Grace Thompson
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have been in a state of official schism since the East-West Schism of 1054, also known as the Great Schism, which was caused by historical, linguistic, and theological differences. While Eastern Orthodox Christians have much in common with Catholics, they are still in schism—having split off from the legitimate authority of the pope—and therefore are not Catholics. The Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church have different views on theology, aesthetics, religious practices, and doctrines. The main theological differences between the two churches are the papal primacy and the filioque clause.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Schism | 1054 |
| Reason for Schism | Historical, linguistic, and theological differences |
| Theological Differences | Papal primacy, Filioque clause, neo-Palamism, Assumption of Mary |
| Liturgy | Eastern Orthodox: highly liturgical with icons; Catholic: less distinct from Protestant churches |
| Eucharist | Eastern Orthodox: leavened bread, standing confession; Catholic: communion hosts, kneeling confession |
| Interpretation of Filioque | Eastern Orthodox: Holy Spirit proceeds from Father alone; Catholic: Holy Spirit proceeds from Father and Son |
| View of Pope | Eastern Orthodox: first among equals, without effective power; Catholic: full power over the Church |
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What You'll Learn
The Eastern Orthodox Church and papal primacy
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have been in a state of official schism since the East-West Schism of 1054. The schism was caused by historical and linguistic differences, and the resulting theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. The main theological differences between the two churches are the papal primacy and the filioque clause.
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". In contrast, the Eastern Orthodox Church operates as a communion of autocephalous churches, each governed by its bishops via local synods, with no central authority analogous to the Pope of the Catholic Church. The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople is recognised by the Eastern Orthodox Church as primus inter pares ('first among equals'), a title held by the patriarch of Rome prior to 1054. Some in the Eastern Orthodox Church understand the primacy of the Bishop of Rome to be one of greater honour, without effective power over other churches.
The Ravenna Document, issued in 2007, stated that both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church accept the Bishop of Rome's primacy at the universal level, but that differences exist about how this primacy is exercised and its scriptural and theological foundations. The Eastern Orthodox Church's rejection of papal primacy is based on the argument that Roman Catholic arguments in support of papal primacy have relied on misinterpretations of the Fathers or have been taken out of context.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is defined as the Eastern Christians that recognise the seven ecumenical councils and are usually in communion with the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the Patriarchate of Alexandria, the Patriarchate of Antioch, and the Patriarchate of Jerusalem. These churches are negatively defined by their rejection of papal immediate and universal supremacy.
The differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church are not just theological but also dogmatic and liturgical. A pertinent point of contention is the theological significance of the Virgin Mary. During his visit to Georgia in October 2016, Pope Francis was snubbed by most Orthodox Christians as he led mass before a practically empty Mikheil Meskhi Stadium in Tbilisi.
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The Filioque clause
This alteration may seem minor, but it has significant theological implications. The Eastern Orthodox Church, including the Eastern Catholic Churches, adheres to the original Nicene Creed without the Filioque. They assert that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, as stated in the Gospel of John (15:26). This belief is rooted in the concept of the Father as the sole source of divinity within the Trinity.
On the other hand, the Western Church, including the Roman Catholic Church and most Protestant denominations, accepts the Filioque clause. They believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. This doctrine is based on interpretations of other New Testament passages, such as John 16:14-15, where Jesus promises to send the Holy Spirit from the Father, implying a joint procession.
The disagreement over the Filioque clause is not merely semantic but reflects deeper differences in the understanding of the Trinity and the nature of God. The Eastern tradition emphasizes the distinct hypostases (individual substances or persons) within the Trinity, while the Western tradition tends to emphasize the unity of essence. The Filioque controversy became a pivotal issue during the East-West Schism of 1054, which formally divided the Eastern Orthodox and Western Catholic Churches.
Despite the theological differences surrounding the Filioque, it's important to note that the Eastern Catholic Churches, while accepting the Filioque clause, often refrain from including it in their liturgical recitations of the Nicene Creed. This practice reflects an effort to respect the traditions of the Eastern Christian communities and foster unity within the broader Catholic Church.
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Theological differences
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been officially divided since the East-West Schism of 1054, also known as the Great Schism. This schism was caused by historical and linguistic differences, which led to theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church share similar liturgical and cultural traditions, but they are distinct. While the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church have many similarities in their beliefs, there are some key theological differences.
