy father
worship	Liturgy	Mass
cleansing	Bread, wine	Bread, wafer
The Prayer of the Believers	standing, promotes the greatest concentration of actions	sitting
Celibacy	monks	All clergy
Holiday differences	Holy Mother of God, Trinity, Palm Sunday, etc.	Heart of Jesus, Immaculate Heart of Mary, etc.
Type of cross	Four bars on a cross	One (two) bars
Celebration of major holidays	Christmas with 6 to 7 January	Christmas celebration from December 24-25
How Believers Are Baptized	Right hand 3d fingers from right to left	5 fingers open hand from left to right

conclusions

Both religions united by faith in a Higher Power(God) who possesses unlimited power, the ability to forgive everything, to help the one who asks.

The teaching of his messenger Jesus Christ is one. Therefore, despite the difference in rites, religions, both churches preach one teaching.

To choose a religion for yourself, you need to visit the churches of both representations, read their teachings, dogmas, talk with the clergy. They will help to clarify the questions that have arisen during the study, about the religious organization, to deal with the teachings.

Need to come to church consciously, by yourself. Everyone has their own age, reasons. There is no point in forcing it.

Only self-awareness of the need for faith for a person will help him to delve deeper into religion, become closer to God, become purer in soul and thoughts.

Watch a video about the differences between the Christian and Catholic churches:

Organization of the Church

Orthodoxy retains a territorial division into independent local churches. Today there are fifteen of them, nine of which are patriarchates. In the field of canonical issues and rituals, local churches may have their own characteristics. Orthodox believe that Jesus Christ is the head of the Church.

Catholicism adheres to organizational unity in the authority of the pope with a division into churches of the Latin and Eastern (Uniate) rites. Monastic orders were given considerable autonomy. Catholics consider the Pope to be the head of the Church and the indisputable authority.

The Orthodox Church is guided by the decisions of the Seven Ecumenical Councils, the Catholic Church by twenty-one.

Admission of new members to the Church

In Orthodoxy, this happens through the Sacrament of Baptism by three times, in the name of the Most Holy Trinity, immersion in water. Both adults and children can be baptized. A new member of the Church, even if it is a child, immediately receives communion and is chrismated.

The sacrament of Baptism in Catholicism occurs through dousing or sprinkling with water. Both adults and children can be baptized, but the first communion takes place at the age of 7-12. By this time, the child should have learned the basics of faith.

worship

The main service for the Orthodox is the Divine Liturgy, for the Catholics - the Mass (the modern name of the Catholic liturgy).

Divine Liturgy for the Orthodox

The Orthodox of the Russian Church during services stand as a sign of special humility before God. In other Eastern Rite Churches, it is allowed to sit during worship. And as a sign of unconditional and complete obedience, the Orthodox kneel.

It is not entirely fair to say that Catholics sit for the entire service. They spend a third of the entire service standing. But there are services that Catholics listen to on their knees.

The difference in communion

In Orthodoxy, the Eucharist (Communion) is celebrated on leavened bread. Both the priesthood and the laity partake of both the Blood (under the guise of wine) and the Body of Christ (under the guise of bread).

In Catholicism, the Eucharist is celebrated on unleavened bread. The priesthood partakes of both the Blood and the Body, while the laity receive only the Body of Christ.

Confession

Confession in the presence of a priest is considered obligatory in Orthodoxy. Without confession, a person is not allowed to take communion, except for the communion of infants.

In Catholicism, confession in the presence of a priest is obligatory at least once a year.

Sign of the Cross and pectoral cross

In the tradition of the Orthodox Church - four-, six- and eight-pointed with four nails. In the tradition of the Catholic Church - a four-pointed cross with three nails. Orthodox Christians are baptized over the right shoulder, and Catholics over the left.

catholic cross

Icons

There are Orthodox icons venerated by Catholics, and Catholic icons venerated by Eastern Rite believers. But still there are significant differences in the sacred images on Western and Eastern icons.

The Orthodox icon is monumental, symbolic, strict. She talks about nothing and teaches no one. Its multi-level nature requires deciphering - from the literal to the sacred meaning.

