Christianity is the dominant religious denomination on the planet. The number of its followers amounts to billions of people, and its geography covers most of the developed countries of the world. Today it is represented by many branches, the most significant of which are Catholics and Orthodox. What is the difference between them? To find out this, you need to plunge into the depths of centuries.

Historical roots of schism

The Great Schism of the Christian Church occurred in 1054. Key points that formed the basis of the fatal breakup:

1. The nuances of conducting a worship service. First of all, the most pressing question was whether to conduct the liturgy on unleavened or leavened bread;
2. Non-recognition of the concept of the Pentarchy by the Roman throne. It assumed equal participation in resolving issues of theology of five departments located in Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria and Constantinople. The Latins traditionally acted from the position of papal primacy, which greatly alienated the other four sees;
3. Serious theological disputes. In particular, regarding the essence of the Triune God.

The formal reason for the break was the closure of Greek churches in Southern Italy, which was subject to the Norman conquest. This was followed by a mirror response in the form of the closure of the Latin churches in Constantinople. The last action was accompanied by mockery of shrines: the Holy Gifts prepared for the liturgy were trampled underfoot.

In June-July 1054, a mutual exchange of anathemas took place, which meant split, which is still ongoing.

What is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox?

Separate Existence two main branches of Christianity has been going on for almost a thousand years. During this time, a large array of significant differences in views have accumulated that relate to any aspect of church life.

Orthodox have the following views, which are in no way accepted by their Western brothers:

• One of the hypostases of the triune God, the Holy Spirit, originates only from the Father (the creator of the world and man, the basis of all things), but not from the Son (Jesus Christ, the Old Testament messiah, who sacrificed himself for human sins);
• Grace is the action of the Lord, and not something taken for granted based on the act of creation;
• There is a different view on the cleansing of sins after death. Sinners among Catholics are doomed to torment in purgatory. For the Orthodox, ordeals await them - the path to unity with the Lord, which does not necessarily involve torture;
• In the Eastern branch, the dogma of the immaculate conception of the Mother of God (mother of Jesus Christ) is also not respected at all. Catholics believe that she became a mother by avoiding vicious sexual intercourse.

Differentiation according to ritual criteria

The differences in the area of ​​worship are not rigid, but quantitatively there are much more of them:

1. The person of a clergyman. The Roman Catholic Church attaches extremely great importance to it in the liturgy. He has the right to pronounce significant words on his own behalf when performing rituals. The Constantinople tradition assigns the priest the role of “God’s servant” and nothing more;
2. The number of permitted religious services per day also varies. The Byzantine rite allows this to be done only once on one Throne (temple on the altar);
3. Only Eastern Christians baptize a child through obligatory immersion in the font. In the rest of the world, it is enough just to sprinkle the child with blessed water;
4. In the Latin rite, specially designated rooms called confessionals are used for confession;
5. The altar (altar) only in the East is separated from the rest of the church by a partition (iconostasis). The Catholic Presbytery, in contrast, is designed as an architecturally open space.

Are Armenians Catholics or Orthodox?

The Armenian Church is considered one of the most distinctive in Eastern Christianity. She has a number of features that make her absolutely unique:

• Jesus Christ is recognized as a superhuman being who does not have a body and does not experience any of the needs inherent in all other people (even food and drink);
• Traditions of icon painting are practically undeveloped. It is not customary to worship artistic images of saints. This is why the interior of Armenian churches is so different from all others;
• Following the Latins, holidays are tied to the Gregorian calendar;
• There is a unique and unlike anything else religious “table of ranks”, which includes five levels (as opposed to three in the Russian Orthodox Church);
• In addition to Lent, there is an additional period of abstinence called Arachawork;
• In prayers it is customary to praise only one of the hypostases of the Trinity.

The official attitude of the Russian Orthodox Church towards the Armenian confession is emphatically respectful. However, its followers are not recognized as Orthodox, which is why even visiting an Armenian temple can be a sufficient reason for excommunication.

Therefore, believing Armenians are Catholics.

