Christianity and Orthodoxy: what is the difference, the main differences. The main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

To comply with ethical and moral standards in society, as well as to regulate relations between an individual and the state or the highest form of spirituality (Cosmic mind, God), world religions were created. With the passage of time, schisms occurred within every major religion. As a result of this split, Orthodoxy was formed.

Orthodoxy and Christianity

Many people make the mistake of considering all Christians to be Orthodox. Christianity and Orthodoxy are not the same thing. How to distinguish between these two concepts? What is their essence? Now let's try to figure it out.

Christianity is which originated in the 1st century. BC e. waiting for the coming of the Savior. Her development was influenced philosophical teachings of that time, Judaism (polytheism was replaced by one God) and endless military-political skirmishes.

Orthodoxy is just one of the branches of Christianity that originated in the 1st millennium AD. in the Eastern Roman Empire and received its official status after the split of the common Christian church in 1054.

History of Christianity and Orthodoxy

The history of Orthodoxy (orthodoxy) began already in the 1st century AD. This was the so-called apostolic creed. After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the apostles faithful to him began to preach the teachings to the masses, attracting new believers into their ranks.

In the II-III centuries, orthodoxy was engaged in active opposition to Gnosticism and Arianism. The first rejected the scriptures old testament and interpreted the New Testament in their own way. The second, led by presbyter Arius, did not recognize the consubstantiality of the Son of God (Jesus), considering him to be a mediator between God and people.

To remove contradictions between rapidly developing heretical teachings and Christianity helped seven Ecumenical Councils convened with the support of the Byzantine emperors from 325 to 879. The axioms established by the Councils regarding the nature of Christ and the Mother of God, as well as the approval of the Creed, helped to shape the new current into a powerful christian religion.

Not only heretical concepts contributed to the development of Orthodoxy. on the Western and Eastern influenced the formation of new trends in Christianity. The different political and social views of the two empires gave rise to a crack in the unified common Christian church. Gradually, it began to break up into Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic (later Orthodox). The final split between Orthodoxy and Catholicism occurred in 1054, when the Pope of Rome also excommunicated each other from the church (anathema). The division of the common Christian church was completed in 1204, together with the fall of Constantinople.

The Russian land adopted Christianity in 988. Officially, there was no division into Roman yet, but due to the political and economic interests of Prince Vladimir, the Byzantine direction - Orthodoxy - was spread on the territory of Russia.

The essence and foundations of Orthodoxy

The basis of any religion is faith. Without it, the existence and development of divine teachings is impossible.

The essence of Orthodoxy lies in the Creed adopted at the Second Ecumenical Council. At the fourth, the Nicene Creed (12 dogmas) was affirmed as an axiom, not subject to any change.

Orthodox believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Holy Trinity). is the creator of everything earthly and heavenly. The Son of God, incarnated from the Virgin Mary, is consubstantial and only begotten in relation to the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father through the Son and is revered no less than the Father and the Son. The Creed tells about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, pointing to eternal life after death.

All Orthodox belong to one church. Baptism is an obligatory ritual. When it is done, there is liberation from original sin.

It is mandatory to comply moral standards(commandments), which were transmitted by God through Moses and voiced by Jesus Christ. All "rules of conduct" are based on help, compassion, love and patience. Orthodoxy teaches us to endure any hardships of life meekly, to accept them as the love of God and trials for sins, in order to then go to heaven.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism (main differences)

Catholicism and Orthodoxy have a number of differences. Catholicism is a branch of Christian doctrine that arose, like Orthodoxy, in the 1st century. AD in the Western Roman Empire. And Orthodoxy is a direction in Christianity that originated in the eastern Roman Empire. Here is a comparison table for you:

