Joshua Bennett
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and the Catholic Church have been in a state of official schism from one another since the East-West Schism of 1054. This schism was caused by historical, linguistic, and theological differences. The Eastern Orthodox Church does have all seven sacraments, including the Eucharist, and shares many similarities with the Catholic Church. However, there are several differences between the two churches, including their approach to doctrine, the role of the Pope, the concept of Purgatory, and fasting traditions. While the Catholic Church believes in the development of doctrine over time, the Eastern Orthodox Church asserts that new dogmas have been introduced, such as the immaculate conception and papal infallibility. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not accept the authority of the Pope as absolutely as the Catholic Church does and lacks a central authority figure. The Eastern Orthodox Church also does not believe in Purgatory, and its members fast for a significantly higher number of days compared to Catholics.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Beliefs and practices | Similar on the surface, but different in reality |
| Schism | Official since the East-West Schism of 1054 |
| Cause of Schism | Historical, linguistic, and theological differences |
| Pope | Catholics accept the Pope's authority, Orthodox do not |
| Pope's role | Catholics believe the Pope has "full, supreme, and universal power", Orthodox believe he is "first among equals" |
| Children | Catholic children cannot fully participate in certain sacraments until later, Orthodox children are fully included |
| Fasting | Catholics are only obligated to not eat meat on Fridays during Lent, Orthodox Christians fast almost half the days of the year |
| Purgatory | Catholics believe in Purgatory, Orthodox Christians do not |
| Neo-Palamism | Orthodox Christians debate the tenability of neo-Palamism, Catholics do not |
| Eucharist | Both churches believe in the real presence, but differ on transubstantiation |
| Filioque clause | Catholics and Orthodox Christians disagree on the Filioque clause |
| Liturgy | Catholics have experienced major liturgical revisions, Orthodox Christians have not |
| Sacraments | Both churches have all the sacraments |
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What You'll Learn
- The Eastern Orthodox Church does not have a Pope figure
- The Catholic Church believes in Purgatory, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not
- The Catholic Church has a more rigorous fasting tradition
- The Eastern Orthodox Church is a communion of autocephalous churches
- The Catholic Church believes doctrine can develop over time, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not have a Pope figure
The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, is one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of Christianity, with approximately 230 million baptised members. It operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods.
The Eastern Orthodox Church has never accepted the pope as the de jure leader of the entire church. All bishops are equal "as Peter", and every church under every bishop (consecrated in apostolic succession) is fully complete (the original meaning of catholic). This means that each church is fully whole, complete, and lacking nothing.
The Eastern Orthodox Church does recognise a pope in the sense that they acknowledge the existence of a bishop of Rome. They also acknowledge that he has primacy, but the real dispute is over what exactly "primacy" entails in practice. Some understand the primacy of the Bishop of Rome to be merely one of greater honour, regarding him as primus inter pares ("first among equals"), without effective power over other churches.
The split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, known as the East-West Schism, occurred in 1054 and was caused by historical and linguistic differences, and the ensuing theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. The main theological differences concerned the papal primacy and the filioque clause.
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The Catholic Church believes in Purgatory, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been in a state of official schism since the East-West Schism of 1054. This was caused by historical and linguistic differences, which led to theological differences between the two churches. One of the key theological differences is the Catholic Church's belief in Purgatory, which the Eastern Orthodox Church does not share.
The Catholic Church teaches that Purgatory is a concept of postmortem purification. Pope Benedict XVI described it as an encounter with Christ, rather than a place of literal fire. Some Catholic theologians believe that Christ himself is the fire that burns and saves. This encounter with Christ is seen as a decisive act of judgement, where falsehood melts away, and the soul is transformed and freed.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, on the other hand, does not believe in Purgatory as a stopover place where people must wait and suffer to have their sins wiped away. They do not believe in the concept of temporal consequences of sin, and Purgatory is not part of Orthodox Christian life. Orthodox Christians believe that death is a continuum that includes a lack of communion with God and the disillusion of psychosomatic unity. They do not see a disembodied soul as a complete human being, and they insist on the centrality of the physical resurrection.
While the Eastern Orthodox Church does not have an official teaching authority, some Orthodox scholars have affirmed the concept of purgatory. They believe that there is a purgation needed for the souls of the departed destined for heaven, but this experience is not codified with the temporal model of years of suffering as described by the Catholic Church.
