Differences in the rites of Catholics and Orthodox. Similarities and differences between Catholics and Orthodox

All three share the fundamental principles of Christianity: accept the Nicene Creed adopted by the first Council of the Church in 325, recognize the Holy Trinity, believe in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, in His divinity and coming coming, accept the Bible as the Word of God, and agree, that repentance and faith are necessary to have eternal life and avoid hell, do not recognize Jehovah's Witnesses and Mormons as Christian churches. Well, still, among Catholics and Protestants, heretics were mercilessly burned at the stake.

And now in the table, see some of the differences that we managed to find and understand:

Which faith is best? For the development of the state and life in pleasure - Protestantism is more acceptable. If a person is driven by the thought of suffering and redemption, then Orthodoxy and Catholicism. To each his own.

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The split of the Christian Church into Western and Eastern took place in 1054. Different views on one religion forced each of the directions to go their own way. Differences manifested themselves not only in the interpretation of the Bible, but also in the arrangement of temples.

External differences

You can find out which direction the church belongs to even at 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 of the age at which the Savior was crucified on the cross.

Internal differences

There are also differences in the internal space of the 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 either side of it are the side naves. Then you can see the transverse nave, which crosses the main and side. 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 chapels.

Catholic churches may differ from each other in the organization of the internal space. In large churches, there are much more rooms. In addition, they use an organ that gives solemnity to the service. Small churches in small settlements are more modestly equipped. In a Catholic church, the walls are decorated with frescoes, not icons.

The part of the Orthodox church preceding the altar is tripled much simpler than in the Catholic Church. The main temple space serves as a place where parishioners 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 one, benches are not used. Believers should pray standing up.

The altar part of the Orthodox church is separated from the rest of the space by solea. Here is the iconostasis. Icons can also be placed on the walls of the main temple space. The altar part is preceded by an ambo and royal gates. The veil, or catapetasma, follows the royal doors. Behind the veil is a throne, behind which are an altar, a sintron and a high place.

Architects and builders working on the construction of Orthodox and Catholic churches strive to create buildings in which a person 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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Catholicism is one of the three main Christian denominations. In total there are three confessions: Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism. The youngest of the three is Protestantism. It arose from an attempt to reform the Catholic Church by Martin Luther in the 16th century.

The division into Orthodoxy and Catholicism has a rich history. The beginning was the events that took place in 1054. It was then that the legates of the then-reigning Pope Leo IX drew up an act of excommunication against Patriarch Michael Ceroullarius of Constantinople and the entire Eastern Church. During the liturgy in the Hagia Sophia, they put him on the throne and left. Patriarch Michael responded by convening a council, at which, in turn, he excommunicated the papal ambassadors. The pope took their side, and since then the commemoration of popes at divine services has ceased in the Orthodox Churches, and the Latins have been considered schismatics.

We have collected the main differences and similarities between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, information about the tenets of Catholicism and features of the confession. It is important to remember that all Christians are brothers and sisters in Christ, so neither Catholics nor Protestants can be considered “enemies” of the Orthodox Church. However, there are controversial issues in which each denomination is closer or further from the Truth.

Features of Catholicism

Catholicism has over a billion followers worldwide. The head of the Catholic Church is the Pope, not the Patriarch, as in Orthodoxy. The Pope is the supreme ruler of the Holy See. Previously, in the Catholic Church, all bishops were called that. Contrary to popular belief about the total infallibility of the Pope, Catholics consider only doctrinal statements and decisions of the Pope to be infallible. Pope Francis is currently the head of the Catholic Church. He was elected on March 13, 2013, and this is the first Pope in many years who. In 2016, Pope Francis met with Patriarch Kirill to discuss critical issues for Catholicism and Orthodoxy. In particular, the problem of persecution of Christians, which exists in some regions even today.

Doctrine of the Catholic Church

A number of dogmas of the Catholic Church differ from the corresponding understanding of the Gospel truth in Orthodoxy.

• Filioque is the Dogma that the Holy Spirit comes from both God the Father and God the Son.
• Celibacy is the dogma of the celibacy of the clergy.
• The Holy Tradition of Catholics includes the decisions taken after the seven Ecumenical Councils and the Papal Epistles.
• Purgatory is a dogma about an intermediate “station” between hell and heaven, where you can atone for your sins.
• The dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary and her bodily ascension.
• Communion of the laity only with the Body of Christ, the clergy with the Body and Blood.

