The Orthodox and Catholic churches, as we know, are two branches of the same tree. Both worship Jesus, wear crosses around their necks and are baptized. How are they different? The division of the church took place as early as 1054. Actually, the disagreements between the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople began long before that, but it was in 1054 that Pope Leo IX sent legates to Constantinople, led by Cardinal Humbert, to resolve the conflict, which began with the closure of the Latin churches in Constantinople in 1053 by order of Patriarch Michael Kirularia, during which his sacellarius Constantine threw out of the tabernacles the Holy Gifts, prepared according to the Western custom from unleavened bread, and trampled them with his feet. However, it was not possible to find a way to reconciliation, and on July 16, 1054, in the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia, the papal legates announced the deposition of Kirularius and his excommunication from the Church. In response, on July 20, the patriarch anathematized the legates.

Although in 1965 mutual anathemas were lifted and Catholics and Orthodox no longer look askance at each other, proclaiming the idea of ​​common roots and principles, in reality disagreements still remain.

So, what is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox. It turns out that the point is not at all that some are baptized from right to left, while others are vice versa (although this is also the case). The essence of the contradictions is much deeper.

1. Catholics revere the Virgin Mary exactly as the Virgin, and the Orthodox see in her first of all the Mother of God. In addition, Catholics postulate the fact that the Virgin Mary was just as immaculately conceived as Christ. She, from the point of view of Catholics, was ascended alive to heaven during her lifetime, while the Orthodox even have an apocryphal story about the Dormition of the Theotokos. And this is not a Hicks Boson, in the existence of which you can believe or not, and this does not prevent you from conducting research and getting to the bottom of the truth someday. Here is a fundamental question - if you doubt the postulate of faith, then you cannot be considered a full-fledged believer.

2. For Catholics, all priests must observe celibacy - they are forbidden to have sex, and even more so to marry. Among the Orthodox, the clergy are divided into black and white. That is, therefore, deacons and priests can and even should marry, be fruitful and multiply, while sex is prohibited for the black clergy (monks). At all. It is believed that the highest ranks and titles in Orthodoxy can only be achieved by monastics. Sometimes, in order to be promoted to bishop, the local priest has to part with his wives. The best way to do this is to send your spouse to a monastery.

3. Catholics recognize the existence (apart from heaven and hell) of purgatory - where the soul, recognized not too sinful, but also not righteous, is properly cooked and bleached before it can penetrate the gates of heaven. The Orthodox do not believe in purgatory. However, their ideas about heaven and hell are generally vague - it is believed that knowledge about them is closed to humans in earthly life. Catholics, on the other hand, have long calculated the thickness of all nine heavenly crystal vaults, compiled a list of plants growing in heaven, and even measured in honey measures the sweetness experienced by the language of the soul, which first breathed in the aromas of heaven.

4. An essential point - concerns the main prayer of Christians "Symbol of Faith". Enumerating what the adept believes in, he pronounces "in the Holy Spirit, the life-giving Lord, who is from the Father who proceeds." Unlike Orthodox Christians, Catholics also add “from the Son” here. A question on which many theologians have broken their spears.

5. In communion, Catholics eat unleavened bread, and Orthodox Christians eat bread made from leavened dough. It would seem that here you can go to meet each other, but who will be the first to take the step?

6. During baptism, Catholics only water children and adults with water, but in Orthodoxy it is necessary to plunge into the font with your head. Therefore, large babies who do not fit into the children's font completely, as a result of which the priest is forced to water the protruding parts of their bodies with a handful, in Orthodoxy are called "oblivans". It is believed, albeit unofficially, that demons have more power over the Oblivans than over the baptized normally.

7. Catholics cross from left to right with all five fingers connected in a pinch. At the same time, they do not reach for the stomach, but make a lower touch in the chest area. This gives the Orthodox, who cross themselves with three fingers (in some cases, two) from right to left, a reason to assert that Catholics do not draw a normal cross on themselves, but an inverted cross, that is, a satanic sign.

8. Catholics are obsessed with the fight against any kind of contraception, which looks 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. Legally married, of course.

9. Well, Catholics regard the Pope as the infallible vicar of God on earth. In the Orthodox Church, a similar position is held by the Patriarch. Which, theoretically, can also stumble.

