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May 31, 2023 · The Catholic and Orthodox branches separated from each other 1,000 years ago. Today, the two traditions have many similarities, but they have important differences, too. The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church both believe in the Trinity, the inspiration of the Bible, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
- History of The Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox
- The Great Schism of Ad 1054
- Hierarchy of The Two Churches
- Pope (and Papal Primacy) Versus Patriarch
- Doctrinal Differences and Similarities
- Holy Spirit
- The One True Church of Christ
- Confessing Sins
- The Doctrine of The Immaculate Conception
- Scriptures and Books
Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox were originally one church, claiming the “apostolic line of succession” from Peter down through the bishops (or popes). The church was led by five patriarchs in Rome, Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem. Rome’s patriarch (or pope) held authority over the other four patriarchs. Alexandria, Antioch,...
This dissension and rivalry led to the Pope of Rome excommunicating the Patriarch of Constantinople, followed by the Patriarch promptly excommunicating the Pope. The Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church split in 1054. The Eastern Orthodox Church no longer recognized the authority of the Roman Pope to rule them.
Eastern Orthodox (Orthodox Catholic Church) Hierarchy
Most people belonging to the Eastern Orthodox churches live in eastern Europe, Russia, the Middle East, and northern Africa, with 220 million baptized members. They are divided into regional groups (patriarchates), which are either autocephalous – having their own leader, or autonomous– self-governing. They all share the same basic doctrine. The largest regional group is the Greek Orthodox Church, which includes Greece, the Balkans, Albania, the Middle East, and the Greek diaspora in North Am...
Roman Catholic Hierarchy
The Roman Catholic church has 1.3 billion baptized members around the world, predominantly in South America, North America, southern Europe, and southern Africa. The church also has a large presence in Asia and Australia. The Roman Catholic church has a worldwide hierarchy, with the pope in Rome as the supreme leader. Under the pope is the College of Cardinals, who advise the pope and elect a new pope whenever the current one dies. Next are archbishops who govern regions around the world, and...
The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is the bishop of Constantinople, equal to all the other bishops in the Orthodox Church but given the honorific title of primus inter pares(first among equals). The Eastern Orthodox Church believes Jesus Christ is the head of their church. Roman Catholics consider the Bishop of Rome (Pope) as having Papal P...
The Doctrine of Justification
Both the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church reject the Protestant doctrine of justification through faith alone. Catholic and Orthodox churches believe salvation is a process. Roman Catholicsbelieve salvation begins with baptism (usually in infancy, by pouring or sprinkling water on the head) and continues by cooperating with grace through faith, good works, and receiving the sacraments of the church (especially confirmation at around age eight, confession of sins and penance,...
Both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. However, the Eastern Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Spirit originates from God the Father alone. Catholics believe the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father together withJesus the Son. The Nicene Creed, when first written in...
The Eastern Orthodox Church believes it is the one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church, established by Christ and His apostles. They reject the idea that the Orthodox Church is simply one branch or expression of Christianity. “Orthodox” means “true worship” and the Orthodox church believes they have maintained the true faith of the undivided chur...
Roman Catholicsgo to their priest to confess sins and receive “absolution” or forgiveness of their sins. The priest will often assign a “penance” to help internalize repentance and forgiveness – such as repeating the “Hail Mary” prayer or doing kind acts for someone they sinned against. Confession and penance is a sacrament in the Catholic church, ...
Roman Catholics believe in the Immaculate conception:the idea that Mary, the mother of Jesus, was free of original sin when she was conceived. They also believe she remained a virgin and sinless throughout her life. The idea of immaculate conception is a relatively new theology, becoming official dogma in 1854. The Eastern Orthodox Church doesn’t b...
Both Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox have the Apocrypha books in their Old Testaments: 1 and 2 Maccabees, Tobit, Judith, Sirach, Wisdom, and Baruch. These seven books are not in the Bibles that most Protestants use. Eastern Orthodox also have a small number of writings from the Septuagint that aren’t in the Catholic Bibles, but that is not con...
May 6, 2024 · Samuel Cho. May 6, 2024. 4 min read. Understanding the essence of Christianity can often be complex given its various branches. Two of the most prominent sects are Catholic and Orthodox Christianity, which, despite sharing a common foundation, have distinct differences that impact their practices, beliefs, and traditions.
Catholicism is the largest denomination of Christianity. All Catholics are Christians, but not all Christians are Catholics. A Christian refers to a follower of Jesus Christ who may be a Catholic, Protestant, Gnostic, Mormon, Evangelical, Anglican or Orthodox, or follower of another branch of the religion.
- The Authority of the Pope: Unlike Catholics, Orthodox Christians reject the authority of the pope as Christ's representative on earth. They see the pope as no greater than nor less than any other bishop (the pope is the bishop of Rome).
- The Communion of Saints: Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that those who have died in Christ are alive today in heaven and that we can communicate with them through prayer.
- Christ's Presence in the Eucharist: Orthodox Christians believe that the bread and wine of the Eucharist are literally transformed into the real body and blood of Christ.
- Role of Mary as the Mother of Jesus: Like Catholics, Eastern Orthodox Christians believe that Mary was deserving of veneration as the mother of Jesus.
Dec 25, 2023 · Catholicism centers around the Pope's authority and tradition, while Orthodoxy emphasizes consensus among bishops and local traditions. Key Differences. Catholicism, led by the Pope, is known for its centralized authority structure, whereas Orthodoxy is a communion of self-governing churches with a collective leadership of bishops.
Nov 8, 2017 · Overall, in Central and Eastern Europe, Orthodox support for reconciliation with Catholicism is about as high as Catholic support for it. But in countries with substantial shares of both Orthodox Christians and Catholics, Catholics tend to be more supportive of a return to communion with Eastern Orthodoxy.