Of course, these are not all differences from Orthodoxy, but Catholicism recognizes those dogmas that are not considered true in Orthodoxy.

Who are Catholics

The largest number of Catholics, people who practice Catholicism, live in Brazil, Mexico and the United States. Interestingly, in each country, Catholicism has its own cultural characteristics.

Differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy

• Unlike Catholicism, Orthodoxy believes that the Holy Spirit comes only from God the Father, as stated in the Creed.
• In Orthodoxy, only monastics observe celibacy, the rest of the clergy can marry.
• The sacred tradition of the Orthodox does not include, in addition to the ancient oral tradition, the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils, the decisions of subsequent church councils, papal messages.
• In Orthodoxy there is no dogma about purgatory.
• Orthodoxy does not recognize the doctrine of the "treasury of grace" - an overabundance of the good deeds of Christ, the apostles, the Virgin Mary, which allow you to "draw" salvation from this treasury. It was this doctrine that allowed for the possibility of indulgences, which at one time became a stumbling block between Catholics and future Protestants. Indulgence was one of those phenomena in Catholicism that deeply revolted Martin Luther. His plans included not the creation of a new confession, but the reformation of Catholicism.
• In Orthodoxy, the laity Communion with the Body and Blood of Christ: “Take, eat: this is my body, and drink all of you from it: this is my blood.”

Topic: Similarities and differences between Catholics and Orthodox.

1. Catholicism- from the Greek word katholikos - universal (later - universal).

Catholicism is the Western version of Christianity. Appeared as a result of the church schism, prepared by the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. The core of all the activities of the Western Church was the desire to unite Christians under the authority of the Roman bishop (pope). Catholicism finally took shape as a creed and church organization in 1054.

1.1 History of development.

The history of the development of Catholicism is a long process stretching for centuries, where there was a place for high aspirations (missionary work, enlightenment), and for the aspirations of secular and even world power, and a place for the bloody inquisition.

In the Middle Ages, the religious life of the Western Church included magnificent and solemn services, the worship of numerous holy relics and relics. Pope Gregory 1 included music in the catalytic liturgy. He also tried to replace the cultural traditions of antiquity with "saving church enlightenment."

Catholic monasticism contributed to the establishment and spread of Catholicism in the West.

Religion in the Middle Ages ideologically substantiated, justified and consecrated the essence of relations in a feudal society, where classes were clearly divided.

In the middle of the 8th century, an independent secular Papal State arose, i.e. at the time of the collapse of the Roman Empire, it was the only real power.

The strengthening of the secular power of the popes soon gave rise to their desire to dominate not only the church, but also the world.

During the reign of Pope Innocent 3 in the 13th century, the church reached its highest power, Innocent 3 managed to achieve the supremacy of spiritual power over secular, not least thanks to the crusades.

However, cities and secular sovereigns fought against papal absolutism, whom the clergy accused of heresy and created the Holy Inquisition, called upon to “uproot heresy with fire and sword.”

But the fall of the supremacy of spiritual power was inevitable. A new era of reformation and humanism was coming, which undermined the spiritual monopoly of the church, destroyed the political and religious solidity of Catholicism.

However, a century and a half after the French Revolution, the Vienna Congress of 1814-1815. restored the Papal States. Currently, there is a theocratic state of the Vatican.

The development of capitalism, industrialization, urbanization and the deterioration of the life of the working class, the rise of the labor movement led to the spread of an indifferent attitude towards religion.

Now the church has become a "church of dialogue with the world." New in its activities is the protection of human rights, especially the right to religious freedom, the struggle for the family and morality.

The area of ​​activity of the church is culture and cultural development.

In relations with the state, the church offers loyal cooperation, without the subordination of the church to the state and vice versa.

1.2 Features of dogma, cult and structure

religious organization of Catholicism.

2. Catholics recognize the Holy Scripture (Bible) and holy tradition as the source of doctrine, which (unlike Orthodoxy) includes the decisions of the ecumenical gatherings of the Catholic Church and the judgments of the popes.