Features of honoring holidays

It is not at all surprising that differences exist in the celebrations:

• The most important post in all Christian churches, called Great, in the Latin rite begins on Wednesday of the seventh week before Easter. In our country, abstinence begins two days earlier, on Monday;
• The methods for calculating the date of Easter differ significantly. They coincide quite rarely (usually in 1/3 of cases). In both cases, the starting point is the day of the vernal equinox (March 21) according to the Gregorian (in Rome) or Julian calendar;
• The set of red days of the church calendar in the West includes, unknown in Russia, the holidays of the veneration of the Body and Blood of Christ (60 days after Easter), the Sacred Heart of Jesus (8 days after the previous one), the Feast of the Heart of Mary (the next day);
• And vice versa, we celebrate holidays that are completely unknown to supporters of the Latin rite. Among them is the veneration of some relics (the relics of Nicholas the Wonderworker and the chains of the Apostle Peter);
• If Catholics completely deny the celebration of Saturday, then Orthodox Christians consider it one of the Lord's days.

The rapprochement of Orthodox and Catholics

Christians around the world today have much more in common than even a hundred years ago. Whether in Russia or in the West, the church is under deep siege from secular society. The number of parishioners among young people is decreasing year by year. New cultural challenges are emerging in the form of sectarianism, pseudo-religious movements and Islamization.

All this makes former enemies and competitors forget old grievances and try to find a common language in a post-industrial society:

• As stated at the Second Vatican Council, the differences between Eastern and Western theology are complementary rather than conflicting. The decree "Unitatis Redintegratio" states that in this way the fullest vision of Christian truth is achieved;
• Pope John Paul II, who wore the papal tiara from 1978 to 2005, noted that the Christian church needs to “breathe with both lungs.” He emphasized the synergy of the rational Latin and mystical-intuitive Byzantine traditions;
• He was echoed by his successor, Benedict XVI, who declared that the Eastern churches were not separate from Rome;
• Since 1980, regular plenums of the Commission on Theological Dialogue between the two churches have been held. The last meeting dedicated to issues of conciliarity was held in 2016 in Italy.

Just a few hundred years ago, religious contradictions caused serious conflicts even in prosperous European countries. However, secularization has done its job: who are Catholics and Orthodox, what is the difference between them - this is of little concern to the modern man in the street. All-powerful agnosticism and atheism turned the thousand-year Christian conflict into dust, leaving it to the mercy of gray-haired elders in clothes trailing on the floor.

Video: the history of the schism between Catholics and Orthodox Christians

In this video, historian Arkady Matrosov will tell you why Christianity split into two religious movements, what preceded it:

The official division of the Christian Church into Eastern (Orthodox) and Western (Roman Catholic) happened in 1054, with the participation of Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius. It became the finale in the contradictions that had long been brewing between the two religious centers of the Roman Empire that had collapsed by the 5th century - Rome and Constantinople.

Serious disagreements emerged between them both in the field of dogma and in terms of the organization of church life.

After the capital was transferred from Rome to Constantinople in 330, the clergy began to come to the fore in the socio-political life of Rome. In 395, when the empire effectively collapsed, Rome became the official capital of its western part. But political instability soon led to the fact that the actual administration of these territories was in the hands of the bishops and the pope.

In many ways, this became the reason for the claims of the papal throne to supremacy over the entire Christian Church. These claims were rejected by the East, although from the first centuries of Christianity the authority of the Pope in the West and in the East was very great: without his approval not a single ecumenical council could open or close.

Cultural background

Church historians note that in the western and eastern regions of the empire Christianity developed differently, under the powerful influence of two cultural traditions - Hellenic and Roman. The “Hellenic world” perceived Christian teaching as a certain philosophy that opens the way for the unity of man with God.

This explains the abundance of theological works of the fathers of the Eastern Church, aimed at understanding this unity and achieving “deification.” They often show the influence of Greek philosophy. Such “theological inquisitiveness” sometimes led to heretical deviations, which were rejected by the Councils.

The world of Roman Christianity, in the words of the historian Bolotov, experienced “the influence of the Romanesque on the Christian.” The “Roman world” perceived Christianity in a more “juridical” manner, methodically creating the Church as a unique social and legal institution. Professor Bolotov writes that Roman theologians “understood Christianity as a divinely revealed program for social order.”

Roman theology was characterized by “legalism,” including in the relation of God to man. He expressed himself in the fact that good deeds were understood here as a person’s merits before God, and repentance was not enough for the forgiveness of sins.

Later, the concept of atonement was formed following the example of Roman law, which placed the categories of guilt, ransom and merit at the basis of the relationship between God and man. These nuances gave rise to differences in dogma. But, in addition to these differences, also a banal struggle for power and personal claims of the hierarchs on both sides ultimately became the reason for the division.

Main differences

Today, Catholicism has many ritual and dogmatic differences from Orthodoxy, but we will look at the most important ones.