The differences in beliefs about Purgatory between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church highlight the theological divergences that arose during the East-West Schism. These differences continue to shape the distinct doctrines and practices of each religious tradition.
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The Catholic Church has a more rigorous fasting tradition
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been in a state of official schism since the East-West Schism of 1054. This was caused by historical, linguistic, and theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. One of the main theological differences is the Catholic Church's belief in the primacy of the Pope, who has "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church". In contrast, the Eastern Orthodox Church views the Bishop of Rome as "first among equals", without effective power over other churches.
Another key difference is their approach to fasting. While the Eastern Orthodox Church has maintained a relatively consistent fasting tradition, the Catholic Church has undergone significant changes over the centuries, especially in the 20th century, where fasting was almost completely set aside. Today, the Catholic Church observes obligatory fasting and abstinence on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, as well as abstinence from meat on Fridays during Lent. The norms of fasting are obligatory for Catholics between the ages of 18 and 59. On days of fasting, individuals are permitted to eat one full meal and two smaller meals that do not equal a full meal.
In contrast, the Eastern Orthodox Church maintains a more rigorous fasting tradition. While the level of adherence may vary among followers, the expectations have remained largely unchanged. Orthodox Christians are expected to fast almost half the days of the year, including Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year, as well as during the four major fasting periods before Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and the Dormition of Mary.
The differences in fasting traditions between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church can be attributed to their distinct theological interpretations and traditions. The Catholic Church, with its emphasis on penance and renewal, allows for substitutions of fasting with acts of charity or piety. On the other hand, the Eastern Orthodox Church's fasting tradition is deeply rooted in its spiritual practices and understanding of discipline and self-control.
It is important to note that while the Catholic Church has relaxed its fasting requirements compared to the Eastern Orthodox Church, both denominations share a common foundation in the Christian tradition of fasting, which originated from Old Testament practices and was integral to the early church community.
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The Eastern Orthodox Church is a communion of autocephalous churches
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have been in a state of official schism since the East-West Schism of 1054. This schism was caused by historical and linguistic differences, and the resulting theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches.
The autocephalous churches are normally in full communion with each other, meaning that any priest of any of those churches may lawfully minister to any member of any of them, and no member of any is excluded from any form of worship in any of the others, including the reception of the Eucharist. However, there have been instances in the history of the Eastern Orthodox Church where communion has been broken between member churches for short periods, particularly over autocephaly issues or disagreements over ecumenism with other Christian denominations.
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not have a Pope figure like the Catholic Church, and the Bishop of Rome is considered "first among equals" without effective power over other churches. In contrast, the Catholic Church attributes "full, supreme, and universal power" to the Pope's primatial authority.
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The Catholic Church believes doctrine can develop over time, the Eastern Orthodox Church does not
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been officially separated since the East-West Schism of 1054. The schism was caused by historical and linguistic differences, and the ensuing theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. The Eastern Orthodox Church asserts that the Catholic Church has introduced new dogmas over the years, such as the immaculate conception and papal infallibility, and that it is not "backwards compatible".
The Catholic Church believes that doctrine can develop over time, growing from the "seed" that existed in the early Church. They claim that their doctrinal developments are infallible and have the same authority as the original apostolic doctrines. They believe that the Holy Spirit allows for the understanding and expression of doctrine to progress.
On the other hand, the Eastern Orthodox Church typically does not accept that doctrine can develop. They believe that Rome has introduced new dogmas that did not exist in previous centuries, and that Catholic doctrine is not compatible with the early Church. They view the Pope as having a position of greater honour but without effective power over other churches, while the Catholic Church attributes to the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church".
Despite these differences, both churches reject many Protestant doctrines, such as the teachings of salvation through faith alone and sola scriptura. They also share similarities in their beliefs about the Eucharist and the sacrificial nature of the Eucharistic bread and wine becoming the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. Additionally, both churches accept the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church.
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Frequently asked questions
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not accept the authority of the Pope, while Catholics do.
The Eastern Orthodox Church does not believe in Purgatory, while Catholics do. Catholics believe that doctrine can develop over time, while the Orthodox Church asserts that new dogmas have been introduced over the years.
Yes, both churches accept the decisions of the first seven Ecumenical Councils of the undivided Church. They also share a similar view of the Eucharist.
Yes, in extreme cases, a Catholic can receive the Eucharist or be absolved in Confession by an Orthodox priest.