3. Adding to the Filioque Creed The Holy Spirit comes from God the Father. The addition consisted in the assertion that the Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father and from God the Son (Orthodoxy rejects the filioque).

4. A feature of Catholicism is the exalted veneration of the Mother of God, the recognition of the legend of the immaculate conception of Mary by her mother Anna, and her bodily ascension to heaven after death.

5. The clergy take a vow of celibacy - celibacy. It was established in the 13th century in order to prevent the division of land between the heirs of the clergyman. Celibacy is one of the reasons why many Catholic priests today refuse to be ordained.

6. Dogma about purgatory. For Catholics, this is an intermediate place between heaven and hell, where the souls of sinners who have not received forgiveness in earthly life, but are not burdened with mortal sins, burn in a cleansing fire before gaining access to heaven. Catholics understand this test in different ways. Some interpret fire as a symbol, others recognize its reality. The fate of the soul in purgatory can be alleviated, and the period of its stay there can be shortened by “good deeds” performed in memory of the deceased by relatives and friends who remained on earth. "Good deeds" - prayers, masses and material donations in favor of the church. (The Orthodox Church rejects the doctrine of purgatory).

7. Catholicism is characterized by a magnificent theatrical cult, a wide veneration of relics (the remains of the “clothing of Christ”, pieces of the “cross on which He was crucified”, nails “with which He was nailed to the cross”, etc.), the cult of martyrs, saints and blessed.

8. Indulgence - a papal letter, a certificate of remission of both committed and uncommitted sins, issued for money or for special services to the Catholic Church. Indulgence is justified by theologians by the fact that the Catholic Church allegedly has a certain stock of good deeds performed by Christ, the Virgin Mary and the saints, which can cover the sins of people.

9. The church hierarchy is based on divine authority: the mystical life originates from Christ and descends through the pope and the entire structure of the church to its ordinary members. (Orthodoxy refutes this assertion).

10. Catholicism, like Orthodoxy, recognizes 7 sacraments - baptism, chrismation, communion, repentance, priesthood, marriage, unction.

2. Orthodoxy- one of the directions of Christianity, was formed in the 4th - 8th centuries, and gained independence in the 11th century as a result of the church schism, prepared by the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern (Byzantium).

2.1 History of development.

Orthodoxy did not have a single church center, because. church power was concentrated in the hands of 4 patriarchs. As the Byzantine Empire collapsed, each of the patriarchs began to head an independent (autocephalous) Orthodox Church.

The beginning of the establishment of Orthodoxy in Rus' as a state religion was laid by the Kyiv prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich. By his order, in 988, the Byzantine clergy christened the inhabitants of the capital of the ancient Russian state of Kyiv.

Orthodoxy, just like Catholicism, justified and sanctified social inequality, the exploitation of man, called on the masses to humility and patience, which was very convenient for secular power.

The Russian Orthodox Church for a long time depended on the Constantinople (Byzantine) Church. Only in 1448 did she gain autocephaly. Since 1589, in the list of local Orthodox churches, the Russian was given the honorable 5th place, which it still occupies.

To strengthen the position of the church within the country, at the beginning of the 17th century, Patriarch Nikon carried out a church reform.

Inaccuracies and inconsistencies in the liturgical books were corrected, the church service was somewhat shortened, prostrations were replaced by bows, they began to be baptized not with two, but with three fingers. As a result of the reform, a split occurred, which led to the emergence of the Old Believer movement. Moscow Local Councils 1656 - 1667 cursed (anathematized) the old rites and their adherents, who were persecuted using the state repressive apparatus. (The curse of the Old Believers was abolished in 1971).

Peter 1 reorganized the Orthodox Church into an integral part of the state apparatus.

Just like Catholicism, Orthodoxy actively intervened in secular life.

During the revolution and the formation of Soviet power, the influence of the church was reduced to nothing. In addition, temples were destroyed, the clergy were persecuted and repressed. In the Soviet Union it is necessary to be an atheist - such was the party's line on the issue of freedom of conscience. Believers were looked upon as feeble-minded, condemned and oppressed.

Entire generations grew up in disbelief in God. Faith in God was replaced by faith in the leader and in a "bright future."

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the temples began to be restored, people calmly visit them. The murdered clergy are counted among the holy martyrs. The church began to cooperate with the state, which began to return previously requisitioned church lands. Priceless icons, bells, etc. are returning from abroad. A new round of strengthening Orthodoxy in Russia began.

