How come the catholics and the orthodox christians cross themselves differently?

Question

Meaning that the catholics cross themselves from left to right while the orthodoxs cross themselves from right to left.
When did this difference occurred and why?

Answer 1

The above poster fancies himself as a theologian. Here's the real answer - from the Catholic Cathecism:
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13785a.htm

Answer 2

Its not a Catholic or Orthodox Thing, its a Rite thing. A Greek Orthodox Catholic in union with the Bishop of Rome will cross himself the same way a Orthodox Christian will, Catholic also use the 3 finger/ 2 finger cross, but we go Father (Head) Son (Stomach) Holy Spirit from left to right, the Orthodox do it the other way, its not a theological issue, its a simple tradition.

Answer 3

The reason is actually an accident of history.

Originally, the earliest references refer to Christians making the sign of the cross on their foreheads. You will still see Roman Catholics cross their forehead, lips and heart in some places and at specific times. That specific behavior comes from the annointing after baptism of the ears, eyes, lips, shoulders, heart and feet with the sign of the cross. If I remember correctly, the earliest references come from the second century and it appears to be a global phenomenon. It seems like everyone does it in some form.

The Orthodox and Eastern Catholics as well as the other Eastern Churches cross themselves from head to stomach then right shoulder to left shoulder. All Christians did this until either the 11th or 12th century. An easy mnemonic to remember the direction for the East is that Jesus came down from Heaven to Earth (the vertical bar) and then ascended to the right hand of the Father (right side of the cross bar) and sent the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to dwell in our hearts (the left side of the cross bar).

In the 11th or 12th century, I don't remember which Pope of Rome changed it, there was an observation that when a presbyter blessed the congregation, from their point of view, he was doing it from left to right in essence the mirror of their actions. So the rubrics were changed in the parts of the Roman Patriarchate that used the Latin Mass which wasn't most of it actually. Most used the Gallican, Mozarabic or Ambrosian liturgies or some other local liturgy. Unfortunately, communication being what it was and the lack of literacy, the congregation misunderstood and reversed their actions to match the fact the priest reversed his action. The intent was for everyone to work in unison, all that actually happened is that the mirror image occured. I suspect that it was when Napolean suppressed the Gallican liturgies to bring an end to Christianity and the Roman liturgies appeared and when the Mozarabic disappeared, that the Roman rubrics dominated the West. It may have occured earlier however. Just a note, the Mozarabic was already mostly gone by the time of Napolean, I didn't mean to imply he brought the Mozarabic Catholic form of the service to an end, they ended because of the ability to get print forms of the Latin service and not the Mozarabic. That is also the reason the Roman service dominated after the destruction of the Gallican service, it was all one could get in print form.

Since the 17th century there has also been a slight change in the Eastern method of crossing oneself. In the West, how you hold your hand doesn't really matter, but in the East the method taught to children is to put the thumb and first two fingers together to represent the Trinity and the last two fingers together to represent to divine and human natures of Christ.

At a certain level it does not matter of course, but on another it is very important. Like the dual date of Easter, it is a reminder of trivial divisions that people are at risk of clinging to. I once saw a Protestant minister at the Liturgy of the Pre-Sanctified Gifts finally get why the body motions were important. As he said, his Church is a religion of the neck up, Catholics involve the entire body in prayer and at many different levels. He was also shocked by the depth of the service and the fact the service came entirely out of scripture. He was a baptist and had far less scripture in his service than the Catholic services automatically had. Little things are deeply important at times and it is kind of absurd that the reason there is a difference is an historical accident.

Answer 4

Nobody really knows, but it may have to do with which way the respective groups turn to face Jerusalem.

Western (Latin) Church - left to right.

Eastern Churches - right to left.

Answer 5

That is so we can tell each other apart. Then we don't marry the wrong Catholic.