Catholicism is included in Christianity, and Christianity itself is one of the main religions in the world. Its directions include: Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism, with many types and branches. More often than not, people want to understand what is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, how does one differ from the other? Do such similar religions and churches, which have the same root, like Catholicism and Orthodoxy, have serious differences? Catholicism in Russia and other Slavic states is much less widespread than in the West. Catholicism (translated from Greek "Catholicos" - "universal") is a religious trend, numbering about 15% of the population of the entire globe (ie, Catholicism is professed by about a billion people). Of the three respected Christian denominations (Orthodoxy, Catholicism, Protestantism), Catholicism is rightfully considered the largest branch. Most of the adherents of this religious movement live in Europe, Africa, as well as in Latin America and the United States. The religious movement arose in the first century AD - at the dawn of Christianity, at a time of persecution and religious disputes. Now, 2 thousand years later, the Catholic Church has taken an honorable place among the world's religious confessions. Connect with God!

Christianity and Catholicism. History

In the first thousand years of Christianity, the word "Catholicism" did not exist, simply because there were no directions of Christianity, the faith was one. The history of Catholicism began in the Western Roman Empire, where in 1054 the Christian Church was divided into two main directions: Catholicism and Orthodoxy. Constantinople became the heart of Orthodoxy, and Rome was declared the center of Catholicism, the reason for this division was the split between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Since then, the religious movement began to actively spread to the countries of Europe and America. Despite the subsequent multiple schisms of Catholicism (for example, Catholicism and Protestantism, Anglicanism, Baptism, etc.), it has become one of the largest denominations of the present time.
In the XI-XIII centuries, Catholicism in Europe gained the strongest power. Religious thinkers of the Middle Ages believed that God created the world, and it is unchanging, harmonious, reasonable.
In the XVI-XVII, the Catholic Church disintegrated, during which a new religious trend appeared - Protestantism. What is the difference between Protestantism and Catholicism? First of all, in the organizational issue of the church and in the authority of the Pope.
The clergy belonged to the most important class in connection with the mediation of the church between God and people. The religion of Catholicism insisted on keeping the commandments of the Bible. The Church considered an ascetic as a role model - a saintly person who renounced worldly goods and riches that humiliate the state of the soul. Contempt for earthly riches was replaced by heavenly riches.
The church considered it a virtue to support low-income people. Kings, nobles close to them, merchants and even poor people, as often as possible tried to participate in charitable deeds. At that time, the title for special churches in Catholicism appeared, which was assigned by the Pope.
Social doctrine
Catholic teaching was based not only on religious, but also on humanistic ideas. It was based on Augustinianism, and later on Thomism, accompanied by personalism and solidarity. The philosophy of the doctrine was that besides the soul and body, God gave people equal rights and freedoms that remain with a person throughout his life. Sociological as well as theological knowledge helped build a developed social doctrine of the Catholic Church, which believes that its teachings were created by the apostles and still retain their original origins.
There are several doctrinal issues on which the Catholic Church has a distinctive position. The reason for this was the split of Christianity into Orthodoxy and Catholicism.
Devotion to the mother of Christ, the Virgin Mary, who, according to Catholics, gave birth to Jesus outside of sin, and her soul and body were ascended to heaven, where she occupies a special place between God and His people.
An unshakable belief that when a priest repeats the words of Christ from the Last Supper, the bread and wine become the body and blood of Jesus, although outwardly no change occurs.
Catholic teaching has a negative attitude towards artificial methods of contraception, which, according to the church, interfere with the birth of a new life.
The recognition of abortion as the destruction of human life, which, according to the Catholic Church, begins at the moment of conception.

