What's the difference in an orthodox and a catholic church? Details please.?

Question

...are they almost identical for example..Catholic and Episcopal? Is the only difference, in catholic and orthodox, the language of the liturgy? Please give detailed beliefs of orthodox if you know them.

Is the orthodox church in communion with the vatican in Rome or is it completely on it's own?

Answer 1

Orthodox and Catholics separated officially in 1054... the real reason was the "supremacy of the Pope in the Church", the "successor of Peter".
"Filioque" in Latin means "and from the Son". The Orthodox said that the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father"; the Catholics said the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father and from the Son" (Filioque)... and this was the theological "excuse" for their separation...

Answer 2

There is no communion between any Orthodox church and the Roman Catholic church. There are Eastern Rite Catholics who recognize the Pope as their spriitual leader even though they celebrate the same liturgy as the Orthodox.

There are no statues in Orthodox churches but statues exist in Catholic churches - especially the 14 Stations of the Cross.

The Orthodox altar is behind the icon screen - no icon screen exists in Catholic churches.

Both churches perform the liturgy (or mass) in English or whichever vernacular language associated with a specific ethnic group (e.g. Greek, Polish).

The Orthodox distribute Holy Communion via spoon which contains the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ while the Catholics distribute unleavened wafers without wine. The Orthodox view bread as representative of Christ's Resurrection while the Catholics hold that Jesus and the Disciples celebrated Passover tradition by eating unleavened bread.

Answer 3

You're thinking Eastern Orthodox. The original church was bipartite; the church of the east was founded by the apostle Paul and based in Constantinople (Istanbul) while the church of the west was founded by Paul and of course based in Rome. They were linked but administratively separate. They had a totally different structure,the Roman church copying the imperial structure of the Roman Empire,while the Orthodox Church opted for a loose confederation consisting of national churches; for example,the Greek orthodox Church,the Russian Orthodox Church,the Ukrainian Orthodox Church and so on. Rome always insisted on it's primacy but the issue didn't come to a head for a thousand years,then they split from each other. Interestingly,the structure preserved by the church of the east remains intact,while the imperial structure of the Roman church resulted in widespread balkanization,a process known as the reformation. This is turn led to further splintering until we reach the rise of fundamentalism in the American South in the 19th century; at this point,things get pretty wild from a theological point of view. Many Christians feel that fundamentalism has done much to bring disrepute to Christianity. Orthodoxy has continued to thrive,and an American Orthodox Church was established in the 1850's. It's national structure has preserved it from schism; however the head of the church - the Archpatriarch - is diminished in stature by the fact that Istanbul in now in Muslim territory.

Answer 4

The Orthodox church are schismatics. They separated from the Roman catholic church in 1054. They do not accept the divinely instituted authority of the Vicar of Christ (the Pope) , celibacy in priests, and the insertion of the ' filioque clause' in the Nicene Creed among other factors.

In the Orthodox tradition, the line in question reads "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father", while in the Catholic tradition it reads "We believe in the Holy Spirit ... who proceeds from the Father and the Son". It is most often referred to as simply "filioque" or "the filioque." Difference of a few words but a big difference in meaning. The Catholic church would rather lose a big chunk of its followers than compromise on a few words that distort truth.

Answer 5

Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics separated from one another in 1054.

There are very few theological differences.

The main difference is that the Eastern Orthodox Churches (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11329a.htm) use the Byzantine Rite (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04312d.htm) and the Roman Catholic Church use the Roman or Latin Rite.

Pope John Paul II said of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Orientale Lumen, "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common." (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_02051995_orientale-lumen_en.html)

With love in Christ.

Answer 6

The Eastern Orthodox Church is not a single church but rather a family of 13 self-governing bodies, denominated by the nation in which they are located (e.g., the Greek Orthodox Church, Russian Orthodox Church, etc.). They are united in their understanding of the sacraments, doctrine, liturgy, and church government, but each administers its own affairs.



The head of each Orthodox church is called a "patriarch" or "metropolitan." The patriarch of Constantinople (Istanbul, Turkey) is considered the "ecumenical," or universal, patriarch. He is the closest thing to a counterpart to the Pope in the Roman Catholic Church. Unlike the Pope, who is known as VICARIUS FILIUS DEI (the vicar of the Son of God), the bishop of Constantinople is known as PRIMUS INTER PARES (the first amongst equals). He enjoys special honor, but he has no power to interfere with the 12 other Orthodox communions.



The Orthodox Church claims to be the one true church of Christ, and seeks to trace its origin back to the original apostles through an unbroken chain of apostolic succession. Orthodox thinkers debate the spiritual status of Roman Catholics and Protestants, and a few still consider them heretics. Like Catholics and Protestants, however, Orthodox believers affirm the Trinity, the Bible as the Word of God, Jesus as God the Son, and many other Biblical doctrines. However, in doctrine, they have much more in common with Roman Catholics than they do Protestant believers.



The doctrine of justification by faith is virtually absent from the history and theology of Orthodoxy. Rather, Orthodoxy emphasizes theosis (literally, "divinization"), the gradual process by which Christians become more and more like Christ. What many in the Orthodox tradition fail to understand is that “divinization” is the progressive result of salvation…not a requirement for salvation itself. Other Orthodox distinctives that are in conflict with the Bible include:



The equal authority of church tradition and Scripture

Discouragement of individuals interpreting the Bible apart from tradition

The perpetual virginity of Mary

Prayer for the dead

Baptism of infants w/o reference to individual responsibility and faith

The possibility of salvation after death

The possibility of losing salvation

While the Eastern Orthodox Church has claimed some of the church's great voices, and while there are many of the Orthodox tradition that have a genuine salvation relationship with Jesus Christ; the Orthodox church itself do not speak with a clear message that can be harmonized with the Biblical Gospel of Christ. The clarion call of the Reformers for "Scripture Alone, Faith Alone, Grace Alone, and Christ Alone" is missing in this branch of Christendom, and that is too precious a treasure to do without.

Recommended Resource: Eastern Orthodox Christianity, 2d ed.: A Western Perspective by Daniel B. Clendenin.

Answer 7

I know for years the Catholics would have crusades against the orthodox for land.This was during the Dark Ages.

They split in the year 1054 in a great schism

They have different views about the nature of Christ, and the orthodox holds Easter more holy than the Catholics do.

Answer 8

Try this

http://www.unicorne.org/orthodoxy/septembre02/differences.htm


There are far more similarities than differences though, and one day, we will reunite.