Joshua Bennett
The Greek Orthodox Church is a term that can refer to any one of three classes of Christian churches, each associated in some way with Greek Christianity, Levantine Arabic-speaking Christians, or more broadly the rite used in the Eastern Roman Empire. The broader meaning refers to the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also called 'Eastern Orthodox', 'Greek Catholic', or generally 'the Greek Church'. The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, is also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church. It is one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of Christianity, with approximately 230 million baptised members. The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been in a state of official schism from one another since the East-West Schism of 1054. While Eastern Orthodox Christians have much in common with Catholics, they are still in schism and have split off from the legitimate authority of the pope.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of followers | Greek Orthodox Church: Unknown |
| Eastern Catholic Church: 230 million baptised members | |
| Central authority | Greek Orthodox Church: No central authority |
| Eastern Catholic Church: Pope | |
| Language of worship | Greek Orthodox Church: Greek |
| Eastern Catholic Church: Latin | |
| Theological writings | Greek Orthodox Church: Greek |
| Eastern Catholic Church: Latin | |
| Liturgical practices | Greek Orthodox Church: Unknown |
| Eastern Catholic Church: Transubstantiation |
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What You'll Learn
The East-West Schism of 1054
Historical and Linguistic Differences:
The roots of the schism can be traced back to the withdrawal of the Byzantine Empire from the City of Rome in 751, ending the Byzantine Papacy. This event led to a gradual mutual alienation between the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West. The Eastern Church, centred in Constantinople, continued to use Greek as its primary liturgical language, while the Western Church in Rome primarily used Latin. Over time, the two churches became increasingly ignorant of each other's theological and ecclesiological developments, and translations between Greek and Latin did not always correspond exactly, leading to misunderstandings.
Theological Differences:
One of the primary theological disputes centred around the doctrine of Papal primacy, also known as the "primacy of the Bishop of Rome." The Catholic Church attributes to the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church," while some in the Eastern Orthodox Church understood the primacy of the Bishop of Rome as merely honorary, regarding him as "primus inter pares" ("first among equals") without effective power over other churches. This difference in understanding contributed significantly to the schism.
Another significant theological difference was the Filioque Clause. The Latin term "Filioque" ("and [from] the Son") was added to the Nicene Creed by the Western Church but was absent in the original Greek version used by the Eastern Church. This discrepancy reflected differing interpretations of the Holy Trinity and was a major point of contention.
Political Tensions:
Political tensions also played a role in the schism. The leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Michael Cerularius, the Patriarch of Constantinople, did not trust the Roman Catholic Pope and accused the Western Catholic tradition of being un-Christian. Meanwhile, Pope St. Leo IX in the West believed that the Eastern Church leaders were political puppets of the Byzantine Empire. These mutual suspicions and political manoeuvrings exacerbated the divide between the two churches.
The Excommunication:
The final breaking point occurred when the two churches mutually excommunicated each other in 1054. This act formalised the schism and solidified the divide between Eastern and Western Christianity. Despite attempts at reconciliation and ongoing dialogue, the East-West Schism has persisted, with the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church remaining distinct religious institutions with their own traditions, doctrines, and interpretations of Christianity.
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Papal primacy
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been in a state of official schism since the East-West Schism of 1054. The two churches have several theological differences, and one of the primary causes of this schism has been the differing views on papal primacy.
The Ravenna Document, issued in 2007, states that both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church accept the fact of the Bishop of Rome's primacy at the universal level. However, they differ on how this primacy should be exercised and its scriptural and theological foundations. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not accept the Catholic Church's arguments in support of papal primacy, believing that they rely on misinterpretations or taken out of context.
The issue of papal primacy remains a significant obstacle to reunification between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. Some have suggested that reunification could occur if the Eastern Orthodox Church accepts the Catholic Church's development of papal primacy in the second millennium as legitimate within its historical context. Others propose that ascribing universal primacy to Rome would not be problematic if it did not interfere in the autonomous life of the other Churches.
The differences in views on papal primacy between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches are deeply rooted in their respective theological traditions and understandings of the role of the Pope. These differences have persisted despite ongoing dialogue and attempts at reconciliation between the two churches.
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Theological differences
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 language differences, and the ensuing theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches.
Papal Primacy
One of the primary theological differences between the two churches is the question of papal primacy, or the "primacy of the Bishop of Rome". The Catholic Church attributes to the primacy of the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered". The Eastern Orthodox Church, on the other hand, understands the primacy of the Bishop of Rome to be merely one of greater honour, regarding him as "primus inter pares" or "first among equals", without effective power over other churches.
Filioque Clause
Another key theological difference between the two churches is the Filioque Clause. The term "Filioque" is a Latin term added to the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed (commonly known as the Nicene Creed), which is absent in the original Greek version. The Catholic Church does not add the phrase corresponding to Filioque to the Greek text of the Creed, but adds it in Latin, where it is associated with the verb "procedere". The Eastern Orthodox Church, however, recognises that Filioque is not part of the original text established at the First Council of Constantinople in 381.