The Catholic image is more picturesque and in most cases is an illustration of biblical texts. Here the imagination of the artist is noticeable.

The Orthodox icon is two-dimensional - only horizontal and vertical, this is important. It is written in the tradition of reverse perspective. The Catholic icon is three-dimensional, painted in direct perspective.

The sculptural images of Christ, the Virgin and saints, accepted in Catholic churches, are rejected by the Eastern Church.

Marriage of priests

The Orthodox priesthood is divided into white clergy and black (monks). Monks take a vow of celibacy. If the clergyman has not chosen the monastic path for himself, then he must marry. All Catholic priests observe celibacy (celibate vow).

The doctrine of the posthumous fate of the soul

In Catholicism, in addition to heaven and hell, there is a doctrine of purgatory (private judgment). This is not the case in Orthodoxy, although there is a concept of ordeals of the soul.

Relations with secular authorities

Today only in Greece and Cyprus Orthodoxy is the state religion. In all other countries the Orthodox Church is separated from the state.

The relationship of the Pope with the secular authorities of states where Catholicism is the dominant religion is regulated by concordats - agreements between the pope and the government of the country.

Once upon a time, human intrigues and mistakes divided Christians. Difference in doctrine, of course, is an obstacle to unity in faith, but should not be a reason for enmity and mutual hatred. This is not why Christ came to earth.

On July 16, 1054, at the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople, official representatives of the Pope announced the deposition of Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople. In response, the patriarch anathematized the papal envoys. Since then, there have been churches that we today call Catholic and Orthodox.

Let's define concepts

Three main directions in Christianity - Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism. There is no single Protestant church, because there are many hundreds of Protestant churches (denominations) in the world. Orthodoxy and Catholicism are churches with a hierarchical structure, with their own doctrine, worship, their own internal legislation and their own religious and cultural traditions inherent in each of them.

Catholicism is an integral church, all components and all members of which are subject to the Pope as their head. The Orthodox Church is not so monolithic. At the moment it consists of 15 independent, but mutually recognizing each other and fundamentally identical churches. Among them are Russian, Constantinople, Jerusalem, Antioch, Georgian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Greek, etc.

What do Orthodoxy and Catholicism have in common?

Both Orthodox and Catholics are Christians who believe in Christ and striving to live according to His commandments. Both of them have one Holy Scripture - the Bible. No matter what we say about the differences, the Christian everyday life of both Catholics and Orthodox is built, first of all, according to the Gospel. The true role model, the basis of all life for any Christian is the Lord Jesus Christ, and He is one and only. Therefore, despite differences, Catholics and Orthodox profess and preach faith in Jesus Christ all over the world, proclaim the same Gospel to the world.

The history and traditions of the Catholic and Orthodox Church go back to the apostles. Peter, Paul, Mark and other disciples of Jesus founded Christian communities in significant cities of the ancient world - Jerusalem, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, etc. Those churches were formed around these centers that became the basis of the Christian world. That is why Orthodox and Catholics have sacraments (baptism, weddings, ordination of priests,), similar dogma, venerate common saints (who lived before the 11th century), and proclaim the same Nikeo-Tsaregradsky. Despite certain differences, both churches profess faith in the Holy Trinity.

For our time, it is important that both Orthodox and Catholics have a very similar view of the Christian family. Marriage is the union of a man and a woman. Marriage is blessed by the church and is considered a sacrament. Divorce is always a tragedy. Sexual relations before marriage are unworthy of the title of Christian, they are sinful. It is important to emphasize that both Orthodox and Catholics generally do not recognize homosexual marriages. Homosexual relationships themselves are considered a grave sin.

It should be especially noted that both Catholics and Orthodox recognize that they are not the same thing, that Orthodoxy and Catholicism are different churches, but Christian churches. This difference is so significant for both sides that for a thousand years there has been no mutual unity in the most important thing - in worship and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Catholics and Orthodox do not receive communion together.

At the same time, which is very important, both Catholics and Orthodox look at the mutual division with bitterness and repentance. All Christians are convinced that the unbelieving world needs a common Christian witness for Christ.

