It may come as a surprise for you to hear this, but the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church are very much alike. Prior to 1054 both Churches were actually united as one. Together they helped to form the Seven Ecumenical Councils in 325-787, and set the path for Christian understandings and beliefs.
As the roman Empire was so vast, the Church ultimately split into two factions, the Greek speaking East Roman Empire, and the Latin speaking Western Europe.
Over time the cultural and geopolitical differences between the two would result in disputes that only strained their relations further, adding to the distrust, resentment and hostilities both sides had for one another.
In 1054, a Papal delegation sent to the Patriarch of Constantinople excommunicated the Patriarch for not recognizing Papal supremacy, who in turn excommunicated the Pope right back, thus irreparably separating the east and west branches of the Church.
Any hope of the two Churches reuniting were quashed in 1204 following the sacking of Constantinople. Crusaders from the west who were meant to be on route to Jerusalem, instead spent three days looting and vandalizing the Eastern Roman Empire’s capital.
Today the Eastern Orthodox Church, officially known as the Orthodox Catholic Church, is the second-largest Christian Church, with approximately 200–260 million members. While Protestantism maybe the second largest major group (not Church) of Christians, its 920 million members are from various denominations of differing beliefs and practices that do not form a single communion.
Contents
Which Countries are Prominently Orthodox Catholic
The majority of Eastern Orthodox Catholics can be found primarily in Southeast and Eastern Europe, as well as communities in the Caucasus region, and in Siberia to the Russian Far East. This gives the following countries the highest population of Eastern Orthodox Catholics:
- Belarus
- Bulgaria
- Cyprus
- Georgia
- Greece
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- North Macedonia
- Romania
- Russia
- Serbia
- Ukraine
What do Catholics and the Orthodox Have in Common
Aside from the cultural differences that appear region to region, there is very little difference in the way Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Catholics practice their faiths. They both have the same belief system and many of the same traditions.
- Their spiritual officers are categorized the same:
- Deacons
- Priests
- Bishops
- They believe in the same three bodies of the Holy Trinity:
- The Father in heaven
- The Son Jesus Christ
- The Holy Spirit
- The Virgin Mary is held in such high esteem in both faiths.
- Both faiths claim to be the continuity of the early Christian faith.
- Both faiths have a deep and rich history of theological and scholarly traditions, that have been passed down from one generation to the next.
- Elaborate ceremonies can be found in both faiths.
- Sacraments are a fundamental part of both faiths.
- They use the same Bible.
What are Their Differences?
The two biggest differences between the Catholic faith and the Eastern Orthodox faith, boils down to two main disputes:
- The Papal’s Supremacy and the use of a centralized spiritual authority.
- The Filioque Controversy – in which the text of the Nicene Creed was altered during the 6th century, to include “and the Son”. Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son in the Holy Trinity. The Orthodox Catholics believe that the Holy Spirit only comes from the Father and not the Son.
A Quick Difference Guide
Here are a few minor differences for your convenience:
Catholic Belief |
Orthodox Catholic Belief |
The Virgin Mary |
|
|
|
The Filioque Controversy |
|
|
|
Marriage and Divorce |
|
|
|
The Popes Authority and Infallibility |
|
|
|
Church Leaders |
|
|
|
Purgatory |
|
|
|
Calendars |
|
|
|
Easter |
|
|
|
The Sacrifice and Resurrection of Jesus Christ |
|
|
|
Praying |
|
|
|
|
Girls are taught from a young age that their heads need to be covered when in prayer or prophesying. |
View Comments (4)
Good article. Thank you for posting it. One thing: I agree, there are similarities between the two faiths, but to say they are very similar is to be greatly debated. I'm neither Catholic nor Orthodox but I've been around both and have studied both, and this is my overall impression. The two have vastly different social structures, and when it comes to humans; social structures dictate everything. The Orthodox feel of redemption, mysticism and are geared toward a more realistic mind set about every day life, including marriage, personal relations and formalities. While Catholicism feel more of guilt, control, and pageantry. Orthodox church allows marriage within their priesthood while Catholic church does not. This alone sets up entirely different undertones and social interactions between the clergy and the parishioners. It also attracts a different demographic within individuals who purse priesthood, and why. From a logical point of view; this would explain at least some of the recent troubles within the Catholic church. In conclusion, the two faiths had the same start but they've evolved into two very different entities. One feels of unifying, the other of scrutinizing. The exception: Today's Pope Francis. He's the bomb because he seems to be mostly interested in one thing: love.
Isn't fasting very different between Catholicism and Orthodoxy?
"The Pope is infallible in all of his decisions no matter how popular or unpopular they may be."
This is misleading. There are three requirements in order for the Pope to be considered infallible. These are:
1. The pronouncement must be made by the official successor to Peter.
2. The subject matter must be in the area of faith and morals.
3. The Pope must be speaking ex cathedra (from the chair) of Peter, and must be intending to proclaim a doctine that binds the entire Church to assent.
This is very rarely done. The last time this was invoked was back in the 1950s when the Pope at the time reaffirmed the Virgin Mary's position as the Immaculate Conception.
Everything else beside this special and rare invocation, is all personal opinion and suggestion. Nobody is bound to obey the Pope as divine law in whatever he says. However out of respect to the Pope's position of authority, one should generally follow the Pope's teachings. As he should be someone who is knows the teachings and of the Church thougherly and should have a deep spiritual connection to God. So one should be able to trust the Pope in whatever he says. That said, Popes are still only human and are subject to human flaws.
Unfortunately, today Catholics are split between the traditionalists and the modernists. Much has changed since Vatican 2. The Pope now opposed to anything traditional. Suppressing the Latin mass to the point of pursecution. The watering down of the liturgy to becoming almost protestant. The Latin Mass was a gift, only available to those who seek it out and venerate it.