	Orthodoxy	Catholicism
Relations with authorities	The Orthodox Church, for two millennia, was in cooperation with the secular authorities, then in its subordination, then in exile.	The empowerment of the Pope with power, both secular and religious.
the Virgin Mary	The Mother of God is considered the bearer of original sin because her nature is human.	The dogma of the purity of the Virgin Mary (there is no original sin).
Holy Spirit	The Holy Spirit comes from the Father through the Son	The Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Son and the Father
Attitude towards the sinful soul after death	The soul makes "ordeals". Earthly life determines eternal life.	Existence Doomsday and purgatory, where the purification of the soul takes place.
Holy Bible and Holy Tradition	Sacred Scripture is part of Sacred Tradition	Equal.
Baptism	Triple immersion (or dousing) in water with communion and chrismation.	Sprinkling and pouring. All ordinances after 7 years.
	6-8-terminal cross with the image of God the conqueror, legs nailed with two nails.	4-pointed cross with God-martyr, legs nailed with one nail.
co-religionists	All brothers.	Each person is unique.
Attitude to rituals and sacraments	The Lord does it through the clergy.	Performed by a clergyman endowed with divine power.

Nowadays, the question of reconciliation between churches is very often raised. But due to significant and minor differences (for example, Catholics and Orthodox cannot agree on the use of yeast or unleavened bread in the sacraments), reconciliation is continually delayed. A reunion is out of the question in the near future.

The attitude of Orthodoxy to other religions

Orthodoxy - which, having separated from general Christianity as an independent religion, does not recognize other teachings, considering them false (heretical). There can be only one true religion.

Orthodoxy is a trend in religion that is not losing popularity, but on the contrary, is gaining. And yet in modern world quietly coexists in the neighborhood with other religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Shinto and others.

Orthodoxy and Modernity

Our time has given freedom to the church and gives it support. Over the past 20 years, the number of believers, as well as those who identify themselves as Orthodox, has increased. At the same time, the moral spirituality that this religion implies, on the contrary, has fallen. A huge number of people perform rituals and attend church mechanically, that is, without faith.

The number of churches and parochial schools visited by believers has increased. The increase in external factors only partially affects the internal state of a person.

The Metropolitan and other clergymen hope that after all those who consciously accepted Orthodox Christianity will be able to develop spiritually.

Christianity has many faces. In the modern world, it is represented by three generally recognized areas - Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism, as well as numerous movements that do not belong to any of the above. There are serious disagreements between these branches of one religion. Orthodox consider Catholics and Protestants to be non-Orthodox associations of people, that is, those who glorify God in a different way. However, they do not see them as completely devoid of grace. But the Orthodox do not recognize sectarian organizations that position themselves as Christian, but have only an indirect relation to Christianity.

Who are Christians and Orthodox

Christians - followers of the Christian denomination belonging to a Christian denomination - Orthodoxy, Catholicism or Protestantism with its various denominations, often of a sectarian nature.
Orthodox- Christians whose worldview corresponds to the ethno-cultural tradition associated with the Orthodox Church.

Comparison of Christians and Orthodox

What is the difference between Christians and Orthodox?
Orthodoxy is a well-established creed that has its dogmas, values, centuries-old history. Christianity is often passed off as something that, in fact, is not. For example, the White Brotherhood movement, active in Kyiv in the early 90s of the last century.
Orthodox believe that their main goal is the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments, their own salvation and the salvation of their neighbor from the spiritual slavery of passions. World Christianity at its congresses declares salvation in a purely material plane - from poverty, disease, war, drugs, etc., which is external piety.
For the Orthodox, the spiritual holiness of a person is important. Evidence of this is the saints, canonized by the Orthodox Church, who showed the Christian ideal with their lives. In Christianity as a whole, the spiritual and sensual prevail over the spiritual.
Orthodox consider themselves co-workers with God in the matter of their own salvation. In world Christianity, in particular, in Protestantism, a person is likened to a pillar who does not have to do anything, because Christ did the work of salvation for him on Golgotha.
At the heart of the doctrine of world Christianity lies the Holy Scripture - the record of Divine Revelation. It teaches how to live. The Orthodox, like the Catholics, believe that Scripture is separated from Holy Tradition, which clarifies the forms of this life and is also an unconditional authority. Protestant currents have rejected this claim.
A summary of the foundations of the Christian faith is given in the Creed. For the Orthodox, this is the Niceno-Tsaregrad Creed. The Catholics introduced into the wording of the Symbol the concept of filioque, according to which the Holy Spirit proceeds both from God the Father and from God the Son. Protestants do not deny the Nicene Creed, but the Ancient, Apostolic Creed is generally accepted among them.
Orthodox especially revere the Mother of God. They believe that she did not have personal sin, but was not deprived of original sin, like all people. After the ascension, the Mother of God bodily ascended into heaven. However, there is no dogma about it. Catholics believe that the Mother of God was also deprived of original sin. One of the dogmas catholic faith- the dogma of the bodily ascension to heaven of the Virgin Mary. Protestants and numerous sectarians do not have a cult of the Theotokos.

