Orthodoxy is a Christian denomination

(12 votes : 3.58 out of 5 )

Petr A. Borits

With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II

From the author

The 20th century is the century of technical development and technological advances. Man overcame his impotence before nature and reached a high level of civilization. We can say that we live in a time when the whole world is united. There are no longer remote places that took months to get to. We no longer speak, as it was in the past, of East and West as separated by many kilometers. Now there is no distance between them. People have become easy to get acquainted with and also easy to communicate with people of other nationalities and religions. Such ease of communication, fraternization and friendship, which distinguishes modern man, is no doubt an encouraging sign of the progress made by man.
However, in the spiritual realm there are small and big problems. Many foreigners (usually Catholics and Protestants) who visit Greece and its famous monuments, among which there are Christian monuments (Holy Mountain, Meteora, etc.) that have been admired for several centuries, ask with doubt:
Is this really the Christ whom we and you worship? What separates us?
What is Orthodoxy, which you defend so devotedly?
On the pages of this book, we will try to briefly but intelligibly answer the following questions:
1. What is Orthodoxy?
2. What causes schism between Churches?
3. What other differences exist between the Churches that still separate them to this day?
4. What are the prerequisites for true and divine union?

I. What is?

1. Pope Supremacy

We have already said that each local Church was self-governing and responsible for its area. The Catholic Church has never given the bishop of a large province the right to interfere in the affairs of another church. The Church recognized only the primacy of honor, i.e. to whom to sit or be commemorated first at the cathedral. Thus, the Second Ecumenical Council, by its 3rd canon, determined that the bishop of Constantinople has “primacy of honor after the bishop of Rome, because Constantinople is the new Rome." The Church recognizes only the primacy of honor and seniority, but not the primacy of power over other bishops of the Church. Thus, and in this spirit, the Church acted for the first eight centuries.
However, in the 9th century, Pope Nicholas I (858-867), surprising not only the bishops of the East, but even the West, tried to declare himself "the supreme authority of the Church and the whole world by divine right." With such monarchical sentiments, the pope made an attempt to intervene in the purely international question of the Church of Constantinople during the years of the patriarchate of Photius and Ignatius. Of course, the Church of Constantinople did not ignore these monarchist and anti-church sentiments of the pope, but, unfortunately, the pope and his theologians did not reject the innovations of the Western Church. And although Orthodoxy remained true to the dogmas worked out by the holy fathers of the Church and the Ecumenical Councils, the Westerners began to call the Orthodox apostates.
Thus, the first blow to the unity of the Church was dealt by the innovations and monarchical sentiments of the pope. Disregarding the fact that the head of the Church is only the One who offered Himself as a sacrifice, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom the Father “set above all things, the head of the Church, which is His body” (), the pope wanted to become the visible head of the Church and have the highest authority; he even declared himself "the successor of the apostle Peter, who was the supreme head of the apostles" and "the vicar of Christ on earth." But this teaching is absolutely contrary to the spirit of the Bible and the Fathers of the Church, the only basis for this teaching is the selfish and absolutist mood of the pope, his desire to become a leader and despot, judge and supreme ruler of the whole world.
Indeed, what a contradiction between the pope and the One who founded the religion, whose deputy the pope intends to become, Who declared that “My Kingdom is not of this world” (; 36), and “whoever wants to be great among you, let him be your servant” (; 26). This opposition of the pope to the letter and spirit of Holy Scripture indicates his withdrawal from the truth as the Church expresses it; this withdrawal places the pope outside the Church.
Studying the ancient Fathers of the Church and the acts of the Ecumenical Councils of the first nine centuries, we are fully convinced that the bishop of Rome was never endowed with supreme authority and was not considered the infallible head of the Church. Yes, every bishop is the head of his local Church, who is subject only to the decrees and decisions of the Church, the only infallible one. Only our Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal King and Immortal Head of the Church, because "He is the Head of the body of the Church" (;18), Who also said to His divine disciples and apostles "behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age" (; twenty).
In Holy Scripture, the Apostle Peter, whom the papists consider the founder of the Roman Church and the first bishop, referring to the pseudo-Clementines (apocryphal books of the 2nd century), takes part in the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem as an equal among equals, and in another case is even subjected to a sharp accusation from the side of the Apostle Paul, as we see from the epistle to the Galatians.
Moreover, the papists themselves know very well that the line from the Gospel on which they build their statement “You are Peter, and on this rock I will build My Church” (; 18) was explained by the Church in a completely different way in the first centuries, both by tradition and holy fathers. The stone on which the Lord built His Church, which the gates of hell cannot overcome, is understood metaphorically as Peter's true confession of the Lord that He is "Christ, the Son of the Living God" (; 16). On this confession and faith, the saving preaching of the Gospel by all the apostles and their successors remains unshakable. Likewise, the Apostle Paul, caught up to heaven, explaining these divine lines, on the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says: “I, according to the grace given to me from God, as a wise builder, laid the foundation, and another builds on it ... For no one can lay another foundation other than what is laid down, which is Jesus Christ.
The Holy Fathers, who firmly stood on the Apostolic Tradition, could not even think of the primacy of the Apostle Peter and the Bishop of Rome; they could not give any other explanation, unknown to the Church, to these lines of the Gospel, except for the true and correct; nor could they arbitrarily, on their own, come up with a new dogma about the excessive privileges of the Bishop of Rome as the successor of the Apostle Peter, precisely because the Roman Church was founded not by the Apostle Peter, whose apostolic ministry in Rome is not confirmed, but by the inspired Apostle Paul, whose apostolic the service in Rome is known to all.
The divine fathers, treating the bishop of Rome only as the bishop of the capital of the Empire, gave him only the advantage of honor, as the first among equals; the same privilege of honor was then given to the Bishop of Constantinople when the city became the capital of the Roman Empire, as stated in the 28th canon of the IV Ecumenical (Chalcedon) Council: “We also determine and decide on the advantages of the most holy Church of Constantinople, the new Rome. For the throne of ancient Rome the fathers decently gave privileges, because it was a reigning city. Following the same impulse, 150 most God-loving bishops presented equal advantages to the most holy throne of the new Rome. From this canon it is quite obvious that the bishop of Rome is equal in honor to the bishop of Constantinople and other bishops of the Church, neither in this canon, nor in any other, is there even a hint that the fathers considered the bishop of Rome to be the head of the entire Church, an infallible judge of the bishops of other independent and self-governing churches, the successor of the Apostle Peter or the vicar of Jesus Christ on earth.
“Each Church, both in the East and in the West, was absolutely independent and self-governing during the seven Ecumenical Councils. The bishops of the Eastern Churches and the bishops of the Churches of Africa, Spain, Gaul, Germany and Britain conducted their affairs with the help of local councils without the interference of the bishop of the Roman Church, who had no right to do so. He, like the rest of the bishops, obeyed and carried out the decrees of the councils. But on important issues that needed the blessing of the Ecumenical Church, they turned to the Ecumenical Council, which was and is the only highest instance of the Ecumenical Church.
Such was the ancient constitution of the Church. None of the bishops claimed to be the monarch of the Universal Church; and if sometimes such statements by the bishops of Rome reached the point of absolutism, alien to the Church, they were duly condemned. Therefore, the assertion of the papists that before the reign of the great Photius the name of the Roman See was considered holy in the Christian world, and that both East and West unanimously and without opposition submitted to the Roman High Priest as the legitimate successor of the Apostle Peter, and, accordingly, the vicar of Jesus Christ on earth - is wrong and wrong...
During the nine centuries of Ecumenical Councils, the Eastern Orthodox Church has never recognized the excessive claims of the bishops of Rome to primacy, and therefore has never submitted to them, as the history of the Church testifies to this ...
The well-known Patriarch Photius, a worthy priest and luminary of Constantinople, defending the independence of the Church of Constantinople in the second half of the 9th century and foreseeing the impending retreat from the church constitution in the West and the falling away of the Western Church from the Orthodox East, at first tried to avoid danger in a peaceful way; but the Bishop of Rome, Nicholas I, by his non-canonical interference in the affairs of the East, outside of his metropolis, by his attempt to subjugate the Church of Constantinople, brought the relations of the Churches to the sad verge of division.
The Spiritual Fathers, convinced that history is directed by God and the Church is directed by Christ, never sought political power. Wishing to preserve the treasure of faith, they endure persecution, exile and even martyrdom. They never sacrificed their faith for the temporary glory and power of this world. And the papacy, on the contrary, in pursuit of glory and power, became like the princes of this world and, consequently, lost zeal for the dogmas of the Church and the truth of the New Testament, fell away from the Church and God's grace.
Saint Mark of Ephesus said the following: "We would treat the pope the same way as the patriarch, if he were Orthodox."
Even prominent Western theologians such as Hans Küng refute the primacy and infallibility of the pope (Boston Sunday Globe, November 16, 1980).
If it is true that the Lord Jesus Christ placed the Apostle Peter above all the holy apostles, then why did the Apostle James, and not Peter, preside at the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem? And why did the opinion of the apostle Paul prevail, although he was baptized by the apostle Peter?
In addition, the historical fact that the founder of the Roman Church was the Apostle Paul, and not Peter, is beyond doubt. The fact that the apostle Peter preached in Rome does not give the pope the right to headship.
It is also known, as it is said in Holy Scripture, that the apostle Peter lived for a long time in Antioch, preaching to Christians. Why not give the privilege of primacy to the bishops of Antioch? Isn’t it obvious from this that the pope’s demands to recognize him as the successor of the Apostle Peter are not based on Holy Scripture, but represent only his monarchical aspirations, which is so contrary not only to the spirit, but also to the letter of the Bible?
None of the apostles demanded headship and a special position among the other apostles, thereby belittling them and considering them subordinate to themselves. Because they kept the spirit of Christ, who taught humility and simplicity.
The Pope, on the contrary, renouncing the spirit of Christ and losing his grace, demands primacy, forgetting the words spoken by Christ to the apostles John and James when they asked Him for the first places: “You don’t know what you ask…” (; 38).