Control
The idea of ​​Catholicism is closely associated with the apostles, especially with the apostle Peter. Saint Peter is considered the first pope, and each subsequent pope is considered his spiritual successor. This gives the church leader strong spiritual authority and authority to resolve disputes that may disrupt governance. The notion that church leadership is a continuation of a continuous lineage from the apostles and their teachings ("apostolic succession") contributed to the survival of Christianity in times of trial, persecution, and reformation.
The advisory bodies are:
Synod of Bishops;
College of Cardinals.
The main differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism are in the bodies of church government. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is made up of its bishops, priests, and deacons. In the Catholic Church, authority rests primarily on bishops, with priests and deacons serving as their collaborators and assistants.
All clergy, including deacons, priests, and bishops, can preach, teach, baptize, enter into sacred marriages, and conduct funerals.
Only priests and bishops can perform the sacraments of the Eucharist (although others can be ministers of Holy Communion), Repentance (Reconciliation, Confession) and Blessing of the Oil.
Only bishops can administer the ordinance of the Priesthood, through which people become priests or deacons.
Catholicism: Churches and Their Meaning in Religion
The church is considered "the body of Jesus Christ." The scripture says that Christ chose 12 apostles for God's temple, but it is the Apostle Peter who is considered the first bishop. In order to become a full member of the Catholic Church Society, it is necessary to preach Christianity or undergo the sacred ordinance of baptism.

Catholicism: the essence of the 7 sacraments
The liturgical life of the Catholic Church revolves around 7 sacraments:
baptism;
chrismation (confirmation);
eucharist (communion);
repentance (confession);
blessing of oil (unction);
marriage;
priesthood.
The purpose of the sacraments of faith in Catholicism is to bring people closer to God, to feel grace, to feel unity with Jesus Christ.
1. Baptism
The first and main sacrament. Cleans the soul from sins, gives grace. For Catholics, the sacrament of Baptism is the first step in their spiritual journey.
2. Confirmation (confirmation)
In the rite of the Catholic Church, Confirmation is allowed only after 13-14 years of age. It is believed that it is from this age that a person can become a full member of the church society. Confirmation is given through the anointing with holy Mir and the laying on of hands.
3. Eucharist (Communion)
Sacrament in memory of the death and resurrection of the Lord. The incarnation of the flesh and blood of Christ is presented to believers through the eating of wine and bread during worship.
4. Repentance
Through repentance, believers free their souls, receive forgiveness for their sins, and become closer to God and to the church. The confession or disclosure of sins frees the soul and facilitates our reconciliation with others. In this sacred ordinance, Catholics find God's unconditional forgiveness and learn to forgive others.
5. Sanctification of the oil
Through the sacrament of anointing with oil (sacred oil), Christ heals believers who are suffering from illness, giving them support and grace. Jesus showed great concern for the physical and spiritual well-being of the sick and commanded his followers to do the same. The celebration of this sacrament is an opportunity to deepen the faith of the community.
6. Marriage
The sacrament of marriage is to some extent a comparison of the union between Christ and the church. The marriage union is sanctified by God, filled with grace and joy, blessed for future family life, raising children. Such a marriage is indestructible and ends only after the death of one of the spouses.
7. Priesthood
The sacrament by which bishops, priests, and deacons are ordained receive power and grace to fulfill their sacred duties. The rite by which orders are assigned is called ordination. The apostles were ordained by Jesus at the Last Supper so that others could share in his priesthood.
The difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism and Protestantism and their similarities
Catholic beliefs do not really differ significantly from other mainstream branches of Christianity, Greek Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. All three main branches adhere to the doctrine of the Trinity, the deity of Jesus Christ, the inspiration of the Bible, and so on. But as for some doctrinal points, there are some differences. Catholicism differs in several beliefs, which include the special authority of the pope, the concept of purgatory, and the doctrine that the bread that is used in the Eucharist becomes the true body of Christ when the priest is blessed.

Catholicism and Orthodoxy: Differences

As species of one religion, Catholicism and Orthodoxy did not find a common language for a long time, namely from the 13th century to the middle of the 20th century. Due to this fact, the two religions have received many differences. What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism?

The first difference in Catholicism can be found in the structure of the organization of churches. So, in Orthodoxy there are many churches, separate and independent of each other: Russian, Georgian, Romanian, Greek, Serbian, etc. Catholic churches located in different countries around the world have a single mechanism and are subject to one ruler - the Pope.

It should also be noted that the Orthodox Church does not perceive changes, believing that it is necessary to follow all the canons and honor all the knowledge that was passed on by Jesus Christ to his apostles. That is, the Orthodox in the 21st century observe the same rules and customs as the Orthodox in the 15th, 10th, 5th and 1st centuries.

