What are the differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism ?

Table of contents :

1- The schism of 1054, the origin of the separation

2- A quick look at the early history of the Church

3- The authority of Rome is challenged

4- Over the centuries, the growing disagreements over dogma

5- The final break between the Western and Eastern Churches: the sack of Constantinople in 1204

6- The Orthodox today

7- The presence of the Orthodox in the world

8- The different patriarchates

9- Practical differences and commonalities between Orthodox and Catholics

10- Uses and Rituals

11- Calendars

With the current events in Ukraine, our focus is on a country that is fighting for its survival. During the many reports on this country, you will have noticed the almost majestic presence of the Orthodox priests dressed in black with their high headgear.

There are many differences between our Western civilisation and the Slavic countries. Even the daily practice of the same faith in God is not the same.

Where do these differences between Orthodoxy and Catholicism originate?

What is the history that led Christianity to split into two distinct groups: Catholics and Orthodox? What are the Orthodox countries? What are the strong rituals and symbols that distinguish these two Christian practices?

At the origin of the split, the schism of 1054

A quick look at the beginnings of Church history

Historians place the true birth of the Church at the Council of Nicaea in 325, under the influence of the Roman Emperor Constantine I.

The purpose of this council meeting was both to solve the disciplinary problems that had arisen and to define a unity of dogmas for Christianity, in order to avoid any major discord in the Church.

During the council, the confession of faith known as the 'Nicene Symbol' or 'Nicene Creed' was adopted, from which the Creed used by Christians today is derived.

The authority of Rome is questioned

As early as 325, at the Council of Nicaea, questions of precedence and superior jurisdiction were raised. Although the authority of Rome was already recognised as prevailing at the time and was even enshrined in canon six of the council, this was already being challenged. The Church was then organised into several patriarchates, with Rome always taking precedence. The latter was always contested by the other patriarchates until the schism.

However, these questions of authority were not decisive in the break between the Western and Eastern Church. How to interpret Scripture, how to pray, how to put the Gospels and the Bible into images were all issues that agitated the Eastern and Western churches, to the point of provoking deep disagreements.

Disagreements over dogmas have grown over the centuries.

In every civilisation, religious practices are intertwined with the life and customs of the people where the religion is practised. The peoples of Western and Eastern Europe are no exception to this reality. Differences in practice then deepened and became incompatible in the eyes of the Church Fathers.

Let us mention two great Christological disputes that agitated the Church in the first millennium

- Iconoclasm: this movement rejected the representation of any divine image, for fear of idolatry. In the Eastern Churches it assumed extreme proportions, to the point of creating great dissensions within them. In the West, the majority movement was to regard the divine image as a medium for prayer and not as an object of prayer in itself.

- The filioque: the origins of the dispute over the filioque can be found in the text of the Nicene Creed itself. It reads that "the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father". Gradually in the Western Church the phrase "the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son" was added, in Latin "ex patre filioque procedit". This development was rejected by the Eastern Churches, who considered it a challenge to the very conception of the Trinity.

It was this last dispute, the one over the Filioque, that consummated the separation between the Western and Eastern Churches. In 1054, the dogmatic break between the Eastern and Western Churches was consummated.

The final break between the Western and Eastern Churches: the sack of Constantinople in 1204

Between 1054 and the Fourth Crusade, relations between the Western and Eastern Churches remained cold but polite. What caused the final break between Catholics and Orthodox was not a dogmatic dispute, but a dramatic military event that took place during the Fourth Crusade.

The crusades to recover the tomb of Christ began at the end of the 11th century: on 15 August 1096, a large army set out for Jerusalem to liberate the tomb of Christ. Each crusade in the 12th and 13th centuries continued to mobilise men-at-arms and populations to regain or consolidate Christian control over the holy sites of Jesus' life in Jerusalem.

The Fourth Crusade, which started from Venice in 1202, was again launched to reconquer the holy sites that had fallen under Muslim rule. In 1203, the crusader army broke away and laid siege to Constantinople. The sacking of this city, considered holy by the Eastern churches, completed the final break between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

The Orthodox today

The Orthodox presence in the world

Recently we have seen many reports on Ukraine, Russia and neighbouring countries that Orthodoxy dominates in the Slavic countries. The countries where the Orthodox faith has a large space or even dominates are Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Romania, Greece, Moldova, Bulgaria, Belarus, Cyprus, Georgia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Transnistria.

The Orthodox Church is present in other countries of the world and in Europe, but this presence is generally due to the migration of populations from Slavic countries rather than a desire for evangelisation or proselytism by the Orthodox Churches.

The different patriarchates

Before the schism of 1054, there were already five recognised patriarchates, including that of Rome. Over the centuries, political and dogmatic disputes again separated the Orthodox Churches.

In 1992, following Ukraine's independence, the Ukrainian Orthodox Church was formed under the Kiev Patriarchate. In October 2018, the Patriarchate of Constantinople asserted its jurisdiction over Ukraine, causing a schism between the Patriarchate and the Moscow Patriarchate.

This is still evident in current events in Ukraine: the Orthodox churches maintain a difficult balance between religion and politics.

Practical differences and commonalities between Orthodox and Catholics

Uses and rituals

Many differences between Orthodox and Catholics are easy to see. They are as simple as the clothing of priests, the architecture of churches and religious representations. Orthodox icons are sometimes recognised as real works of art.

Here are some of the most relevant differences between Orthodox and Catholic practices:

- The Orthodox make the sign of the cross with the three fingers of the right hand, thumb, forefinger and middle finger, touching the forehead, chest, right shoulder and then the left shoulder, while the Catholic practice involves touching the left shoulder first and then the right shoulder.

- For the Eucharist, the Orthodox use fermented bread, while Catholics use unleavened bread.

- During worship, Catholics pray standing or kneeling, while the Orthodox stand or sit. Similarly, for the Orthodox, chants are prayers in their own right during the liturgy, while for Catholics, chants, prayers and preaching alternate.

- Icons are central in the Orthodox religion, but statues are generally excluded.

- The Catholic Church imposes celibacy on its priests, while Orthodox priests may be married and have children (the condition being that the marriage took place before ordination).

Calendars

Finally, the Catholic Church has used the Gregorian calendar since 1582. For most Orthodox Christians, the Julian calendar (established by Julius Caesar in 46 BC) prevails. This explains the difference in dates between Christmas and Easter between Catholics and Orthodox.

Many other differences exist between Catholic and Orthodox cults, but also sometimes between Orthodox patriarchates. These are the result of sometimes divergent developments and histories of peoples.

This does not prevent Catholics and Orthodox from seeing each other as brothers and sisters in the Christian religion, which is the most important thing.