TheDifference.ru determined that the difference between Christians and Orthodox is as follows:

Orthodox Christianity is contained in the dogmas of the Church. Not all movements that pose as Christians are, in fact, so.
For the Orthodox, inner piety is the basis right life. Outward piety is much more important for contemporary Christianity in the bulk of it.
The Orthodox are trying to achieve spiritual holiness. Christianity as a whole places an emphasis on sincerity and sensuality. This is clearly seen in the speeches of Orthodox and other Christian preachers.
The Orthodox is a co-worker with God in the matter of his own salvation. The same position is held by Catholics. All other representatives of the Christian world are convinced that a person's moral feat is not important for salvation. Salvation has already been accomplished at Calvary.
Foundation of Faith Orthodox person- Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition, as for Catholics. The Protestants rejected the Traditions. Many sectarian Christian movements distort Scripture as well.
An account of the foundations of faith for the Orthodox is given in the Nicene Creed. Catholics added the concept of filioque to the Symbol. Most Protestants accept the ancient Apostles' Creed. Many others do not have a special creed.
Only Orthodox and Catholics venerate the Mother of God. Other Christians do not have her cult.

It is very important for a believing Christian to accurately represent the main provisions of his own faith. The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which manifested itself during the period of the church schism in the middle of the 11th century, developed over the years and centuries and created practically different branches of Christianity.

In short, what distinguishes Orthodoxy is that it is a more canonical teaching. No wonder the church is also called Eastern Orthodoxy. Here they try to adhere to the original traditions with high accuracy.

Consider the main milestones of history:

• Until the 11th century, Christianity develops as a single doctrine (of course, the statement is largely arbitrary, since for a whole millennium various heresies and new schools that deviated from the canon appeared), which is actively progressing, spreading in the world, so-called Ecumenical Councils are held, designed to solve some of the dogmatic features of the doctrine;
• The Great Schism, that is, the Church Schism of the 11th century, which separates the Western Roman Catholic Church from the Eastern Orthodox Church, in fact, the Patriarch of Constantinople (Eastern Church) and the Roman Pontiff Leo the Ninth quarreled, as a result, they betrayed each other to mutual anathema, that is, excommunication from churches;
• the separate path of the two churches: in the West, in Catholicism, the institution of pontiffs flourishes and various additions are made to the dogma; in the East, the original tradition is honored. Russia becomes in fact the successor of Byzantium, although it is precisely the guardian Orthodox tradition the Greek church remained to a greater extent;
• 1965 - the formal lifting of mutual anathemas after the meeting in Jerusalem and the signing of the corresponding declaration.

Over the course of almost a thousand years, Catholicism has undergone a huge number of changes. In turn, in Orthodoxy, even minor innovations that concerned only the ritual side were not always accepted.

The main differences between traditions

Initially, the Catholic Church was formally closer to the basis of the doctrine, since the Apostle Peter was the first pontiff in this particular church.

In fact, the tradition of the transmission of the Catholic ordination of the apostles comes from Peter himself.

Although consecration (that is, ordination to the priesthood) also exists in Orthodoxy, and every priest who becomes a partaker of the Holy Gifts in Orthodoxy also becomes the bearer of the original tradition coming from Christ himself and the apostles.

Note! It will take a significant amount of time to indicate each difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, this material sets out the most basic details and provides an opportunity to develop a conceptual understanding of the difference in traditions.