2.2 The doctrine of Orthodoxy and comparison with Catholicism.

Their differences and similarities.

1. Orthodoxy does not have a single church center, like Catholicism, and consists of 15 autocephalous and 3 autonomous local churches. Orthodoxy denies the dogma of Catholics about the primacy of the Pope of Rome and his infallibility (see paragraph 1 on Catholicism).

2. The religious basis is made up of Holy Scripture (Bible) and sacred tradition (decisions of the first 7 ecumenical councils and the works of the Church Fathers of the 2nd - 8th centuries.

3. The creed obliges to believe in one God, acting in three persons (persons): God the Father, God the Son, God the Spirit (Holy). The Holy Spirit is declared to come from God the Father. Orthodoxy did not adopt the Filioque from the Catholics (see paragraph 3).

4. The most important dogma of the incarnation, according to which Jesus Christ, while remaining a god, was born of the virgin Mary. The Catholic cult of veneration of Mary is not recognized in Orthodoxy (see paragraph 4).

5. The clergy in Orthodoxy is divided into white (married parish priests) and black (monastics who take a vow of celibacy). Among Catholics, the vow of celibacy is given by the entire clergy (see paragraph 5).

6. Orthodoxy does not recognize purgatory (see paragraph 6).

7. In Orthodoxy, importance is attached to rituals, the cult of saints, the remains of saints are revered - relics, icons, i.e. the same as the Catholics, however, there are no relics in Orthodoxy (see paragraph 7).

8. In Orthodoxy there is a concept of remission of sins after confession and repentance. Orthodoxy does not recognize the indulgence of Catholics (see paragraph 8).

9. Orthodoxy denies the church hierarchy of Catholics, their divinity, succession from the apostles (see paragraph 9).

10. Like Catholicism, Orthodoxy recognizes all seven Christian sacraments. Orthodoxy and Catholicism also have common norms of church life (canons) and the most important components of ritualism: the number and nature of the sacraments, the content and sequence of services, the layout and interior of the temple, the structure of the clergy and its appearance, the presence of monasticism. Divine services are conducted in national languages, and dead languages ​​\u200b\u200bare used (Latin).

Bibliography.

1. Protestanism: an atheist's dictionary (Under the general editorship of L.N. Mitrokhin. - M: Politizdat, 1990 - p. 317).

2. Catholicism: an atheist's dictionary (Under the general editorship of L.N. Velikovich. - M: Politizdat, 1991 - p. 320).

3. Pechnikov B.A. Knights of the Church. M: Politizdat, 1991 - p. 350.

4. Grigulevich I.R. Inquisition. M: Politizdat, 1976 - p. 463

Christianity belongs to one of the world religions along with Buddhism and Judaism. Over a thousand-year history, it has undergone changes that have led to branches from a single religion. The main ones are Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Catholicism. Christianity also has other currents, but usually they are sectarian and are condemned by representatives of generally recognized trends.

Differences between Orthodoxy and Christianity

What is the difference between these two concepts? Everything is very simple. All Orthodox are Christians, but not all Christians are Orthodox. The followers, united by the confession of this world religion, are separated by belonging to its separate direction, one of which is Orthodoxy. To understand how Orthodoxy differs from Christianity, one must turn to the history of the emergence of world religion.

Origins of religions

Christianity is believed to have originated in the 1st century BC. from the birth of Christ in Palestine, although some sources claim that it became known two centuries earlier. The people who preached the belief were waiting for God to come to earth. The doctrine absorbed the foundations of Judaism and the philosophical trends of that time, it was strongly influenced by the political situation.

The preaching of the apostles greatly contributed to the spread of this religion. especially Paul. Many pagans were converted to the new faith, and this process continued for a long time. At the moment, Christianity has the largest number of followers compared to other world religions.

Orthodox Christianity began to stand out only in Rome in the 10th century. AD, and was officially approved in 1054. Although its origin can be attributed already to the 1st century. from the birth of Christ. Orthodox believe that the history of their religion began immediately after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, when the apostles preached a new creed and attracted more and more people to religion.