2. Filioque

So, with the demand of the pope to recognize him as the supreme judge and monarch, vicar of Christ on earth, the first blow was dealt to the unity of the Church. But if someone moves away from the truth, produces innovations, serves his own egoism and his ambitions, then he removes God's grace from himself. For the first eight centuries, the Church in the East and West kept the unity of faith, but suddenly the West began to introduce innovations, new dogmas and pervert the true faith. Their first mistake and heresy, a departure from the dogmas worked out by the holy fathers, was the addition of the filioque to the Creed.
“At the Second Ecumenical Council, this issue was discussed and the use of the word “outgoing” in the Creed to describe the features of the manifestation of the Holy Spirit. God the Father is not born; It doesn't come from anyone; The Son is born from the Father. The Holy Spirit is not born, but proceeds from the Father. God the Father is the cause, the Son and Spirit are the product of the cause. God the Son and God the Holy Spirit differ in that the Son is born from the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father.
The whole doctrine of the Trinity can be divided into simple statements:
1. Consubstantial Holy Trinity is the consubstantiality and identity of all Three Persons or Hypostases.
2. Hypostaticity, i.e. The Persons of the Holy Trinity differ in their properties or mode of manifestation, which is individual and belongs to only one Person, or Hypostasis of the Holy Trinity.
The Latins assert that the Holy Spirit proceeds "from the Father and the Son", referring to the teaching of Bl. Augustine "What the Father has, the Son also has."
In response to this argument, St. Photius says: “If what belongs to the Father belongs to the Son, then it must necessarily belong to the Holy Spirit ... and if the production of the Spirit is a common property, then it must also belong to the Spirit Himself, i.e. The Spirit must also proceed from Itself, be both the cause and the product of this cause; even the ancient Greeks did not invent this in their myths.
Following the teachings of Bl. Augustine, the Frankish theological tradition added the filioque to the Creed, although the so-called Great Council of Hagia Sophia in 879 condemned those who would either add or subtract from the Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed, and also condemned those who did not accept VII Ecumenical Council.
Pope John wrote to St. Photius an epistle in which the "filioque" is spoken of as something new, not previously used by the Roman Church and which was sharply condemned.
Pope John himself accepted the condemnation of the filioque by Hagia Sophia not only as an addition to the Creed, but also as a teaching.
Pope Agapit also wrote in the message: “We believe in God the Father and His Only Begotten Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Lord of Life, Who proceeds from the Father, with the Father and the Son we worship and glorify.”
According to the 7th canon of the Council of Ephesus and the statement of faith, as was adopted at the 1st Ecumenical Council, the Church strictly forbids the use of other creeds, except for Niceno-Constantinople, and in case of listening: the bishop - “let him be deposed”, the cleric - "Let him be expelled from the clergy."
The Fathers of the IV Ecumenical Council (of Chalcedon), reading the Creed, said: "This holy Creed is sufficient for a complete knowledge of the truth, since it contains a complete dogma about the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit."
Even St. Cyril, whose teachings were misunderstood by the Latins, who used his teachings to justify the filioque to the Creed, wrote: “We forbid any change in the Creed adopted by the holy Nicene Fathers. Do not allow us or anyone to change or omit a word or syllable in this Creed."
Elsewhere, St. Cyril emphasizes: “The Holy Ecumenical Council, which met in Ephesus, forbade the introduction into the Church of God of any confession of faith, except for the one that exists, transmitted to us by the holy fathers, through whom the Holy Spirit spoke.”
Western theologians have misunderstood the teaching of St. Cyril, concluded in the words: “although the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father, He is still not alien to the Son, because what the Father has, the Son also has.”
Pope Agapit also wrote to the Greek emperor: “The Roman Church adheres to the dogmas of faith established by the five Ecumenical Councils and takes special care to preserve everything that is determined by the canons, without adding or reducing anything, about preserving the integrity of words and thoughts.”
It must be remembered that all who were present at the Second Ecumenical Council, after listening to the Creed, said: “We all believe in this; we think the same. This is the faith of the apostles, this is the correct faith... Whoever does not accept this faith, let him be excommunicated.”
Even in the Roman Church, for a long time after the 7th Ecumenical Council, the Creed was read without the filioque. It was in this form, without a postscript, that the pope ordered the Creed to be written on silver boards in Greek and Latin and placed in the church of St. Apostle Peter in Rome.
It should also be noted that the oldest Latin copies of the Acts of the Ecumenical Councils do not contain an addition to the Creed.
The Fathers of subsequent Ecumenical Councils accepted and confirmed the Creed in the form in which it was adopted by the first two Ecumenical Councils, and no changes were made. They forbade making additions to the Creed, even if necessary.
The Fathers of the Church did not even allow the addition of the word "Mother of God" to the Creed, although the concept expressed by this word is nothing more than a brief explanation of the dogma contained in the Creed. This addition in itself was useful and necessary for the refutation of the teachings of the Nestorians.
All such additions to the Creed, even if it was an explanation corresponding to the truth, were strictly forbidden after the Council of Ephesus.
Thus, the Greeks, following the instructions of the Councils and the exhortations of the Holy Fathers, could not allow the "filioque" in the Creed as correct and legitimate. How could an individual church boldly demand for itself the right to any addition to the Creed, if this is prohibited by the Councils even of the Catholic Church?
The Fathers of the Church and confessors of the faith were ready for the sake of Christ and His Gospel to lay down their souls and bodies, shed their blood, give everything they have, because “in matters of faith there should be neither concessions nor hesitation.”
It is also noteworthy that even the emperor of Byzantium said that “the Latins dispute the obvious and encourage the Greeks to agree that the Ecumenical Councils have anathematized. Is this not an attempt to force the One Holy Catholic Church to contradict itself?”
It is important that all the dogmas were proclaimed in Greek and then translated into Latin.
St. said that "the Holy Spirit proceeds only from the Father and from no one else." If the Spirit proceeds from the Person who is the Father, then the expression "from no one else" shows that the Spirit does not proceed from another Person.
The Holy One says: “Everything that the Father has, the Son also has, except for causality.”
The word "outgoing" is introduced into the Creed as a parallel to the word "begotten", both words meaning causal relationship with the Father, but not energy or delegation.
St. Maximus also wrote to Marin that the Romans in the West accept (the dogma) that the cause of the procession of the Holy Spirit is only the Father and not the Son.
We must not forget that when the Latins insisted that the filioque would be an improvement on what was the correct but unfinished dogma of the Holy Trinity, Pope Leo warned that when one tries to improve upon what is already good, one must be sure that, improving, will not spoil. He emphasized that one should not place oneself above the fathers of the Councils, who did not accept the "Filioque" not due to an oversight, not due to their ignorance, but due to divine inspiration. This theological position coincides with the opinion of Pope Adrian I (772-795), as well as with the attitude of the Council of Toledo towards the filioque, which did not mention this addition to the Creed.
However, a split between the Churches occurred, and the reason for this was that subsequent popes insisted on their heretical doctrine of the "filioque", and this was nothing more than a misunderstanding of the primacy of honor among other things being equal. It is quite obvious to any conscientious researcher that the desire of the Eastern Church to follow the faith of the fathers and preserve the unity of faith, i.e. to preserve the Orthodox Church—the Truth—because outside of it there is no salvation.
The Orthodox Church is the true Church of Christ, which bears His wounds and does not compromise in matters of faith, does not seek power over the world and glory, but remains in simplicity and humility, like its Founder. And the Western Church, on the contrary, striving for temporary glory and power over the world, sacrifices everything that connects it with Tradition and the true Church, introduces new dogmas and the concept of the universal and humane significance of Christianity, and thereby strays from the path indicated by Christ. , - the path of holiness and deification.
How can the unity of the Church and faith be preserved if the Western Church constantly tries “by divine right” to interfere in the internal affairs of the Eastern Church and, moreover, supplements or shortens the dogmas of the Ecumenical Councils, which by right belong to no one?
It is also significant that the papists never accused the Orthodox of heretical teachings. Heresy is their own and exclusive privilege. The main accusation against Orthodoxy is that it does not accept the teachings of the West. This testifies to the fact that Orthodoxy has always remained true to Tradition and the faith handed down from the first apostolic Church. The papists, on the contrary, having cut themselves off from the body of the Church, more and more began to make dogmatic mistakes, deepening the crack between the Churches.