After the split, Catholics and Orthodox gradually became carriers of very different views. We will try to consider the most significant differences that relate to both dogmatics, and the ritual side, and other aspects.

Perhaps the main difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is contained in the text of the “Symbol of Faith” prayer, which should be regularly recited by the believer.

Such a prayer is, as it were, a super-compressed summary of the entire teaching, describes the main postulates. In Eastern Orthodoxy, the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father, each Catholic in turn reads about the descent of the Holy Spirit from both the Father and the Son.

Before the split various solutions regarding dogmatism, they were accepted conciliarly, that is, representatives of all regional churches at a common council. This tradition has remained in Orthodoxy to this day, but it is not this that is essential, but the dogma of the infallibility of the pontiff of the Roman Church.

This fact is one of the most significant, what is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholic tradition, since the figure of the patriarch does not have such powers and has a completely different function. The pontiff, in turn, is a vicar (that is, as if an official representative with all the powers) of Christ on earth. Of course, the scriptures say nothing about this, and this dogma was adopted by the church itself much later than the crucifixion of Christ.

Even the first pontiff Peter, whom Jesus himself appointed "the stone on which he will build the church," was not endowed with such powers, he was an apostle, but no more.

However, the modern pontiff, to some extent, is no different from Christ himself (before His coming at the end of time) and can independently make any additions to the dogma. From this arise differences in dogma, which in a significant way lead away from the original Christianity.

A typical example is the virginity of the conception of the Virgin Mary, which we will discuss in more detail below. This is not indicated in the scriptures (even the exact opposite is indicated), but Catholics relatively recently (in the 19th century) accepted the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Virgin, accepted the current pontiff for that period, that is, this decision was infallible and dogmatically correct, in agreement with the will of Christ himself .

Quite rightly, it is the Orthodox and Catholic Churches that deserve more attention and detailed consideration, since only these Christian traditions have the rite of consecration, which actually comes directly from Christ through the apostles, whom He provided on the day of Pentecost with the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The apostles, in turn, passed on the Holy Gifts through the ordination of priests. Other movements, such as, for example, Protestants or Lutherans, do not have the rite of transmission of the Holy Gifts, that is, priests in these movements are outside the direct transmission of doctrine and sacraments.

Icon painting traditions

Only Orthodoxy differs from other Christian traditions in the veneration of icons. In fact, this has not only a cultural aspect, but also a religious one.

Catholics have icons, but do not have precise traditions of creating images that convey events. spiritual world and allow you to ascend into the spiritual world. To understand the difference between the perception in the two directions of Christianity, just look at the images in the temples:

• in Orthodoxy and nowhere else (if Christianity is considered), an icon-painting image is always created using a special perspective building technique, in addition to this, deep and multifaceted religious symbols are used, those present on the icon never express earthly emotions;
• if you look in a Catholic church, you can immediately see that these are mostly paintings painted by simple artists, they convey beauty, they can be symbolic, but they focus on the earthly, saturated with human emotions;
• characteristic is the difference in the image of the cross with the Savior, because Orthodoxy differs from other traditions in the image of Christ without naturalistic details, there is no emphasis on the body, He is an example of the dominance of the spirit over the body, and Catholics most often in the crucifixion focus on the sufferings of Christ, carefully depict the details the wounds that He had, consider the feat precisely in suffering.

Note! There are separate branches of Catholic mysticism that represent an in-depth concentration on the suffering of Christ. The believer seeks to fully identify himself with the Savior and experience his full suffering. By the way, in connection with this, there are phenomena of stigmata.

In short, the orthodox church shifts the focus to the spiritual side of things, even art is used here as part of a special technique that changes the perception of a person so that he can better enter into a prayerful mood and perception of the heavenly world.

Catholics, in turn, do not use art in this way, they can emphasize beauty (Madonna and Child) or suffering (Crucifixion), but these phenomena are transmitted purely as attributes of the earthly order. As the saying goes wise saying to understand religion, you need to look at the images in the temples.

Immaculate Conception of the Virgin

In the modern Western church, there is a kind of cult of the Virgin Mary, which was formed purely historically and also largely due to the adoption of the previously noted dogma about Her Immaculate Conception.