By II-III centuries. Orthodoxy opposed Gnosticism, which rejected the authenticity of the history of the Old Testament and interpreted the New Testament in a different way, not in accordance with the generally accepted. Also, opposition was observed in relations with the followers of the presbyter Arius, who formed a new trend - Arianism. According to them, Christ did not possess a divine nature and was only an intermediary between God and people.

On the creed of nascent Orthodoxy Ecumenical Councils had a great influence supported by a number of Byzantine emperors. Seven Councils, convened over the course of five centuries, established the basic axioms subsequently accepted in modern Orthodoxy, in particular, confirmed the divine origin of Jesus, disputed in a number of teachings. This strengthened the Orthodox faith and allowed more and more people to join it.

In addition to Orthodoxy and small heretical teachings, rapidly fading in the process of developing stronger trends, Catholicism stood out from Christianity. This was facilitated by the split of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. Huge differences in social, political and religious views led to the disintegration of a single religion into Roman Catholic and Orthodox, which at first was called Eastern Catholic. The head of the first church was the Pope, the second - the patriarch. Their mutual excommunication of each other from the common faith led to a split in Christianity. The process began in 1054 and ended in 1204 with the fall of Constantinople.

Although Christianity was adopted in Rus' in 988, it was not affected by the process of schism. The official division of the church did not take place until several decades later, but at the baptism of Rus', Orthodox customs were immediately introduced, formed in Byzantium and borrowed from there.

Strictly speaking, the term orthodoxy was practically not found in ancient sources; the word orthodoxy was used instead. According to a number of researchers, earlier these concepts were given different meanings (orthodox meant one of the Christian directions, and Orthodoxy was almost a pagan faith). Subsequently, they began to attach a similar meaning to them, made them synonyms and replaced one with another.

Fundamentals of Orthodoxy

Faith in Orthodoxy is the essence of all divine teaching. The Nicene Constantinople Creed, drawn up during the convening of the Second Ecumenical Council, is the basis of the doctrine. The ban on changing any provisions in this system of dogmas has been in effect since the time of the Fourth Council.

Based on the Creed, Orthodoxy is based on the following dogmas:

The desire to earn eternal life in paradise after death is the main goal of those who profess the religion in question. A true Orthodox Christian must follow the commandments handed down to Moses and confirmed by Christ throughout his life. According to them, one must be kind and merciful, love God and neighbors. The commandments indicate that all hardships and hardships must be endured meekly and even joyfully, despondency is one of the deadly sins.

Differences from other Christian denominations

Compare Orthodoxy with Christianity can be done by comparing its main directions. They are closely related to each other, as they are united in one world religion. However, there are huge differences between them on a number of issues:

Thus, the differences between directions are not always contradictory. There are more similarities between Catholicism and Protestantism, since the latter appeared as a result of the split of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century. If desired, the currents could be reconciled. But this has not happened for many years and is not foreseen in the future.

Relation to other religions

Orthodoxy is tolerant of confessors of other religions. However, without condemning and peacefully coexisting with them, this movement recognizes them as heretical. It is believed that of all religions, only one is true; its professing leads to the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. This dogma is contained in the very name of the direction, indicating that this religion is correct, opposite to other currents. Nevertheless, Orthodoxy recognizes that Catholics and Protestants are also not deprived of the grace of God, because, although they glorify Him differently, the essence of their faith is one.

By comparison, Catholics consider the only way to salvation to be the practice of their religion, while others, including Orthodoxy, are false. The task of this church is to convince all dissenters. The Pope is the head of the Christian Church, although this thesis is refuted in Orthodoxy.

The support of the Orthodox Church by the secular authorities and their close cooperation led to an increase in the number of followers of the religion and its development. In a number of countries, Orthodoxy is professed by the majority of the population. These include:

A large number of churches and Sunday schools are being built in these countries, and subjects dedicated to the study of Orthodoxy are being introduced into secular general educational institutions. Popularization also has a downside: often people who consider themselves Orthodox have a superficial attitude to the performance of rituals and do not observe the prescribed moral principles.

You can perform rites in different ways and relate to shrines, have different views on the purpose of your own stay on earth, but in the end, everyone who professes Christianity united by faith in one God. The concept of Christianity is not identical with Orthodoxy, but includes it. Keeping moral principles and being sincere in your relationship with the Higher Forces is the basis of any religion.