III. What are the other differences between the Churches that are dividing us now?

1. Infallibility

As already mentioned, the Eastern Apostolic Church believes that Christ is the truth ("I am the way, the truth and the life"), which is expressed through the Church, which is His body. The Apostle Paul clearly stated that the Church "is the pillar and ground of the truth" (; 15). The truth given to us by Christ is preserved and expressed by the Church of Christ. The Russian theologian Archpriest S. Bulgakov said that "infallibility belongs to the Church." The Fathers of the Church never trusted themselves or an individual person endowed with power, since the great fathers also made mistakes in certain matters or deviated from the unanimity with the faithful. And so they trusted only the Church, its Ecumenical Councils.
Even the promise of Christ, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am in the midst of them” (; 20) proves that Christ is present not where one person makes a decision, but when two or more gather and ask for divine enlightenment. Nowhere in the New Testament is it said that Christ endows a certain individual with privileges and rights, this is not said about the apostle Peter, whose exclusive successor the pope considers himself to be, but, on the contrary, it is said about catholicity.
Although the Roman Church deviated from Orthodoxy several centuries ago, it was only in the 19th century, to the surprise of the Christian world, that she declared that the Bishop of Rome was infallible.
The Orthodox Eastern Church does not know a single person on earth who would be infallible, except for the Son and the Word of God who became Man. Even the Apostle Peter denied the Lord three times, and the Apostle Paul twice accused him of deviating from the truth of the Gospel.
When the question arose whether Christians should observe the instructions given by the prophet Moses, what did the apostles do? Acts says: "The apostles and presbyters have assembled to consider this matter" (; 6). They did not ask the advice of the Apostle Peter, as the only bearer of truth and vicar of Christ on earth, as the pope would like to see him, but they convened a council, which was attended by the apostles and presbyters. This behavior of the apostles deserves special attention, because they knew the Lord in the days of His earthly life, learned from Him the saving truth of the Gospel, were saturated with divine inspiration, and on the Day of Pentecost were baptized with the Holy Spirit.
Isn't this proof that the truth is declared only by the Church, and that only the Church should decide questions about the salvation of its members.
Isn't it blasphemy to put the pope above the synod - after all, even the apostles did not demand this privilege?
Need more proof that the pope came to this because of his haughty conceit, absolutism and denial of the true spirit of the gospel, and thereby fell into many heresies? Can a Christian doubt that the pope is making a mistake, deviating from the truth, when he insists on his infallibility?
Let us recall with what words the apostles expressed the results of their Council: “Be pleased with the Holy Spirit and us” (; 28), i.e. The Holy Spirit was present during the discussion of issues and directed the thoughts of the members of the Council, who spoke as equals among equals. None of them claimed infallibility or primacy, which the pope so insistently demands, thus confirming how far he deviated from the spirit and tradition of the apostles.
The infallibility of the pope is denied not only by Orthodox but also by well-known Catholic theologians, for example, Hans Küng refuses to accept the primacy and infallibility of the pope (Boston Sunday Globe, November 16, 1980). Even the council at Constance declared that the pope was not infallible, and emphasized that the pope was only one of the bishops.
Moreover, examples from history show that we cannot accept the dogma of infallibility or the primacy of the pope, because many popes have been anathematized or deposed by councils of bishops. It is known that Pope Liberius (4th century) supported Arianism, and Zosimus (5th century) supported heresy, denying original sin. The Fifth Council condemned Virgil for his wrong views. The Sixth Ecumenical Council (7th century) condemned Pope Honorius as a heretic who had fallen into the Monothelite heresy; the popes, Honorius' successors, also condemned him.
Such facts became the reason that the Christians of the West began to protest against innovations and demand a return to the church way of the first centuries of Christianity. In the 17th century, the learned theologians of Galia made the same protest, and in the 70s of the 19th century, the protest of the Christian consciousness against the dogma of papal infallibility, proclaimed by the Vatican Council, was expressed by the clergy and theologians of Germany. The consequence of this protest was the formation of a separate religious community of Old Catholics (Old Catholics), who abandoned the pope and are independent of him.
The Russian theologian Archpriest S. Bulgakov wrote about this that “the Roman Catholic bishops, with their dogma of infallibility, dogmatized and signed a document that is canonical suicide.”
Indeed, with this new dogma, unprecedented in church history, the Roman Catholic Church abolished the power of the Ecumenical Councils, because their power and infallibility were made dependent on the Bishop of Rome, who for this reason is not a bishop of the Church. He became a fantastic and incredible figure, standing above the bishops and above the Church, which allegedly cannot exist without him. In other words, the Pope has replaced the Church.
An impartial Christian in search of the truth will not doubt that the pope is mistaken in this matter, nor will he deny the non-ecclesiastical and worldly reasons that caused such a desire for power.
Deviation from the right path and ambitious moods indicate to the true Christian that any dogma that comes from the Roman Church is false from the very beginning.

2. On the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos

In the 19th century, Roman Catholicism, contrary to the spirit of the Gospel and Apostolic Tradition, but following the spirit of rationalism, moving away from the truth and continuing to formulate new dogmas, declared the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Most Holy Theotokos.
“The One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Seven Ecumenical Councils teaches that only the supernatural incarnation of the Only Begotten Son and the Word of God from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary is true and blameless. But the papal church again introduces a new dogma about the immaculate conception of the Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, which the ancient Church did not speak about and which caused strong objections at different times even among famous papal theologians.
Has the Church been wrong for nineteen centuries, and only now the truth has been revealed to the Pope? According to Orthodox Tradition, the Most Holy Theotokos was cleansed from original sin by the grace of the Holy Spirit, when the archangel said to her: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (; 35). And in the Gospel, and in the rules of the Councils, and in the writings of the Fathers of the Church, nowhere is the teaching of Roman Catholics about the immaculate conception of the Virgin.