If we remember the scripture, then it clearly speaks of Joachim and Anna, who conceived quite viciously, in a normal human way. Of course, this was also a miracle, since they were elderly people, and the Archangel Gabriel appeared to everyone before, but the conception was human.

Therefore, for Orthodox Mother of God is not a representative of the divine nature from the very beginning. Although she subsequently ascended in the body and was taken by Christ to Heaven. Catholics now consider Her to be something like the personification of the Lord. After all, if the conception was immaculate, that is, from the Holy Spirit, then the Virgin Mary, like Christ, combined both divine and human nature.

Good to know!

There are a lot of differences between Slavic and Christianity. The most important of them should be singled out. They were designated by the Christian Church in the 17th century, becoming one of the main reasons for the persecution of the followers of the Old Slavic Orthodox faith- those who are commonly called Old Believers. Baptism with two fingers had a sacred meaning. The fact is that the sacrament of baptism also appeared long before Christianity, it was taught by the Magi. In double baptism middle finger symbolizes God, and the index symbolizes man. Thus, the two-fingered signified the unity of man with God.

The custom of being baptized from right to left also came from Slavic Orthodoxy and was preserved in Orthodox Christianity. For the ancient Slavs, baptism from right to left meant the victory of light over darkness and truth over falsehood.

The symbol of faith for Christians is Jesus Christ himself, and for Orthodox Slavs and Old Believers - an ancient equilateral cross, which was originally enclosed in a solar circle. Such a cross symbolized the path of Rule (in other words, Truth), the starting point for which was the moment of sunrise.

True, the light of life and destiny in Slavic Orthodoxy

The truth and the light of life in the tradition of Slavic Orthodoxy were symbolized by odd numbers. Hence, to this day, the existing tradition has arisen of giving an odd number of flowers for the holidays, and an even number of flowers, for which the light of life has already gone out.

In Slavic Orthodoxy, there was an idea of ​​​​fate, embodied in the belief in women in childbirth - the heavenly mistresses of the world and ancient goddesses fate. It also contained the concept of God's judgment, which is mentioned in the "Tale of Igor's Campaign".

Christianity that came to Russia for centuries existed side by side with Orthodoxy and became Orthodox Christianity. Realizing how much Christianity was mixed with Slavic Orthodoxy, Patriarch Nikon decided to correct it according to the Greek canons. As a result, Nikon's reform led not only to the persecution of the Old Believers, but also to the destruction of the surviving heritage of Slavic Orthodoxy.

In Christianity, the Orthodox are not even mentioned. However, the bright image of Jesus Christ took root on Russian soil, turned into one of the most important components of Russian culture. In fact, Christianity and are just different ways to comprehend the one God, and therefore they are equally worthy of respect. The difference between Slavic Orthodoxy lies in the fact that it stands closer to the spiritual sources of ancient Russian culture.

The final division of the United Christian Church Orthodoxy and Catholicism happened in 1054. However, both the Orthodox and the Roman Catholic Church consider themselves only "the one holy, catholic (cathedral) and apostolic Church".

First of all, Catholics are also Christians. Christianity is divided into three main areas: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. But there is no single Protestant Church (there are several thousand Protestant denominations in the world), but Orthodox Church includes several independent churches.

Besides the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there is the Georgian Orthodox Church, the Serbian Orthodox Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Romanian Orthodox Church, etc.

The Orthodox Churches are governed by patriarchs, metropolitans and archbishops. Not all Orthodox Churches have communion with each other in prayers and sacraments (which is necessary for individual Churches to be part of the one Ecumenical Church according to the catechism of Metropolitan Philaret) and recognize each other as true churches.

Even in Russia itself there are several Orthodox Churches (the Russian Orthodox Church itself, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, etc.). It follows from this that world Orthodoxy does not have a unified leadership. But Orthodox believe that the unity of the Orthodox Church is manifested in a single dogma and in mutual communion in the sacraments.