About division

It is not possible to describe the development of the gap and the formation of the separated Catholic and Orthodox churches in this note. I will only note that the tense political situation of a thousand years ago between Rome and Constantinople prompted both sides to look for a reason to sort things out. Attention was drawn to the peculiarities of the hierarchical church structure, which were fixed in the Western tradition, the peculiarities of dogma, ritual and disciplinary customs, which are not characteristic of the East.

In other words, it was the political tension that revealed the already existing and strengthened originality of the religious life of the two parts of the former Roman Empire. In many ways, the current situation was due to the difference in cultures, mentalities, national characteristics of the West and East. With the disappearance of the empire uniting the Christian churches, Rome and Western tradition stood apart from Byzantium for several centuries. With weak communication and an almost complete absence of mutual interest, their own traditions took root.

It is clear that the division of a single church into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Catholic) is a long and rather complicated process, which at the beginning of the 11th century only had its culmination. The until then united church, represented by five local or territorial churches, the so-called patriarchates, split. In July 1054, a mutual anathematization was proclaimed by the plenipotentiaries of the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople. A few months later, all the remaining patriarchates joined the position of Constantinople. The gap has only grown stronger and deeper over time. Finally, the Churches of the East and the Roman Church were divided after 1204 - the time of the destruction of Constantinople by the participants of the Fourth Crusade.

What is the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy?

Here are the main points, mutually recognized by both parties, that divide churches today:

The first important difference is the different understanding of the church. For Orthodox Christians, the one, so-called Universal Church, is manifested in specific independent, but mutually recognizing local churches. A person can belong to any of the existing Orthodox churches, thereby belonging to Orthodoxy in general. It is enough to share the same faith and sacraments with other churches. Catholics recognize one and only church as an organizational structure - Catholic, subordinate to the Pope. To belong to Catholicism, it is necessary to belong to the one and only Catholic Church, to have its faith and participate in its sacraments, and it is imperative to recognize the primacy of the pope.

In practice, this moment is revealed, first of all, in the fact that the Catholic Church has a dogma (obligatory doctrinal provision) about the primacy of the pope over the entire church and his infallibility in official teaching on matters of faith and morality, discipline and government. Orthodox do not recognize the primacy of the pope and believe that only the decisions of the Ecumenical (that is, universal) Councils are infallible and most authoritative. On the difference between the Pope and the Patriarch. In the context of what has been said, the imaginary situation of submission to the Pope of Rome of the now independent Orthodox patriarchs, and with them all bishops, priests and laity, looks absurd.

Second. There are differences in some important doctrinal matters. Let's point out one of them. It concerns the doctrine of God - the Holy Trinity. The Catholic Church professes in that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. The Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Spirit, which proceeds only from the Father. These seemingly “philosophical” subtleties of dogma have quite serious consequences in the theological doctrinal systems of each of the churches, sometimes contradicting each other. The unification and unification of the Orthodox and Catholic faiths at the moment seems to be an unsolvable task.

Third. Over the past centuries, many cultural, disciplinary, liturgical, legislative, mental, national features of the religious life of Orthodox and Catholics have not only strengthened, but also developed, which can sometimes contradict each other. First of all, it is about the language and style of prayer (memorized texts, or prayer in one's own words, or to music), about accents in prayer, about a special understanding of holiness and veneration of saints. But we must not forget about the benches in churches, scarves and skirts, the features of temple architecture or the styles of icon painting, the calendar, the language of worship, etc.

Both Orthodox and Catholic traditions have a fairly large degree of freedom in these quite secondary issues. It's clear. However, unfortunately, overcoming differences in this plane is unlikely, since it is this plane that represents the real life of ordinary believers. And, as you know, it is easier for them to give up some kind of “speculative” philosophizing than from their usual way of life and everyday understanding of it.

In addition, in Catholicism there is the practice of exclusively unmarried clergy, while in the Orthodox tradition the priesthood can be either married or monastic.

The Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have different views on the topic of intimate relations between spouses. Orthodoxy condescendingly looks at the use of non-abortive contraceptives. And in general, the issues of the sexual life of the spouses are provided by them themselves and are not regulated by doctrine. Catholics, in turn, are categorically against any contraceptives.