One of the main theological differences between the two churches is the question of papal primacy, or the authority of the Pope. The Catholic Church recognises the Pope as the Vicar of Christ and the head of the Church, attributing to the primacy of the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered". In contrast, the Eastern Orthodox Church rejects the primacy of the Pope, regarding him as "first among equals" without effective power over other churches. This difference in understanding of the Pope's role has been a major source of conflict between the two churches and has contributed to the schism.
Another significant theological difference is the Filioque clause, which refers to the Latin term "Filioque" ("and [from] the Son") added to the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed by the Catholic Church. This clause states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Eastern Orthodox Church, however, teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, as expressed in the original Greek version of the Creed. The addition of the Filioque clause by the Catholic Church without the approval of the Eastern Church was seen as a unilateral act that violated the principle of consensual decision-making in the Church's doctrine.
There are also some differences in the doctrines and practices of the two churches. For example, the Catholic Church teaches that Mary was assumed into heaven due to her role as the Mother of God, while the Eastern Orthodox Church teaches the Dormition of the Theotokos, believing that Mary fell asleep and was then bodily assumed into heaven by her Son. Additionally, while both churches agree on the importance of scripture and tradition, they disagree on which specific traditions to follow. The Eastern Orthodox Church also places a strong emphasis on the liturgical aspect of worship, with its churches loaded with icons and images of Jesus, the apostles, and various saints.
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Historical and linguistic differences
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been officially divided since the East-West Schism of 1054. This schism was caused by historical and linguistic differences, which led to theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches.
Historical Differences
The Byzantine Empire ended the Byzantine Papacy by permanently withdrawing from the City of Rome in 751. This led to a mutual alienation of the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West, resulting in a growing ignorance of each other's theological and ecclesiological developments.
Linguistic Differences
The Eastern Church and the Western Church used Greek and Latin, respectively, as their primary languages. Translations between the two languages did not always correspond exactly, leading to misunderstandings. For example, the Latin term "Filioque" (meaning "and [from] the Son") was added to the Nicene Creed, but this term is absent in the original Greek version. The word "ekporeuesthai" in Greek indicates an ultimate cause, while the Latin translation "procedere" indicates a procession but not from an ultimate cause. This difference in translation has been a significant point of contention between the two churches.
Other Differences
In addition to the historical and linguistic differences, there are also differences in the perception of the nature and structure of the Church. The Orthodox view the Church as a federation of local churches, while Catholics see it as an organic communion with the pope as an essential component. The Eastern Orthodox Church considers the Bishop of Rome as "first among equals", without effective power over other churches. In contrast, the Catholic Church attributes to the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church".
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Similar liturgical and cultural traditions
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox 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 ensuing theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. Despite this, the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches share similar liturgical and cultural traditions.
The Eastern Orthodox Church is highly liturgical. Orthodox Christians claim that they worship in the same way and manner as the early Church. Orthodox churches are adorned with images referred to as 'icons'. These icons are pictures to remind the faithful of Jesus, the apostles, the fathers, and the other various saints in Church history. The Orthodox Church holds on to many of the same beliefs as the Catholic Church, but in different ways. They agree on the importance of scripture and tradition and the views on the Eucharist, but disagree on which traditions.
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church also share several other similarities. Both churches reject many Protestant doctrines, including the teachings of salvation through faith alone and sola scriptura. They also agree on the solemn celebration of the Eucharist and the affirmation of its sacrificial nature as identical with the sacrifice of Christ. The Eucharistic bread and wine are believed to become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in both traditions.
While the Catholic Church recognizes the Pope as the Vicar of Christ and the head of the Church, some in the Eastern Orthodox Church understand the primacy of the Bishop of Rome to be merely one of greater honour, regarding him as "first among equals", without effective power over other churches.
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Frequently asked questions
The main theological differences between the two denominations are the papal primacy and the filioque clause. The Eastern Orthodox Church does not recognise the Pope's authority, whereas the Eastern-rite Catholics are part of the Catholic Church and do recognise the Pope's authority.
The filioque clause is a Latin term added to the Nicene Creed, which states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father and the Son. The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, as expressed in the original Greek version of the Creed.
Both denominations share a similar liturgical and cultural tradition. They also agree on the importance of scripture and tradition, and their views on the Eucharist are similar.
No, the Eucharist is generally not a point of division. Both denominations believe in the sacrificial nature of the Eucharist and that the Eucharistic bread and wine become the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.
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