Catholicism is one Universal Church. All parts of it different countries of the world are in communion with each other, share a single creed and recognize the Pope as their head. In the Catholic Church there is a division into rites (communities within the Catholic Church, differing from each other in forms of liturgical worship and church discipline): Roman, Byzantine, etc. Therefore, there are Roman Catholics, Byzantine Rite Catholics, etc., but they are all members of the same Church.

The main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism:

1. So, the first difference between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches lies in the different understanding of the unity of the Church. For the Orthodox, it is enough to share one faith and sacraments, Catholics, in addition to this, see the need for a single head of the Church - the Pope;

2. The Catholic Church confesses in the Creed that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (the filioque). The Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Spirit, which proceeds only from the Father. Some Orthodox saints spoke of the procession of the Spirit from the Father through the Son, which does not contradict the Catholic dogma.

3. The Catholic Church confesses that the sacrament of marriage is concluded for life and forbids divorces, while the Orthodox Church allows divorces in some cases.

Angel Delivering Souls in Purgatory, Lodovico Carracci

4. The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of purgatory. This is the state of souls after death, destined for paradise, but not yet ready for it. There is no purgatory in the Orthodox teaching (although there is something similar - ordeal). But the prayers of the Orthodox for the dead suggest that there are souls in an intermediate state for whom there is still hope of going to heaven after the Last Judgment;

5. The Catholic Church adopted the doctrine of Immaculate Conception Virgin Mary. This means that even original sin did not touch the Mother of the Savior. Orthodox glorify the holiness of the Mother of God, but believe that she was born with original sin, like all people;

6. The Catholic dogma about the taking of Mary into heaven body and soul is a logical continuation of the previous dogma. The Orthodox also believe that Mary is in Heaven in body and soul, but this is not dogmatically fixed in Orthodox teaching.

7. The Catholic Church adopted the dogma of the primacy of the Pope over the entire Church in matters of faith and morality, discipline and government. Orthodox do not recognize the primacy of the Pope;

8. The Catholic Church has proclaimed the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope in matters of faith and morality in those cases when he, in agreement with all the bishops, affirms what the Catholic Church has already believed for many centuries. Orthodox believers believe that only the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils are infallible;

Pope Pius V

9. Orthodox are baptized from right to left, and Catholics from left to right.

For a long time, Catholics were allowed to be baptized in either of these two ways, until in 1570 Pope Pius V ordered them to do it from left to right and nothing else. With such a movement of the hand, the sign of the cross, according to Christian symbolism, is considered to come from a person who turns to God. And when the hand moves from right to left - coming from God, who blesses the person. It is no coincidence that both Orthodox and Catholic priests cross those around them from left to right (looking away from themselves). For the one standing in front of the priest, it is like a blessing gesture from right to left. In addition, moving the hand from left to right means moving from sin to salvation, since left-hand side in Christianity, it is associated with the devilish, and the right one with the divine. And with the sign of the cross from right to left, the movement of the hand is interpreted as the victory of the divine over the devil.

10. In Orthodoxy, there are two points of view on Catholics:

The first considers Catholics to be heretics who distorted the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (by adding (lat. filioque). The second - schismatics (schismatics) who broke away from the United Cathedral Apostolic Church.

Catholics, in turn, consider Orthodox schismatics who broke away from the One, Ecumenical and Apostolic Church, but do not consider them heretics. The Catholic Church recognizes that the local Orthodox Churches are true Churches that have preserved apostolic succession and the true sacraments.

11. In the Latin rite, it is common to perform baptism by sprinkling rather than immersion. The baptismal formula is slightly different.

12. In the Western rite for the sacrament of confession, confessionals are widespread - a place reserved for confession, as a rule, special cabins - confessionals, usually wooden, where the penitent knelt on a low bench to the side of the priest, sitting behind a partition with a lattice window. In Orthodoxy, the confessor and the confessor stand in front of the lectern with the Gospel and the Crucifix in front of the rest of the parishioners, but at some distance from them.

Confessionals or confessionals

The confessor and the confessor stand in front of the lectern with the Gospel and the Crucifixion

13. In the eastern rite, children begin to receive communion from infancy, in the western rite they come to the first communion only at the age of 7-8 years.