3. Purgatory

Another new and incorrect teaching of the Roman Catholics is the doctrine of the overdue merits of the saints. They teach that the good deeds or merits of the Holy Virgin and the saints exceed the amount needed to save them, and therefore the "extra" merits can be used to forgive other people. Of course, these merits are distributed by the pope himself, who invented many ways to collect money using this supposed right to forgive sins.
However, the Bible clearly warns us that each person will be judged according to what he did while living in the body, good or bad. (; 10). The sins of everyone can be cleansed by sincere repentance, and not by the overdue merits of the good deeds of the saints.
Also non-Orthodox is the dogma of purgatory, where the souls of sinners stay for a short or long time, depending on the number and severity of sins, in order to be cleansed.
However, the Lord spoke only about eternal fire, in which sinful and unrepentant souls would be tormented, and about the enjoyment in the eternal life of the righteous and those who repented. Nowhere did the Lord speak of an intermediate state where the soul must be cleansed in order to be saved. The Church believes the words of the Gospel that both the righteous and sinners await the resurrection of the dead, and that they are already in heaven or hell, depending on good and bad deeds, awaiting the final judgment. The apostle Paul says: “And all these, who were testified in faith, did not receive what was promised, because God provided something better for us, so that they would not reach perfection without us.” ().

4. Divine Eucharist

For more than a thousand years in the East and West, the One Catholic and Apostolic Church, following the example of our Savior, used leavened bread for the Divine Liturgy. This is a fact known to Catholic theologians. But starting from the 11th century, the Catholic Church introduced an innovation in the sacrament of the divine Eucharist - to use unleavened bread, which contradicts the ancient tradition of the Universal Church. Another novelty invented by the papal Church is that the transubstantiation of the Blessed Gifts occurs at the words “Take, eat: this is My Body”, and “Drink from it all; this is My Blood ”(), although in the early Church, as the ancient theological books of Rome and Gaul say about this, the transubstantiation of the Honest Gifts took place with the invocation of the Holy Spirit, i.e. the gifts were transubstantiated by the Holy Spirit, not by the priest.
Also, the Catholic Church deprived the laity of the sacrament of the Blood of Christ, although the Lord commanded: “Drink everything from it,” and the early Church observed this commandment. It is also noteworthy that the bishops of the ancient Roman Church forbade the use of hosts at the divine Eucharist, but later the popes, following their erroneous opinion, forbade the communion of the laity with the Blood of Christ and allowed the use of hosts (unleavened bread).

5. Baptism

Another innovation of the Roman Catholics is the rejection of the ancient order of baptism with triple immersion. The word "baptism" (baptiso) comes from the Greek word which means to immerse. Thus, the ancient united Church baptized with threefold immersion in water. Pope Pelagius speaks of threefold immersion as a commandment from the Lord. This also corresponds to the words of the apostle Paul: “Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore, we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. The threefold immersion symbolizes the three-day burial of Christ, our Savior, and His Resurrection. Christ was also buried in a cave, as we are immersed in water and resurrected, as a new man is resurrected from sins.
The holy fonts that still remain in the most ancient temples of Italy, where baptism with immersion prevailed until the 13th century, are the most eloquent witnesses of the truth.
Nevertheless, the popes, continuing to innovate, perform the sacrament of baptism not with immersion, but with sprinkling or pouring, deepening the existing differences between the Churches. And the Orthodox Apostolic Church, remaining faithful to the apostolic tradition and the experience of the seven Ecumenical Councils, “stands firmly, affirming the one confession, the paternal treasure of living faith” (St., Ep., 243).

6. Holy anointing

Another sacrament in which the rationalistic spirit of the Roman Catholic Church is clearly present is the sacrament of chrismation. The holy apostles and the Orthodox Church performed the sacrament of holy anointing immediately after the sacrament of baptism, so that the newly baptized would receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Even a church author wrote: "After baptism, which saves, we perform holy chrismation according to the ancient order." But since the time of the Council of Trent (1545-1563), the Roman Catholic Church has postponed holy chrismation and performs it many years later, because, being under the influence of the spirit of rationalism, it believes that the child should be “of full age”, and then it will be over him. holy chrismation done? or confirmation.

IV. What are the prerequisites for true and divine union?

The unification of all in one faith was and is the most ardent desire of our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. For this unity He prayed in His last prayer, shortly before His sacrifice on the Cross. It is the duty of every Christian to pray and desire the union of all Christians - union in the Body of Christ, His Church, His Truth.
“Orthodoxy, which came into the world through Christ, and history as divine and eternal truth, constantly lives in Christ and always exists in the world, in the Body of Christ, in His ONE CATHOLIC and APOSTOLIC CHURCH.
“So, the search for modern Christians in dialogues and meetings should be aimed at uniting the existing “Churches” and confessions in Orthodoxy (Truth), as Christ discovered, and not at uniting one church into another, because there is a possibility of uniting not on the revealed truth , but on an external and empty basis.
Scientific and theological studies of Christian primary sources, if carried out in humility and sincere love for the truth, will help each of the so-called "Churches" and denominations to find the Orthodoxy of the One Church.
This process of returning to Orthodoxy - the true faith - presupposes universal repentance, i.e. readiness to admit one's deviation from the apostolic faith (if there is a heresy), rejection of heresy and uniting again into the One Church of Christ.
This one Church, by the grace of God, was never limited to any one area on earth, but spread throughout the world. Every "Church" in existence today has the opportunity to find it. This is possible only with the return of the existing "Churches" to the Orthodox Church, from which there was a separation at a certain point in history...
And for Western Christians who belong to the Roman Catholic "Church" or another Christian denomination, there is an opportunity to discover the old and authentic form, returning to ancient Orthodox Rome and to the faith of their Orthodox fathers, who did not accept any of the heresies of modern Rome (the primacy of the pope, papal infallibility, filioque, etc.)… When the Roman Catholic Church becomes a true continuation of the Orthodox Church, it will be able to help Protestantism return to Orthodoxy, which, unfortunately, was not done by the reformation in the 16th century.”
True unification is possible only in truth and with exact dogmas, as they were written down by the Ecumenical Councils and the Fathers of the Church. Only such a path will be a saving union in Christ, and not a union based on human ambitions.
Western Orthodoxy and the Catholic Church of Christ “are sincerely ready to accept everything that the Eastern and Western Churches unanimously recognized before the 19th century. We will have nothing to say if Westerners prove from the teachings of the Holy Fathers and the divinely assembled Ecumenical Councils that the Orthodox Roman Church, which occupied the entire western territory, even before the 9th century read the Creed with the filioque or used unleavened bread, or admitted the dogma of purgatory , or sprinkled the baptized, instead of immersion, or spoke about the immaculate conception of the Ever-Virgin Mary, or about temporary power, or about the infallibility and absolutism of the bishop of Rome. And, conversely, that it is easy to prove to the Latins, who love the truth, that the Eastern Orthodox Catholic Church of Christ stands firmly on the dogmas handed down from generation to generation, which in those times the East and the West professed in unity, and which in subsequent times the West perverted by various innovations, then it will become clear even to a child that the most natural way for unification is the return of the Western Church to the ancient dogmatic and administrative structure of the Church, because faith is unchanged in time and circumstances, but remains the same always and everywhere, because “one body and one spirit” and it is said, “As you are called to one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in all "()."
In the writings of the Fathers of the Apostolic Church, we Orthodox find ancient dogmas handed down by Divine Providence, which we firmly adhere to to this day.
It goes without saying to every sane person that without faith in Christ it is impossible to please God. It is also obvious that this faith in Christ, by all means, must be true in everything, in accordance with Holy Scripture and the apostolic tradition, on which the teaching of the holy fathers and the deeds of the divinely convened Ecumenical Councils are based. Moreover, it is quite obvious that the Universal Church of God, which in its bosom keeps intact this unique, unchanging and beneficent faith as a divine revelation in the form in which it was formulated and transmitted in the first nine centuries by the God-bearing Fathers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, is one and the same forever, not changed with time; evangelical truth never undergoes changes and does not develop over time, unlike various philosophical systems, because "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (; 8).
An honest reader cannot have any doubts which denomination is the true successor of the Church of the Holy Fathers, and which one has been changed by many heresies and innovations. He cannot have any doubts, and if he really wants to be saved, he must follow the Tradition of Christ, the apostles and fathers of the seven Ecumenical Councils. In this Tradition he can find the true Church of Christ, truth and Orthodoxy, outside of this there can be no salvation. The Church that adheres to this Tradition is Orthodox. And the Church, which deviated from Tradition, deviated from the truth, i.e. from Christ.
The true unification of the Churches is possible only with the revival of the ancient symbols (the Creed) and Tradition, which the God-bearing fathers followed, and with the return to the faith of the first and united Church.
There is no doubt that from the time the Pope of Rome, driven by excessive egoism, declared himself the ruler of the world, he lost the grace of God and fell into many dogmatic errors, contrary to the teachings of the Gospel and the Fathers of the Church. We also have no doubt that the dogmas of the supremacy and infallibility of the Pope are based neither on the teaching of Holy Scripture nor on the teaching of the Fathers of the Church, but are the inventiveness of the excessive ambition and vanity of the popes.
Is it possible to believe in the infallibility of the pope, if many of them were condemned by the Ecumenical and Local Councils, and other popes became famous for their depraved lives? Is it possible that the primacy of honor given to the pope by the Church, because Rome was the capital of the Empire (primus inter pares honoris causa), means the power of the pope over the entire Church, if catholicity has prevailed in the Church since the time of the holy apostles?
There is no doubt that the Eastern Orthodox Church of Christ preserved the tradition of its fathers unchanged, kept the faith that it received unchanged, without adding or adding anything from what the holy apostles transmitted, but the holy fathers preserved. A sane and benevolent student of history will not be able to prove otherwise. Even the Latins, having heard Orthodox dogmas from the Greek Fathers at the Council of Florence, said: “We have not heard anything like it yet; the Greeks teach more correctly than the Latin theologians” (Syropulus vi 19).
And vice versa, starting from the tenth century, the Western Church, with the help of papism, introduced various strange and heretical dogmas and innovations and, thus, broke away and deviated far from the truth and the Orthodox Church of Christ. How much it is necessary to return to the ancient and unchanging dogmas of the Church in order to be saved in Christ can be easily understood by reading the commandment of the Apostle Paul given to the Thessalonians: “Therefore, brethren, stand firm and hold the traditions which you have been taught, either by word or by our epistle” (Thess .2;15); It is also necessary to take into account what the same apostle wrote to the Galatians: “I am surprised that you are so quickly moving from Him who called you by the grace of Christ to a different gospel, which, however, is not different, but only there are people who confuse you and want to turn the gospel of Christ” ( ). But this perversion of the gospel truth must be avoided, "for such people serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own womb, and deceive the hearts of the simple-hearted with flattery and eloquence" (; 18).
The One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church of God, consisting of separate Churches of God, divinely planted, like the multi-fruited vine of Christendom, which are inseparably united one into the other by the unity of saving faith in Christ, by the bonds of peace and the Holy Spirit, where you meet the all-praised and most glorious Lord and God, the Savior Jesus Christ, who suffered for the salvation of the world.
“In matters of faith there should be neither concessions nor hesitation” (St. Mark of Ephesus). The holy fathers said: "I will never renounce you, beloved Orthodoxy, and I will not hide you, holy Tradition, as long as the spirit lives in my body." Our Church at every sacred service prays to God the Father: "Reconcile and unite them to Your Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church."
Therefore, it is vitally important for all of us to attend the Church of the first eight centuries, the Church that preserved and preserves inseparably and invariably the apostolic Tradition, the true Church of Christ, so that our Lord’s prayer for the unity of all Christians would come true, so that we all become “one flock”, whose Pastor is Christ , the Head of the Church, which is His body, "the pillar and ground of the truth."