Another difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is that in Orthodox Christianity the main service is the Divine Liturgy, in Catholicism - the Mass. The parishioners of the Orthodox Church conduct services while standing, while Catholics often sit, but there are services that they conduct on their knees. The Orthodox endow only the Father with the symbol of faith and holiness, the Catholics - both the Father and the son.

Differs in Catholicism and knowledge about life after death. In the Orthodox faith, there is no such thing as purgatory, unlike Catholicism, although such an intermediate stay of the soul after leaving the body and before entering the judgment of God is not denied.

The Orthodox call the Mother of God the Mother of God, they consider her born in sin, like ordinary people. Catholics refer to her as the Virgin Mary, immaculately conceived and ascended to heaven in human form. On Orthodox icons, saints are depicted in two dimensions to convey the presence of another dimension - the world of spirits. Catholic icons have an ordinary, simple perspective and the saints are depicted in a naturalistic way.

Another difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is in the shape and form of a cross. Among the Catholics, it is presented in the form of two crossbars, it can be either with the image of Jesus Christ or without it. If Jesus is present on the cross, then he is depicted with a martyr's air and his feet are chained to the cross with one nail. The Orthodox have a cross of four crossbars: a small horizontal crossbar is added to the two main ones at the top and an angle crossbar at the bottom, symbolizing the direction to heaven and hell.

Faith Catholicism is also different in the remembrance of the departed. Orthodox Christians commemorate on days 3, 9 and 40, Catholics - on days 3, 7 and 30. Also in Catholicism there is a special day of the year - November 1, when all the dead are commemorated. In many states, this day is a day off.
Another difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism is that, unlike their counterparts in Protestant and Orthodox churches, Catholic priests take vows of celibacy. This practice is rooted in the early connections of the papacy with monasticism. There are several Catholic monastic orders, the most famous being the Jesuits, Dominicans and Augustinians. Catholic monks and nuns take vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience, and devote themselves to a simple life centered on the worship of God.

And finally, we can highlight the process of the sign of the cross. In the Orthodox Church, they cross with three fingers and from right to left. Catholics, on the contrary, from left to right, the number of fingers does not matter.

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

Differences between Orthodoxy and Christianity

What is the difference between the two? 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 divided 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.

The origins of religions

It is believed that Christianity originated in the 1st century. from the birth of Christ in Palestine, although some sources claim that it became known two centuries earlier. The people who preached the faith were waiting for the coming of God 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 spread of this religion was greatly facilitated by the preaching of the apostles 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 in comparison with 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 to the 1st century. from the birth of Christ. The Orthodox believe that the history of their religion began immediately after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, when the apostles preached a new faith and attracted an increasing number of people to religion.

By the 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, which did not correspond to the generally accepted one. Also, opposition was observed in relations with the followers of the presbyter Arius, who formed a new trend - Arianism. According to their ideas, Christ did not have a divine nature and was only a mediator between God and people.

On the creed of the nascent Orthodoxy ecumenical councils greatly influenced supported by a number of Byzantine emperors. Seven Councils, convened over five centuries, established the basic axioms that were subsequently adopted in modern Orthodoxy, in particular, they confirmed the divine origin of Jesus, disputed in a number of teachings. This strengthened the Orthodox faith and allowed an increasing number of people to join it.

In addition to Orthodoxy and small heretical teachings, which quickly faded in the process of the development of stronger directions, 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 was the patriarch. Their mutual excommunication from each other from the common faith led to the split of Christianity. The process began in 1054 and ended in 1204 with the fall of Constantinople.

Although Christianity in Russia was adopted as early as 988, it was not affected by the schism process. The official division of the church took place only several decades later, but at the baptism of Russia, Orthodox customs were immediately introduced, formed in Byzantium and borrowed from there.

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

Fundamentals of Orthodoxy

Faith in Orthodoxy is the essence of all divine teaching. The Nicene-Constantinople Symbol of Faith, compiled during the convocation 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 Symbol of Faith, Orthodoxy is based on the following dogmas:

The desire to deserve eternal life in paradise after death is the main goal of practicing the religion in question. A true Orthodox Christian must all his life follow the commandments transmitted to Moses and confirmed by Christ. According to them, you need to be kind and merciful, love God and your neighbors. The commandments indicate that all hardships and hardships should be endured meekly and even joyfully, despondency is one of the deadly sins.