Nature of the Church
The nature of the church itself is also understood differently between the two traditions. Catholicism is a redemptive religion that focuses on the crucifixion, original sin, and how Jesus's death on the cross saves humanity. The Orthodox Church, on the other hand, sees itself as a path where one emulates the life of Jesus and moves closer to God as they make improvements in themselves. The Orthodox Church is also less focused on dogma and christology, instead emphasising the mystery of God.
Eucharist
With regard to the Eucharist, both the Orthodox and Catholic Churches believe in the real presence but differ on transubstantiation. The Orthodox Church holds that it is not the words of institution that change the substance into the Body and Blood, as is done in the Western liturgical rites, but instead, the epiclesis.
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Language and translation
The Greek Orthodox Church and Eastern Orthodox Church are not entirely different. The Greek Orthodox Church is a broader term that refers to the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, which is sometimes also called "Eastern Orthodox", "Greek Catholic", or "the Greek Church". The Greek Orthodox Churches are the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and its dependencies, the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch and Jerusalem, the Church of Greece, and the Church of Cyprus.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, on the other hand, is the umbrella/mother church under which the national and regional churches like the Greek Orthodox Church are present. The Eastern Orthodox Church is also referred to as the Orthodox Catholic Church.
The language used by the two churches is one of the primary differences between them. The Eastern Church used Greek as its medium of communication, whereas the Western Church used Latin. Translations did not always correspond, which led to misunderstandings and, eventually, the East-West Schism of 1054. The Eastern Church believed in the use of unleavened bread for the sacrament of communion, which the Western Church supported. The Eastern Church also believed that religious sermons should be held in Latin, while the Western Church believed that other languages such as Greek were appropriate.
The term "Greek" was abandoned by the Slavic and other Eastern Orthodox churches as part of their peoples' national awakenings, beginning as early as the 10th century AD. This was because the Byzantine Empire, which used Greek as its language, withdrew from the City of Rome in 751, ending the Byzantine Papacy. This mutual alienation of the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West led to increasing ignorance of the theological and ecclesiological developments of each tradition.
The Greek Orthodox Church and the Eastern Catholic Church are not the same, but they share similar liturgical and cultural traditions. The Eastern Catholic Church is a part of the Catholic Church, despite differences in custom and liturgical practice from Western Catholics.
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Liturgy and culture
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 language differences, and the ensuing theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. The Byzantine Empire permanently withdrew from the City of Rome in 751, ending the Byzantine Papacy. The mutual alienation of the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West led to increasing ignorance and misunderstandings of each other's theological and ecclesiological developments. The Eastern Church and the Western Church used Greek and Latin, respectively, as their primary media of communication, and translations did not always correspond exactly.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Greek Orthodox 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 church has no central authority analogous to the pope of the Catholic Church. Instead, the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognised as primus inter pares ('first among equals').
The Catholic Church, which means "for everyone", relied heavily on Latin and Roman tradition, and its theology emphasised the humanity of Jesus Christ. It used realistic iconography and artwork rather than emphasising his divinity as the Eastern Church did. The Catholic Church attributes "full, supreme, and universal power" to the primacy of the Pope, a power that it also attributes to the entire body of bishops united with the pope.
In contrast, the Eastern Orthodox Church is not obsessed with dogma and christology, and it believes in the mystery of God. It is a path where one emulates the life of Jesus and moves closer to God as they make improvements in themselves. The Eastern Orthodox Church claims that it is the continuation and preservation of the early church, and its liturgical practices, traditions, and doctrines were gradually adopted throughout Eastern Orthodoxy, providing the basic patterns of contemporary Orthodoxy.
While the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have many similarities in their liturgical and cultural traditions, they are distinct. Eastern-rite Catholics are part of the Catholic Church, despite differences in custom and liturgical practice from Western Catholics. Eastern Orthodox Christians have much in common with Catholics, but they have split off from the legitimate authority of the pope and are therefore not Catholics.
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Frequently asked questions
No, they are not the same. Eastern Orthodox Christians have much in common with Catholics, but they are in schism—they have split from the authority of the Pope—and therefore are not Catholics.
"Greek" is a geographic specifier. Greek Orthodox churches use Greek in the liturgy and have historically been influenced by Greek culture. Eastern Orthodox churches are a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods.
The Eastern Orthodox Church, also called the Greek Orthodox Church, is one of the three major doctrinal and jurisdictional groups of Christianity. The Eastern Catholic Church is in communion with the Catholic Church and the Pope.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church have been in a state of official schism from one another since the East-West Schism of 1054. The primary causes of the schism were differences in doctrine and the question of papal primacy.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is also called the Greek Orthodox Church or the Orthodox Catholic Church. The Oriental Orthodox are Christian churches in the east that are in communion with neither the Catholic Church nor the Eastern Orthodox Church.