Bibliography

1. "History of the Cathedral in Florence". Boston, 1971.
2. D. Romanides. "Filioque". Athens.
3. N. Vasiliades "Orthodoxy and Papism in Dialogue". Athens, 1981.
4. "The response of the Orthodox Church to the proposal of the Roman Catholics for Reunification." New York, 1958.
5. G. Metallinos "What is Orthodoxy?" Athens, 1980.
6. Vl. Lossky, Mystical Theology of the Eastern Church. London, J. Clark, 1957.
7. Tim. Var "Orthodox Church". Penguin Books, 1963.
8. Tim. Var "Orthodox way".
9. N. Zernov "Eastern Christianity". London, Weindenfield & Nicholson, 1961.
10. N. Gogol "Catechism of the Orthodox Church". Jordanville, New York, USA.
11. Khomyakov "The Church is One". Monastery of the Holy Trinity, Jordanville, New York, USA.
12. A. Meyendorff "Byzantine Theology". Mobraze, London, 1975.

Notes

G. Metallinos "What is Orthodoxy?" With. nineteen.
G. Metallinos, ibid., p. nineteen.
G. Metallinos, ibid., p. nineteen.
G. Metallinos, ibid., pp. 20-21.
G. Metallinos, ibid., p.21.
G. Metallinos, ibid., p.21.
"The response of the Orthodox Church to the proposals of the Roman Catholic Church for Reunification". New York, 1958, p. 18-20.
D. Romanides "Filioque" p. 13, 24.
“He who, after the truth is found, continues to search for something, he is looking for a lie” (from the Acts of the VII Ecumenical Council) (note by the translator).
D. Romanides, ibid., p. 15.
G. Metallinos "What is Orthodoxy?" pp.27-28.
"The response of the Orthodox Church to the proposals of the Roman Catholic Church on Reunification", pp.10-11.

Christianity belongs to one of the world religions along with Buddhism and Judaism. Over a thousand-year history, it has undergone changes that have led to branches from a single religion. The main ones are Orthodoxy, Protestantism and Catholicism. Christianity also has other currents, but usually they are sectarian and are condemned by representatives of generally recognized trends.

Differences between Orthodoxy and Christianity

What is the difference between these two concepts? Everything is very simple. All Orthodox are Christians, but not all Christians are Orthodox. The followers, united by the confession of this world religion, are separated by belonging to its separate direction, one of which is Orthodoxy. To understand how Orthodoxy differs from Christianity, one must turn to the history of the emergence of world religion.

Origins of religions

Christianity is believed to have originated in the 1st century BC. from the birth of Christ in Palestine, although some sources claim that it became known two centuries earlier. The people who preached the belief were waiting for God to come to earth. The doctrine absorbed the foundations of Judaism and the philosophical trends of that time, it was strongly influenced by the political situation.

The preaching of the apostles greatly contributed to the spread of this religion. especially Paul. Many pagans were converted to the new faith, and this process continued for a long time. At the moment, Christianity has the largest number of followers compared to other world religions.

Orthodox Christianity began to stand out only in Rome in the 10th century. AD, and was officially approved in 1054. Although its origin can be attributed already to the 1st century. from the birth of Christ. Orthodox believe that the history of their religion began immediately after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, when the apostles preached a new creed and attracted more and more people to religion.

By II-III centuries. Orthodoxy opposed Gnosticism, which rejected the authenticity of the history of the Old Testament and interpreted the New Testament in a different way, not in accordance with the generally accepted. Also, opposition was observed in relations with the followers of the presbyter Arius, who formed a new trend - Arianism. According to them, Christ did not possess a divine nature and was only an intermediary between God and people.

On the creed of nascent Orthodoxy Ecumenical Councils had a great influence supported by a number of Byzantine emperors. Seven Councils, convened over the course of five centuries, established the basic axioms subsequently accepted in modern Orthodoxy, in particular, confirmed the divine origin of Jesus, disputed in a number of teachings. This strengthened the Orthodox faith and allowed more and more people to join it.

In addition to Orthodoxy and small heretical teachings, rapidly fading in the process of developing stronger trends, Catholicism stood out from Christianity. This was facilitated by the split of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. Huge differences in social, political and religious views led to the disintegration of a single religion into Roman Catholic and Orthodox, which at first was called Eastern Catholic. The head of the first church was the Pope, the second - the patriarch. Their mutual excommunication of each other from the common faith led to a split in Christianity. The process began in 1054 and ended in 1204 with the fall of Constantinople.

Although Christianity was adopted in Russia in 988, it was not affected by the process of schism. The official division of the church did not take place until several decades later, but at the baptism of Russia, Orthodox customs were immediately introduced, formed in Byzantium and borrowed from there.

Strictly speaking, the term orthodoxy was practically not found in ancient sources; the word orthodoxy was used instead. According to a number of researchers, earlier these concepts were given different meanings (orthodox meant one of the Christian directions, and Orthodoxy was almost a pagan faith). Subsequently, they began to attach a similar meaning to them, made them synonyms and replaced one with another.