In conclusion, I will say that these differences do not prevent the Orthodox and Catholic Churches from conducting a constructive dialogue, jointly opposing the massive departure from traditional and Christian values; jointly implement various social projects and peacekeeping actions.

It is the largest destination in.

It has received the greatest distribution in Europe (Spain, France, Italy, Portugal, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary), in Latin America and the USA. To one degree or another, Catholicism is widespread in almost all countries of the globe. Word "Catholicism" comes from the Latin - "universal, universal." After the collapse of the Roman Empire, the church remained the only centralized organization and force capable of stopping the onset of chaos. This led to the political rise of the church and its influence on the formation of the states of Western Europe.

Features of the dogma "Catholicism"

Catholicism has a number of features in the doctrine, cult and structure of the religious organization, which reflected the specific features of the development of Western Europe. Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition are recognized as the basis of doctrine. All books included in the Latin translation of the Bible (Vulgate) are considered canonical. Only the clergy are entitled to interpret the text of the Bible. Sacred Tradition is formed by the decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council (recognizes only the first seven), as well as the judgments of the popes on ecclesiastical and secular problems. The clergy take a vow of celibacy - celibacy, thus, it becomes, as it were, partaker of divine grace, which separates it from the laity, whom the church likened to a herd, and the clergy were assigned the role of shepherds. The Church helps the laity to achieve salvation at the expense of the treasury of good deeds, i.e. a surplus of good deeds done by Jesus Christ, the Mother of God and the saints. As the vicar of Christ on earth, the pope manages this treasury of overdue deeds, distributing them among those who need them. This practice, called distribution indulgences, was subjected to fierce criticism from Orthodoxy and led to a split in Catholicism, the emergence of a new direction in Christianity -.

Catholicism follows the Nicene-Tsargrad Creed, but creates its own understanding of a number of dogmas. On Toledo Cathedral in 589, an addition was made to the Creed about the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son (lat. filioque- and from the Son). Until now, this understanding has been the main obstacle to the dialogue between the Orthodox and Catholic churches.

A feature of Catholicism is also the exalted veneration of the Theotokos - the Virgin Mary, the recognition of the dogmas of her immaculate conception and bodily ascension, according to which the Most Holy Theotokos was taken to heaven "with soul and body for the glory of heaven." In 1954, a special holiday dedicated to the "Queen of Heaven" was established.

Seven sacraments of Catholicism

In addition to the common Christian doctrine of the existence of heaven and hell, Catholicism recognizes the doctrine of purgatory as an intermediate place where the soul of the sinner is cleansed, passing through severe trials.

committing sacraments- the ritual actions adopted in Christianity, with the help of which special grace is transmitted to believers, in Catholicism is distinguished by a number of features.

Catholics, like the Orthodox, recognize seven sacraments:

baptism;
communion (eucharist);
priesthood;
repentance (confession);
chrismation (confirmation);
marriage;
unction (unction).

The sacrament of baptism is performed by dousing with water, chrismation or confirmation - when the child reaches the age of seven - eight years, and in Orthodoxy - immediately after baptism. The sacrament of communion among Catholics is performed on unleavened bread, and among the Orthodox - on leavened bread. Until recently, only the clergy took communion with wine and bread, and the laity only with bread. The sacrament of unction - a prayer service and the anointing of a sick or dying person with special oil - oil - in Catholicism is considered as a church blessing to the dying, and in Orthodoxy - as a way to heal the disease. Divine services in Catholicism until recently were performed exclusively in Latin, which made it completely incomprehensible to believers. Only II Vatican Council(1962-1965) allowed services in national languages as well.

Extremely developed in Catholicism is the veneration of saints, martyrs, blessed, whose ranks are constantly increasing. The center of cult and ritual rituals is the temple, decorated with paintings and sculptures on religious themes. Catholicism actively uses all means of aesthetic influence on the feelings of believers, both visual and musical.

Almost the whole world celebrates Christian holidays, today it is difficult to find a person who is not familiar with a 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 may divorce spouses if they so request. 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.