Differences from other Christian directions

Compare Orthodoxy with Christianity it is possible by comparing its main directions. They are closely related to each other, since they are united in one world religion. However, there are huge differences between the two on a number of issues:

Thus, the differences between the directions are not always contradictory. The similarities between Catholicism and Protestantism are greater, 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.

Attitude towards other religions

Orthodoxy is tolerant of confessors of other religions... However, without condemning and peacefully coexisting with them, this trend recognizes them as heretical. It is believed that of all religions, only one is faithful; its confession 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 the same.

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

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, the majority of the population professes Orthodoxy. These include:

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

You can perform rituals and relate to shrines in different ways, have different views on the purpose of your own stay on earth, but ultimately all who profess 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.

The table "Comparing the Catholic and Orthodox Churches" will help you better understand the fundamental differences when studying the history of the Middle Ages in grade 6, and can also be used as a review in high school.

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"Table" Comparison of the Catholic and Orthodox Church "

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church

	Catholic Church	Orthodox Church
Name	Roman Catholic	Greek Orthodox Eastern Catholic
	Pope (pontiff)	Patriarch of Constantinople
		Constantinople
Relationship to the Mother of God
Images in temples	Sculptures and frescoes
Music in the temple	Organ use
The language of worship

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church.

How many mistakes have been made? What mistakes were made?

	Catholic Church	Orthodox Church
Name	Roman Catholic	Greek Orthodox Eastern Catholic
	Pope (pontiff)	Patriarch of Constantinople
		Constantinople
	Believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father through the Son.	He believes that the Holy Spirit proceeds both from the Father and from the Son (filioque; lat. Filioque - "and from the Son"). Eastern Catholics have a different opinion on this issue.
Relationship to the Mother of God	The embodiment of Beauty, Wisdom, Truth, Youth, happy motherhood	Queen of Heaven, patroness and comforter
Images in temples	Sculptures and frescoes
Music in the temple		Organ use
	Seven sacraments are accepted: baptism, anointing, repentance, the Eucharist, marriage, priesthood, anointing of oil. During the ceremonies, you can sit on the benches The Eucharist is celebrated on leavened bread (bread made with yeast); communion for the clergy and laity with the Body of Christ and His Blood (bread and wine)	Seven sacraments are accepted: baptism, chrismation, repentance, the Eucharist, marriage, priesthood, blessing of unification (unction). The Eucharist is celebrated on unleavened bread (unleavened bread made without yeast); communion for the clergy - in the Body and Blood of Christ (bread and wine), for the laity - only in the Body of Christ (bread). You can't sit during the rituals
The language of worship	In most countries, worship is in Latin	In most countries, worship is in national languages; in Russia, as a rule, in Church Slavonic.

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

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

The words on the tablet on the crosses are the same, the only difference is the languages ​​in which the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth is King of the Jews. In Catholicism, it is Latin: INRI. Some Eastern churches use the Greek abbreviation INBI from the Greek text Ἰησοῦς ὁ Ναζωραῖος ὁ Bασιλεὺς τῶν Ἰουδαίων.

The Romanian Orthodox Church uses the Latin version, and in the Russian and Church Slavonic versions the abbreviation looks like I.N.TS.I.

It is interesting that this spelling was approved in Russia only after Nikon's reform; before that, “Tsar of Glory” was often written on the tablet. This spelling was preserved among the Old Believers.

The number of nails often differs between Orthodox and Catholic crucifixes. The Catholics have three, the Orthodox have four.

The most fundamental difference in the symbolism of the cross in the two churches is that on the Catholic cross Christ is depicted in an extremely naturalistic way, with wounds and blood, in a crown of thorns, with his hands sagging under the weight of the body, while on the Orthodox crucifix there are no naturalistic traces of Christ's suffering, the image of the Savior shows the victory of life over death, the Spirit over the body.

Catholics and Orthodox have many differences in the ritual part. So, the differences in the performance of the sign of the cross are obvious. Orthodox Christians cross from right to left, Catholics from left to right.

The norm of the Catholic blessing of the cross was approved in 1570 by Pope Pius V "Blessing himself ... makes a cross from forehead to chest and from left shoulder to right."