Fundamentals of Orthodoxy

Faith in Orthodoxy is the essence of all divine teaching. The Nicene Constantinople Creed, drawn up during the convening of the Second Ecumenical Council, is the basis of the doctrine. The ban on changing any provisions in this system of dogmas has been in force since the time of the Fourth Council.

Based on the Creed, Orthodoxy is based on the following dogmas:

The desire to earn eternal life in paradise after death is the main goal of those who profess the religion in question. A true Orthodox Christian must follow the commandments handed down to Moses and confirmed by Christ throughout his life. According to them, one must be kind and merciful, love God and neighbors. The commandments indicate that all hardships and hardships must be endured meekly and even joyfully, despondency is one of the deadly sins.

Differences from other Christian denominations

Compare Orthodoxy with Christianity can be done by comparing its main directions. They are closely related to each other, as they are united in one world religion. However, there are huge differences between them on a number of issues:

Thus, the differences between directions are not always contradictory. There are more similarities between Catholicism and Protestantism, since the latter appeared as a result of the split of the Roman Catholic Church in the 16th century. If desired, the currents could be reconciled. But this has not happened for many years and is not foreseen in the future.

Relation to other religions

Orthodoxy is tolerant of confessors of other religions. However, without condemning and peacefully coexisting with them, this movement recognizes them as heretical. It is believed that of all religions, only one is true; its professing leads to the inheritance of the Kingdom of God. This dogma is contained in the very name of the direction, indicating that this religion is correct, opposite to other currents. Nevertheless, Orthodoxy recognizes that Catholics and Protestants are also not deprived of the grace of God, because, although they glorify Him differently, the essence of their faith is one.

By comparison, Catholics consider the only way to salvation to be the practice of their religion, while others, including Orthodoxy, are false. The task of this church is to convince all dissenters. The Pope is the head of the Christian Church, although this thesis is refuted in Orthodoxy.

The support of the Orthodox Church by the secular authorities and their close cooperation led to an increase in the number of followers of the religion and its development. In a number of countries, Orthodoxy is professed by the majority of the population. These include:

A large number of churches and Sunday schools are being built in these countries, and subjects dedicated to the study of Orthodoxy are being introduced into secular general educational institutions. Popularization also has a downside: often people who consider themselves Orthodox have a superficial attitude to the performance of rituals and do not observe the prescribed moral principles.

You can perform rites in different ways and relate to shrines, have different views on the purpose of your own stay on earth, but in the end, everyone who professes Christianity united by faith in one God. The concept of Christianity is not identical with Orthodoxy, but includes it. Keeping moral principles and being sincere in your relationship with the Higher Forces is the basis of any religion.

Orthodoxy (from "the correct glorification of God") is one of the largest areas of Christianity and the world. After the split of the Christian Church in 1054 into two branches - the eastern (Greek) and the western (Roman or Latin) - completely inherited the Byzantine religious traditions. Formed in the east of the Roman Empire in the 1st millennium AD in the 11th century, it separated itself from the Western Christian model and took organizational shape.

The confessional basis of the Orthodox religion

The confessional basis of the Orthodox religion includes:
1. Holy Scripture - the Bible (Old Testament and New Testament), Apocrypha (sacred texts not included in the Bible).
2. Sacred tradition - decisions of the first seven ecumenical councils (Roman Catholics recognize subsequent ones) and the works of the church fathers of the II - VIII centuries, such as Athanasius of Alexandria, Basil the Great, Gregory the Theologian, John of Damascus, John Chrysostom.

The main tenets of Orthodoxy

The main dogmas of Orthodoxy:
- the idea of ​​salvation through confession of faith,
- the idea of ​​the trinity of God (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit),
- idea of ​​incarnation
- idea of ​​redemption
- the idea of ​​the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ.
All dogmas were formulated in 12 paragraphs and approved at the first two Ecumenical Councils of 325 and 382. The Church declared them absolutely true, indisputable, eternal, communicated to man by God himself.

The basis of the cult of Orthodoxy

The basis of the Orthodox cult is seven main rites-sacraments:
- baptism. It symbolizes the acceptance of a person into the bosom of the Christian church and means spiritual birth. It is carried out by immersing a person in water three times (in honor of God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit)
- Communion (Eucharist). It symbolizes communion with God through the rite of communion - eating the body and blood of Christ, that is, bread and wine.
- repentance (confession). It symbolizes the recognition of one's sins before Jesus Christ, who, through the mouth of a priest, lets them go.
- chrismation. It symbolizes the preservation of spiritual purity received during baptism.
- marriage. It takes place in the temple at the wedding, when the newlyweds are admonished for a long and happy life together on behalf of Jesus Christ.
- Unction (unction). Symbolizes the descent of the grace of God upon the sick. It consists in anointing his body with wood oil (oil), which is considered sacred.
- priesthood. It consists in the transfer by the bishop to the new priest of special grace, which he will enjoy throughout his life.

The main divine service in Orthodoxy is called the liturgy (from the Greek "worship"), at which the sacrament of communion (Eucharist) is performed. Divine services in Orthodoxy are longer than in other Christian denominations, since they include a large number of rituals. In most Orthodox Churches, services are conducted in the national language, in the Russian Orthodox Church - in Church Slavonic.

Orthodoxy attaches great importance to holidays and fasts.

The most revered holiday is Easter. The 12 most significant holidays of Orthodoxy: the Lord, the Presentation, the Annunciation, the Transfiguration, the Virgin, the Entry into the Temple of the Virgin, the Assumption of the Virgin, the Trinity (Pentecost), the Lord's Entry into, the Ascension of the Lord, the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord and the Nativity of Christ.

There are four fasts (of many days) in Russian Orthodoxy: before Easter, before the day of Peter and Paul, before the Assumption of the Virgin and before Christmas.

Church hierarchy in Orthodoxy

The church hierarchy originates from the Christian apostles, providing continuity through a series of ordinations. Only men are ordained. The priesthood has 3 degrees: bishop, presbyter and deacon. There is also an institution of monasticism - the so-called black clergy. There is no single center for world Orthodoxy. Now there are 15 autocephalous (independent) churches: Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, Russian, Georgian, Serbian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Cypriot, Helladic (Greek), Albanian, Polish, Czech lands and Slovakia, American and Canadian.

Orthodoxy in the world

Orthodoxy is practiced by approximately 220-250 million people, which is one tenth of the entire Christian population of the planet. Orthodox believers make up the majority or a significant part in countries such as:
- - 99.9% - 11291.68 thousand people
- - 99.6% - 3545.4 thousand people
- Romania - 90.1% - 19335.568 thousand people.
- Serbia - 87.6% - 6371.584 thousand. people
- - 85.7% - 6310.805 thousand people
- - 78.1% - 3248 thousand people
- - 75.6% - 508.348 thousand people
- Belarus - 74.6% - 7063 thousand people.
- - 72.5% - 103563.304 thousand people
- Macedonia - 64.7% - 1340 thousand people.
- - 69.3% - 550 thousand people
- - 58.5% - 26726.663 thousand people
- Ethiopia - 51% - 44,000 thousand people.
- Albania - 45.2% - 1440 thousand people.
- - 24.3% - 320 thousand people

Peoples professing Orthodoxy

Among the peoples professing Orthodoxy, the following prevail:
- Eastern Slavs (Russians, Ukrainians).
- South Slavs (Bulgarians, Macedonians, Serbs, Montenegrins).
- Greeks, Romanians, Moldavians, Abkhazians.

Many peoples living in the Russian Federation: Nenets, Komi, Udmurts, Mordovians, Mari, Karelians, Veps, Chuvash, Yakuts, Koryaks, Chukchi.

Relations between the Orthodox Churches and the State

The relationship between the Orthodox Churches and the state develops differently everywhere. During its long history, the Orthodox Church has existed in different countries under different political regimes. She was dominant as in the Byzantine or Russian empires, was persecuted, as in the times of the Commonwealth, in the Balkans during the time of Turkish domination. Today, Orthodoxy is the state religion only in (according to Article 3 of Title II of the Greek Constitution). The canons forbid persons of holy orders "to enter the government of the people," that is, to hold public office. Orthodox priests can give advice to politicians, but they themselves should not be in secular structures.