The first difference is the different understanding of the principle of the unity of the Church. In the Orthodox Church there is no single earthly head (Christ is considered its head). It has “primates” - patriarchs of local Churches independent from each other - Russian, Greek, etc.

The Catholic Church (from the Greek “katholicos” - “universal”) is one, and considers the presence of a visible head, which is the Pope, to be the basis of its unity. This dogma is called “the primacy of the Pope.” The opinion of the Pope on matters of faith is recognized by Catholics as “infallible” - that is, without error.

Creed

Also, the Catholic Church added to the text of the Creed adopted at the Nicene Ecumenical Council a phrase about the procession of the Holy Spirit from the Father and the Son (“filioque”). The Orthodox Church recognizes the procession only from the Father. Although some holy fathers of the East recognized the “filioque” (for example, Maximus the Confessor).

Life after death

In addition, Catholicism has adopted the dogma of purgatory: a temporary state in which souls who are not ready for heaven remain after death.

Virgin Mary

An important discrepancy is also that in the Catholic Church there is a dogma about the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary, which affirms the original absence of original sin in the Mother of God. The Orthodox, glorifying the holiness of the Mother of God, believe that he was inherent in Her, like all people. Also, this Catholic dogma contradicts the fact that Christ was half human.

Indulgence

In the Middle Ages, Catholicism developed the doctrine of the “extraordinary merits of the saints”: the “reserve of good deeds” that the saints performed. The Church disposes of this “reserve” in order to make up for the lack of “good deeds” of repentant sinners.

From here grew the doctrine of indulgences - release from temporary punishment for sins for which a person has repented. During the Renaissance, there was a misunderstanding of indulgence as the possibility of remission of sins for money and without confession.

Celibacy

Catholicism prohibits marriage for clergy (celibate priesthood). In the Orthodox Church, marriage is prohibited only for monastic priests and hierarchs.

External part

As for rituals, Catholicism recognizes both the Latin rite (Mass) and the Byzantine rite (Greek Catholics).

The liturgy in the Orthodox Church is served on prosphora (leavened bread), while Catholic services are served on unleavened bread (unleavened bread).

Catholics practice Communion under two types: only the Body of Christ (for the laity), and the Body and Blood (for the clergy).

Catholics place the sign of the cross from left to right, Orthodox believe it the other way around.

There are fewer fasts in Catholicism, and they are milder than in Orthodoxy.

The organ is used in Catholic worship.

Despite these and other differences that have accumulated over the centuries, Orthodox and Catholics have much in common. Moreover, something was borrowed by Catholics from the East (for example, the doctrine of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary).

Almost all local Orthodox churches (except the Russian one), like Catholics, live according to the Gregorian calendar. Both faiths recognize each other's Sacraments.

The division of the Church is a historical and unresolved tragedy of Christianity. After all, Christ prayed for the unity of His disciples, which are all who strive to fulfill His commandments and confess Him as the Son of God: “That they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, so that they also may be one in Us - that the world may believe that You have sent Me.”

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

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

The words on the sign on the crosses are the same, only the languages ​​in which the inscription “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews” is written are different. 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.Н.Ц.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 by the Old Believers.

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

The most fundamental difference between 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, wearing a crown of thorns, with his arms sagging under the weight of his body, while on the Orthodox crucifix there are no naturalistic traces of the suffering of Christ, the image of the Savior shows the victory of life over death, the Spirit over the body.

Catholics and Orthodox Christians have many differences in rituals. Thus, differences in performing the sign of the cross are obvious. Orthodox Christians cross from right to left, Catholics from left to right.

The norm for the Catholic blessing of the cross was approved in 1570 by Pope Pius V: “He who blesses himself... makes a cross from his forehead to his chest and from his left shoulder to his right.”

In the Orthodox tradition, the norm for performing the sign of the cross changed in terms of two and three fingers, but church leaders wrote before and after Nikon’s reform that one should be baptized from right to left.

Catholics usually cross themselves with all five fingers as a sign of the “sores on the body of the Lord Jesus Christ” - two on the hands, two on the feet, one from a spear. In Orthodoxy, after Nikon’s reform, three fingers were adopted: three fingers folded together (symbolism of the Trinity), two fingers pressed to the palm (the 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 monastic system of the two churches, in the traditions of iconography, Orthodox and Catholics have a lot of differences in the dogmatic part.

Thus, the Orthodox Church does not recognize the Catholic teaching about the supererogatory merits of saints, according to which the great Catholic saints, the Doctors of the Church, left an inexhaustible treasury of “extraordinarily good deeds”, so that sinners could then take advantage of the riches from it for their salvation.