In the Orthodox tradition, the norm for the execution of the sign of the cross changed in terms of two fingers and three fingers, but church leaders wrote about the need to be baptized from right to left before and after Nikon's reform.

Catholics usually cross themselves with all five fingers as a sign of "ulcers on the body of the Lord Jesus Christ" - two on their hands, two on their feet, one from a spear. In Orthodoxy, after Nikon's reform, a three-finger was adopted: three fingers are folded together (symbolism of the Trinity), two fingers are pressed to the palm (two natures of Christ - divine and human. In the Romanian Church, these two fingers are interpreted as a symbol of Adam and Eve, falling to the Trinity).

In addition to the obvious differences in the ritual part, in the system of monasticism of the two churches, in the traditions of iconography, the Orthodox and Catholics have a lot of differences on the dogmatic side.

Thus, the Orthodox Church does not recognize the Catholic teaching about the super-due merits of saints, according to which the great Catholic saints, the Teachers of the Church left an inexhaustible treasury of "super-due good deeds" so that then sinners could use the riches from it for their salvation.

The administrator of the wealth from this treasury is the Catholic Church and personally the Pontiff.

Depending on the zeal of the sinner, the Pontiff can take riches from the treasury and provide them to a sinful person, since a person does not have enough of his own good deeds for salvation.

The concept of "indulgence" is directly related to the concept of "super-due merits", when a person for the amount contributed is freed from punishment for his sins.

At the end of the 19th century, the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of the Pope's infallibility. According to him, when the Pope (as the head of the Church) defines her teaching concerning faith or morality, he has infallibility (infallibility) and is protected from the very possibility of error.

This doctrinal inerrancy is a gift of the Holy Spirit given to the Pope as the successor of the Apostle Peter by virtue of apostolic succession, and is not based on his personal sinlessness.

The dogma was officially proclaimed in the dogmatic constitution of Pastor Aeternus on July 18, 1870, along with the affirmation of the "ordinary and immediate" authority of the pontiff's jurisdiction in the universal Church.

The Pope only once exercised his right to proclaim a new teaching ex cathedra: in 1950, Pope Pius XII proclaimed the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. The dogma of infallibility was confirmed at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in the dogmatic constitution on the Lumen Gentium Church.

The Orthodox Church did not accept either the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope or the dogma of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. Also, the Orthodox Church does not recognize the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

The understanding of what a person's soul goes through after death also differs in Orthodoxy and Catholicism. In Catholicism there is a dogma about purgatory - a special state in which the soul of the deceased is. Orthodoxy denies the existence of purgatory, although it recognizes the need for prayer for the dead.

In Orthodoxy, in contrast to Catholicism, there is a teaching about aerial ordeals, obstacles through which the soul of every Christian must pass on the way to the throne of God for a private judgment.

Two angels lead the soul along this path. Each of the ordeals, the number of which is 20, is ruled by demons - unclean spirits trying to take the soul passing through the ordeal to hell. According to the expression of St. Theophan the Recluse: "No matter how wild the thought of ordeals seems to clever people, they cannot be avoided." The Catholic Church does not recognize the doctrine of ordeals.

The key dogmatic divergence of the Orthodox and Catholic Churches is the "filioque" (Latin filioque - "and the Son") - an addition to the Latin translation of the Creed, adopted by the Western (Roman) Church in the 11th century in the doctrine of the Trinity: about the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from God the Father, but "from the Father and the Son."

Pope Benedict VIII in 1014 included the term "filioque" in the Symbol of Faith, which caused a storm of indignation on the part of Orthodox theologians.

It was the "filioque" that became the "stumbling block" and caused the final division of the churches in 1054.

It was finally established at the so-called "unification" councils - Lyons (1274) and Ferraro-Florentine (1431-1439).

In modern Catholic theology, the attitude towards the filioque, oddly enough, has changed a lot. Thus, on August 6, 2000, the Catholic Church published the declaration “Dominus Iesus” (“Lord Jesus”). The author of this declaration was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Benedict XVI).

In this document, in the second paragraph of the first part, the text of the Symbol of Faith is given as amended without the "filioque": "Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre proceit, qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas" ... (“And into the Holy Spirit, the Lord giving life, from the Father who proceeds, who, together with the Father and the Son, deserves worship and glory, who spoke through the prophets”).

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

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