The attitude of Orthodox churches to other religions

The relationship of the Orthodox churches to other religions was also built quite difficult. The primates of the Orthodox Churches, who gathered for the solemn joint service in Bethlehem on January 7, 2000, issued the following statement: "We are turning to other great religions, especially to the monotheistic religions - Judaism and Islam, with the readiness to create favorable conditions for dialogue with them in order to achieve a peaceful coexistence of all peoples... The Orthodox Church rejects religious intolerance and condemns religious fanaticism, no matter where it comes from."

However, significant difficulties exist in the relations of specific religious organizations. So, for example, there is still some tension in relations between the Russian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and the Vatican. Also, the local Orthodox Churches do not recognize the so-called autocephalous Churches that are not recognized by the local churches of world Orthodoxy. We are talking, for example, about such organizations as: Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Kyiv Patriarchate); Ukrainian Autocephalous Orthodox Church; Montenegrin Orthodox Church; Belarusian Autocephalous Orthodox Church; Macedonian Orthodox Church.

The attitude of Orthodoxy to business

The attitude of Orthodoxy to business is expressed rather conditionally. The position of the Church towards the economy in general and towards entrepreneurship in particular is not expressed as clearly as, for example, in Islam or in Protestantism. The purpose of the life of an Orthodox person is, first of all, the salvation of the soul, and not the production and sale of material values. But, in general, Orthodoxy has nothing against enrichment if:
1. Business is of a production nature and is perceived by the entrepreneur himself as a creative process;
2. Business is accompanied by labor as a creative and educational process;
3. The businessman generously donates to charity.

In itself, wealth in Orthodoxy does not have a blessing, it is possible only in the case of righteous use.

The attitude of Orthodoxy to medicine and

The attitude of Orthodoxy towards medicine and science is typical of most traditional orthodox church organizations, that is, very cautious. Previously, frankly obscurantist views prevailed, based on the thesis that "everything is a consequence of sin, and it is possible to be cured only by cleansing yourself." Over time, the attitude of the Orthodox towards medicine has changed and as a result has evolved to the recognition of a medical feat. Some innovative areas, such as cloning or genetic engineering, are perceived very negatively by the Orthodox. More recently (in the 30s and 40s of the 20th century), the Russian Orthodox Church actively disapproved of research in the field of nuclear energy and even the construction of a metro.

To comply with ethical and moral norms in society, as well as to regulate relations between an individual and the state or the highest form of spirituality (Cosmic mind, God), world religions were created. With the passage of time, schisms occurred within every major religion. As a result of this split, Orthodoxy was formed.

Orthodoxy and Christianity

Many people make the mistake of considering all Christians to be Orthodox. Christianity and Orthodoxy are not the same thing. How to distinguish between these two concepts? What is their essence? Now let's try to figure it out.

Christianity is which originated in the 1st century. BC e. waiting for the coming of the Savior. Its formation was influenced by the philosophical teachings of that time, Judaism (polytheism was replaced by one God) and endless military-political skirmishes.

Orthodoxy is just one of the branches of Christianity that originated in the 1st millennium AD. in the Eastern Roman Empire and received its official status after the split of the common Christian church in 1054.

History of Christianity and Orthodoxy

The history of Orthodoxy (orthodoxy) began already in the 1st century AD. This was the so-called apostolic creed. After the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the apostles faithful to him began to preach the teachings to the masses, attracting new believers into their ranks.

In the II-III centuries, orthodoxy was engaged in active opposition to Gnosticism and Arianism. The former rejected the writings of the Old Testament and interpreted the New Testament in their own way. The second, led by presbyter Arius, did not recognize the consubstantiality of the Son of God (Jesus), considering him to be a mediator between God and people.

Seven Ecumenical Councils, convened with the support of the Byzantine emperors from 325 to 879, helped to remove the contradictions between the rapidly developing heretical teachings and Christianity. The axioms established by the Councils regarding the nature of Christ and the Mother of God, as well as the approval of the Creed, helped to form a new trend into a powerful Christian religion.

Not only heretical concepts contributed to the development of Orthodoxy. on the Western and Eastern influenced the formation of new trends in Christianity. The different political and social views of the two empires gave rise to a crack in the unified common Christian church. Gradually, it began to break up into Roman Catholic and Eastern Catholic (later Orthodox). The final split between Orthodoxy and Catholicism occurred in 1054, when the Pope of Rome also excommunicated each other from the church (anathema). The division of the common Christian church was completed in 1204, together with the fall of Constantinople.

The Russian land adopted Christianity in 988. Officially, there was no division into Roman yet, but due to the political and economic interests of Prince Vladimir, the Byzantine direction - Orthodoxy - was spread on the territory of Russia.

The essence and foundations of Orthodoxy

The basis of any religion is faith. Without it, the existence and development of divine teachings is impossible.

The essence of Orthodoxy lies in the Creed adopted at the Second Ecumenical Council. At the fourth, the Nicene Creed (12 dogmas) was affirmed as an axiom, not subject to any change.

Orthodox believe in God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Holy Trinity). is the creator of everything earthly and heavenly. The Son of God, incarnated from the Virgin Mary, is consubstantial and only begotten in relation to the Father. The Holy Spirit proceeds from God the Father through the Son and is revered no less than the Father and the Son. The Creed speaks of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, pointing to eternal life after death.

All Orthodox belong to one church. Baptism is an obligatory ritual. When it is done, there is liberation from original sin.

Obligatory is the observance of moral standards (commandments), which are transmitted by God through Moses and voiced by Jesus Christ. All "rules of conduct" are based on help, compassion, love and patience. Orthodoxy teaches to endure any hardships of life meekly, to accept them as the love of God and trials for sins, in order to then go to heaven.

Orthodoxy and Catholicism (main differences)

Catholicism and Orthodoxy have a number of differences. Catholicism is a branch of Christian doctrine that arose, like Orthodoxy, in the 1st century. AD in the Western Roman Empire. And Orthodoxy - in Christianity, which originated in the Eastern Roman Empire. Here is a comparison table for you:

	Orthodoxy	Catholicism
Relations with authorities	The Orthodox Church, for two thousand years, was in cooperation with the secular authorities, then in its subordination, then in exile.	The empowerment of the Pope with power, both secular and religious.
the Virgin Mary	The Mother of God is considered the bearer of original sin, because her nature is human.	The dogma of the purity of the Virgin Mary (there is no original sin).
Holy Spirit	The Holy Spirit comes from the Father through the Son	The Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Son and the Father
Attitude towards the sinful soul after death	The soul makes "ordeals". Earthly life determines eternal life.	The existence of the Last Judgment and purgatory, where the purification of the soul takes place.
Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition	Sacred Scripture is part of Sacred Tradition	Equal.
Baptism	Triple immersion (or dousing) in water with communion and chrismation.	Sprinkling and pouring. All ordinances after 7 years.
	6-8-terminal cross with the image of God the conqueror, legs nailed with two nails.	4-pointed cross with God-martyr, legs nailed with one nail.
co-religionists	All brothers.	Each person is unique.
Attitude to rituals and sacraments	The Lord does it through the clergy.	Performed by a clergyman endowed with divine power.

Nowadays, the question of reconciliation between churches is very often raised. But due to significant and minor differences (for example, Catholics and Orthodox cannot agree on the use of leavened or unleavened bread in the sacraments), reconciliation is constantly delayed. A reunion is out of the question in the near future.

The attitude of Orthodoxy to other religions

Orthodoxy is a trend that, having separated from general Christianity as an independent religion, does not recognize other teachings, considering them false (heretical). There can be only one true religion.

Orthodoxy is a trend in religion that is not losing popularity, but on the contrary, is gaining. Nevertheless, in the modern world it quietly coexists in the neighborhood with other religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, Shinto and others.

Orthodoxy and Modernity

Our time has given freedom to the church and gives it support. Over the past 20 years, the number of believers, as well as those who identify themselves as Orthodox, has increased. At the same time, the moral spirituality that this religion implies, on the contrary, has fallen. A huge number of people perform rituals and attend church mechanically, that is, without faith.