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

Depending on the zeal of the sinner, the Pontiff can take wealth from the treasury and provide it to the sinful person, since the person does not have enough of his own good deeds to save him.

The concept of “extraordinary merit” is directly related to the concept of “indulgence,” when a person is freed from punishment for his sins for the amount contributed.

At the end of the 19th century, the Roman Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. According to him, when the pope (as the head of the Church) determines its teaching concerning faith or morals, he has infallibility (inerrancy) and is protected from the very possibility of being mistaken.

This doctrinal infallibility 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 infallibility.

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

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

The Orthodox Church accepted neither the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope nor the dogma of the Ascension of the Virgin Mary. Also, the Orthodox Church does not recognize the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism also differ in their understanding of what the human soul goes through after death. Catholicism has a dogma about purgatory - a special state in which the soul of the deceased is located. Orthodoxy denies the existence of purgatory, although it recognizes the need for prayers for the dead.

In Orthodoxy, unlike 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 private judgment.

Two angels lead the soul along this path. Each of the ordeals, of which there are 20, is controlled by demons - unclean spirits who are trying to take the soul going through the ordeal to hell. In the words of St. Theophan the Recluse: “No matter how wild the thought of ordeals may seem to wise men, they cannot be avoided.” The Catholic Church does not recognize the doctrine of ordeals.

The key dogmatic divergence between 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 dogma of the Trinity: the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from God the Father, but “from the Father and the Son.”

Pope Benedict VIII included the term “filioque” in the Creed in 1014, 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 - Lyon (1274) and Ferrara-Florence (1431-1439).

In modern Catholic theology, the attitude towards the filioque, oddly enough, has changed greatly. 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 Creed is given in the wording without the “filioque”: “Et in Spiritum Sanctum, Dominum et vivificantem, qui ex Patre procedit, qui cum Patre et Filio simul adoratur et conglorificatur, qui locutus est per prophetas” . (“And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord who gives life, who proceeds from the Father, to whom, together with the Father and the Son, belongs 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 Vicar of Jesus Christ, its visible head (Vicarius Christi), the Pope.

Nika Kravchuk

How does the Orthodox Church differ from the Catholic Church?

Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church - two branches of Christianity. Both originate from the preaching of Christ and apostolic times, honor the Most Holy Trinity, worship the Mother of God and saints, and have the same sacraments. But there are many differences between these churches.

The most important dogmatic differences Perhaps we can single out three.

Symbol of faith. The Orthodox Church teaches that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father. The Catholic Church has the so-called “filioque” - the addition of “and the Son.” That is, Catholics claim that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son.

Veneration of the Mother of God. Catholics have a dogma about the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary, according to which the Mother of God did not inherit original sin. The Orthodox Church says that Mary was freed from original sin from the moment of Christ’s conception. Also, Catholics believe that the Mother of God ascended to heaven, so they do not know the feast of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so revered in Orthodoxy.

Dogma of the infallibility of the Pope. The Catholic Church believes that the teaching of the Pope ex cathedra (from the pulpit) on matters of faith and morals is infallible. The Pope is filled with the Holy Spirit, so he cannot make mistakes.

But there are many other differences.

Celibacy. In the Orthodox Church there are black and white clergy, the latter, accordingly, are supposed to have families. The Catholic clergy takes a vow of celibacy.

Marriage. The Catholic Church considers it a sacred union and does not recognize divorce. Orthodoxy allows for different circumstances.

Sign of the Cross. Orthodox Christians cross themselves with three fingers, from left to right. Catholics - five and from right to left.

Baptism. If in the Catholic Church it is only necessary to pour water over the person being baptized, then in the Orthodox Church it is necessary to immerse the person headlong. In Orthodoxy, the sacraments of baptism and confirmation are performed at the same moment, but among Catholics, confirmation is performed separately (possibly on the day of First Communion).

Communion. During this sacrament, Orthodox Christians eat bread made from leavened dough, while Catholics eat bread made from unleavened dough. In addition, the Orthodox Church blesses children to receive communion from a very early age, and in Catholicism this is preceded by catechesis (teaching the Christian faith), followed by a big holiday - First Communion, which falls somewhere in the 10-12th year of a child’s life.

Purgatory. The Catholic Church, in addition to hell and heaven, also recognizes a special intermediate place in which a person’s soul can still be purified for eternal bliss.