14. In the Latin rite, a priest cannot be married (with the exception of rare, specially specified cases) and is obliged to take a vow of celibacy before ordination, in the eastern (for both Orthodox and Greek Catholics) celibacy is required only for bishops.

15. great post in the Latin rite it begins on Ash Wednesday, and in the Byzantine rite on Maundy Monday.

16. In the Western rite, prolonged kneeling is customary, in the Eastern - prostrations, in connection with which benches with shelves for kneeling appear in Latin churches (believers sit only during Old Testament and Apostolic readings, sermons, offertoria), and for the Eastern rite, it is important that there is enough space in front of the worshiper to bow to the ground.

17. Orthodox clergy mostly wear beards. Catholic clergy are generally beardless.

18. In Orthodoxy, the departed are especially commemorated on the 3rd, 9th and 40th day after death (the day of death is taken on the first day), in Catholicism - on the 3rd, 7th and 30th day.

19. One of the sides of sin in Catholicism is considered an insult to God. According to the Orthodox view, since God is impassive, simple and unchanging, it is impossible to offend God, we only harm ourselves with sins (one who commits sin is a slave of sin).

20. Orthodox and Catholics recognize the rights of secular authorities. In Orthodoxy, there is a concept of a symphony of spiritual and secular authorities. In Catholicism, there is a concept of the supremacy of church power over secular. According to the social doctrine of the Catholic Church, the state comes from God, and therefore it should be obeyed. The right to disobey authorities is also recognized Catholic Church, but with significant reservations. In Basics social concept The Russian Orthodox Church also recognizes the right to disobey if the authorities force them to apostatize from Christianity or commit sinful acts. On April 5, 2015, Patriarch Kirill in his sermon on the Entry of the Lord into Jerusalem noted:

“... The same is often expected from the Church that the ancient Jews expected from the Savior. The Church should help people, allegedly, to solve their political problems, to be ... a leader in achieving these human victories ... I remember the difficult 90s, when the Church was required to lead the political process. Addressing the Patriarch or one of the hierarchs, they said: “Post your candidacies for the post of President! Lead the people to political victories! And the Church said: "Never!". Because our work is completely different… The Church serves those purposes that give people the fullness of life both here on earth and in eternity. And therefore, when the Church begins to serve the political interests, ideological fashions and passions of this age, ... she descends from that meek young donkey on which the Savior rode ... "

21. In Catholicism, there is a doctrine of indulgences (liberation from temporary punishment for sins in which the sinner has already repented, and the guilt for which has already been forgiven in the sacrament of confession). In modern Orthodoxy, there is no such practice, although earlier “permissive letters”, an analogue of indulgences in Orthodoxy, existed in the Orthodox Church of Constantinople during the period of Ottoman occupation.

22. In the Catholic West, the prevailing opinion is that Mary Magdalene is the woman who anointed the feet of Jesus in the house of Simon the Pharisee with chrism. The Orthodox Church categorically disagrees with this identification.

Apparition of the Risen Christ to Mary Magdalene

23. Catholics are obsessed with fighting any form of contraception, which is especially appropriate during the AIDS pandemic. And Orthodoxy recognizes the possibility of using some contraceptives that do not have an abortive effect, such as condoms and female caps. Of course, legally married.

24. Grace of God. Catholicism teaches that Grace is created by God for people. Orthodoxy believes that Grace is uncreated, eternal and affects not only people, but the whole creation. According to Orthodoxy, Grace is a mystical attribute and the Power of God.

25. The Orthodox use leavened bread for communion. Catholics are insipid. Orthodox receive bread, red wine (the body and blood of Christ) and warm water("warmth" - a symbol of the Holy Spirit), Catholics - only bread and white wine (to the laity - only bread).

Despite differences, Catholics and Orthodox profess and preach throughout the world one faith and one teaching of Jesus Christ. Once upon a time, human mistakes and prejudices separated us, but until now, faith in one God unites us. Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples. His students are both Catholics and Orthodox.