Construction of the temple. Catholic churches have an organ, relatively fewer icons, but still have sculptures and plenty of seating. There are many icons and paintings in Orthodox churches, and it is customary to pray while standing (there are benches and chairs for those who need to sit).

Universality. Each of the Churches has its own understanding of universality (catholicity). Orthodox believe that the Universal Church is embodied in each local Church, headed by a bishop. Catholics specify that this local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church.

Cathedrals. The Orthodox Church recognizes seven Ecumenical Councils, and the Catholic Church recognizes 21.

Many people are concerned about the question: can both churches unite? There is such a possibility, but what about the differences that have existed for many centuries? The question remains open.

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When people first come to church, the text of the services seems completely incomprehensible to them. “You catechumens, come forth,” the priest shouts. Who does he mean? Where to go? Where did this name even come from? Answers to these questions must be sought in the history of the Church.

Having become acquainted with the traditions of the Catholic Church in Europe and having talked with my priest upon my return, I discovered that there is much in common between the two directions of Christianity, but there are also fundamental differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism, which, among other things, influenced the split of the once united Christian Church.

In my article I decided to talk in an accessible language about the differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church and their common features.

Although churchmen argue that the matter is due to “irreconcilable religious differences,” scientists are confident that this was, first of all, a political decision. The tension between Constantinople and Rome forced the confessors to look for a reason to clarify the relationship and ways to resolve the conflict.

It was difficult not to notice the features that had already taken hold in the West, where Rome dominated, different from those accepted in Constantinople, so they latched on to this: different structures in matters of hierarchy, aspects of religious doctrine, the conduct of sacraments - everything was used.

Due to political tensions, the existing differences between the two traditions existing in different parts of the collapsed Roman Empire were revealed. The reason for the current uniqueness was the differences in culture and mentality of the western and eastern parts.

And, if the existence of one strong, large state made the church unified, with its disappearance the connection between Rome and Constantinople weakened, contributing to the creation and rooting in the western part of the country of some traditions unusual for the East.

The division of the once united Christian church along territorial lines did not happen overnight. East and West went towards this for years, culminating in the 11th century. In 1054, during the Council, the Patriarch of Constantinople was deposed by envoys of the Pope.

In response, he anathematized the Pope's envoys. The heads of the remaining patriarchates shared the position of Patriarch Michael, and the split deepened. The final break dates back to the 4th Crusade, which sacked Constantinople. Thus, the united Christian church split into Catholic and Orthodox.

Now Christianity unites three different directions: the Orthodox and Catholic Church, Protestantism. There is no single church uniting Protestants: there are hundreds of denominations. The Catholic Church is monolithic, led by the Pope, to whom all believers and dioceses submit.

15 independent and mutually recognizing churches constitute the asset of Orthodoxy. Both directions are religious systems, including their own hierarchy and internal rules, doctrine and worship, and cultural traditions.

Common features of Catholicism and Orthodoxy

Followers of both churches believe in Christ, consider Him an example to follow, and try to follow His commandments. The Holy Scripture for them is the Bible.

At the foundation of the traditions of Catholicism and Orthodoxy are the apostles-disciples of Christ, who founded Christian centers in major world cities (the Christian world relied on these communities). Thanks to them, both directions have sacraments, similar creeds, exalt the same saints, and have the same Creed.

Followers of both churches believe in the power of the Holy Trinity.

The view on family formation in both directions converges. Marriage between a man and a woman occurs with the blessing of the church and is considered a sacrament. Same-sex marriages are not recognized. Entering into intimate relationships before marriage is unworthy of a Christian and is considered a sin, and same-sex relationships are considered a grave sin.

Followers of both directions agree that both the Catholic and Orthodox directions of the church represent Christianity, albeit in different ways. The difference for them is significant and irreconcilable: for more than a thousand years there has been no unity in the way of worship and communion of the Body and Blood of Christ, therefore they do not celebrate communion together.

Orthodox and Catholics: what is the difference

The result of deep religious differences between East and West was the schism that occurred in 1054. Representatives of both movements claim striking differences between them in their religious worldview. Such contradictions will be discussed further. For ease of understanding, I have compiled a special table of differences.

Let's sum it up

Despite the centuries-old schism between the Catholic and Orthodox churches, which is not expected to be overcome in the near future, there are many similarities that indicate common origins.

There are many differences, so significant that combining the two directions is not possible. However, regardless of their differences, Catholics and Orthodox believe in Jesus Christ and carry His teachings and values ​​throughout the world. Human errors have divided Christians, but faith in the Lord gives the unity for which Christ prayed.