The number of churches and parochial schools visited by believers has increased. The increase in external factors only partially affects the internal state of a person.

The Metropolitan and other clergymen hope that after all, those who consciously accepted Orthodox Christianity will be able to develop spiritually.

Ortodoxy) is a Christian doctrine that developed in Byzantium as an Eastern Christian church, in contrast to Catholicism that arose in the West. Historically, P. arose in 395 - with the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern. Its theological foundations were determined in the 9th-11th centuries. in Byzantium. It finally took shape as an independent church in 1034 with the beginning of the division of the Christian church into Catholic and Orthodox. It has existed in Russia since the end of the 10th century. Since 1448 - Russian Orthodox Church.

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ORTHODOXY

tracing paper from Greek orthodoxy, lit. “correct judgment”) is the most ancient direction in Christianity, which took shape in the east of the Roman Empire during the first millennium AD. e. under the leadership and with the title role of the See of the Bishop of Constantinople - New Rome, which professes the Nicene-Tsaregradsky creed, the dogmas of the Seven Ecumenical Councils and the patristic tradition.

It goes back to the first Christian community, founded by Jesus Christ himself and consisting of the apostles. Orthodoxy, like Catholicism, which fell away from it at the turn of the first and second millennia, recognizes the Holy Scriptures (the Bible, which includes the Old and New Testaments) and the Holy Tradition, which is a living history of the first centuries of the Church: the works of the holy fathers and decisions taken by the seven Ecumenical Councils.

The creed states:

1. Faith in God the Father Almighty, the Creator of Heaven and Earth.

2. Faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, born of the Holy Spirit and Mary the Virgin, crucified and resurrected and coming to judge both the living and the dead in the Kingdom of Heaven, which will have no end.

3. Faith in the Holy Spirit, coming from God the Father, working miracles, sent to the prophets.

1. Faith in the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, created by Christ himself.

2. Faith in the resurrection of all the dead into eternal life.

The creed was adopted at the ecumenical council of Nicaea in 325 AD. e. The most important dogmas of Orthodoxy also affirm the single divine nature of all three persons of God (Holy Trinity) and vice versa, the difference between two natures (divine and human) in one person of Jesus Christ. Various deviations from these dogmas (namely: the assertion that God has "one face and three natures" or that Christ was "only God" or "only a man" and many others) are recognized by Orthodoxy as heresies.

The contradictions between the See of Rome and the See of Constantinople had been brewing for a long time, but resulted in an open conflict during the reign of the Bishop in Rome - Pope Nicholas. He, dissatisfied with the fact that in the Slavic countries of Moravia and Bulgaria, with the blessing of Patriarch Photius of Constantinople, the word of God is preached in the language of the local population by the brothers Cyril and Methodius, he expelled the priests of the Eastern Church from there and even declared the sacraments performed by them, including baptism, invalid.

In 867, the patriarch gathered a council in Constantinople, in which 3 bishops of the Western Church also participated. This council, recognizing the Roman Pope Nicholas as unworthy of the episcopal title, excommunicated him from church communion. And then Photius wrote a letter to other Eastern patriarchs - Antioch, Jerusalem and Alexandria, in which he drew their attention to the violations committed by the Western Church in the canons of the Christian faith. The main thing was the addition of the word “filioque” in the 8th article of the Creed, which formally meant the recognition that the Holy Spirit also proceeds from the Son.

When the Roman pontiffs began to lay claim to the supremacy of the Universal Church, they turned the "filioque" into a dogma. The fact that celibacy of priests and fasting on the Sabbath was established in the West did not contribute to the unity of the churches, which was rejected by the original apostolic Orthodox Church. In addition, the Orthodox deny the dogma of "the infallibility of the Roman pope" and his supremacy over all Christians, deny the dogma of purgatory, and recognize the rights of secular authorities (the concept of a symphony of spiritual and secular authorities).

In Catholicism, unlike Orthodoxy, there is a dogma about the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary.

A complete split between Orthodoxy and Catholicism occurred in 1054.

In contrast to what emerged in the XVI century. Protestantism, Orthodoxy recognizes the possibility of depicting God and the saints, since Christ himself revealed the image of God, incarnate (Judaism and Islam do not recognize the possibility of depiction), prayers for the dead, prayers to the Virgin Mary and the Saints, as well as monasticism, fasting, faith in the saints, the need infant baptism.

A single control center in Orthodoxy still does not exist; the last Ecumenical Council took place in the 8th century.

All autocephalous Orthodox churches are characterized by a hierarchical principle of governance, which provides not only for the unconditional subordination of the lower clergy to the higher one, but also for the division of the clergy into the "white" clergy (priests and deacons who were to be married) and the "black" - the monastic estate, from which the highest ranks of the Orthodox Church come out, beginning with the bishops.

Orthodoxy, in contrast to non-Orthodox denominations, is characterized by special attention to the design of the place of worship and diligent observance of the ritual of worship. The Orthodox Church recognizes 7 sacraments - baptism, chrismation, communion, repentance (confession), wedding, consecration to the priesthood, unction (unction - a rite performed over the sick). Orthodox Christians also attach considerable importance to the rites of the funeral of the dead and their burial.

There are several autocephalous (independent, autonomous) Orthodox churches in the world, the largest of which is the Russian Orthodox Church (more than 150 million people). The oldest are the Orthodox churches of Constantinople (about 6 million people), Antioch (more than 2 million people), Jerusalem (about 200 thousand people) and Alexandria (about 5 million people) Orthodox churches. A considerable number of parishioners also include other Orthodox churches - Helladic (Greek - about 8 million people), Cypriot (more than 600 thousand people), Serbian (more than 8.5 million people), Romanian (about 18.8 million people). ), Bulgarian (about 6.6 million people), Georgian (more than 3.7 million people), Albanian (about 600 thousand people), Polish (509.1 thousand people), Czechoslovak (73.4 thousand people) and American (about 1 million people).

Orthodoxy is traditionally inextricably linked with Russian statehood. The Kiev prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich became the baptizer of Russia, and for this he was canonized and received the title of Equal-to-the-Apostles. Latins and Muslims, Jews and Orthodox Greeks offered their faith to the prince. After much deliberation, in 988 Vladimir chose a Byzantine baptismal font for the Russian people.

The historical circumstances of the adoption of Orthodoxy by the Eastern Slavs were unique: by that time, the thousand-year-old Holy Catholic Apostolic Orthodox Church had accumulated colossal spiritual experience and absorbed the cultural traditions of many peoples of antiquity, including Hellenic culture.

A favorable geopolitical situation also developed: the neighboring states - Byzantium, the South Slavic countries were also Orthodox, there was Slavic writing and literary language, as well as the most perfect Byzantine aesthetics at that time in the Christian world.

For the Russian state, the Church turned out to be not only a builder, but also a source of spiritual power. It was she who saved our country in the years of the most terrible upheavals and unrest. So, in 1380, St. Sergius of Radonezh blessed Prince Dmitry Donskoy for the Battle of Kulikovo.

After the liberation from the Tatar-Mongol yoke, the Orthodox religion becomes the state ideology. It was then that it became clear that Russia forever stood in Orthodoxy. She did not follow her leader Byzantium, rejecting the Union of Florence, which united the Catholic and Orthodox churches.

In 1441, Grand Duke Vasily II expelled Metropolitan Isidore, who had signed it, from the country, and since then the Russian church has become autocephalous. According to the historian S. Solovyov, this was “one of those great decisions that determine the fate of peoples for many centuries to come. Loyalty to ancient piety made it impossible for the Polish prince to ascend the throne of Moscow, united Little Russia with Great Russia, and determined the power of Russia.

After the capture in 1453 by the Turks of Constantinople - the residence of the ecumenical patriarch - Moscow inherited his throne and the Byzantine spiritual heritage.

During the reign of Ivan III, the Pskov monk Philotheus formulated the famous formula about Moscow as the “Third Rome”. On January 26, 1589, the enthronement of the first Patriarch of Moscow Job took place in the Assumption Cathedral. The newly formed Russian Patriarchate became the largest Orthodox patriarchate.

Mid 17th century was marked by one of the most dramatic events in the history of Orthodoxy - a split into supporters of national (Old Believers) and universal (Nikonians) Orthodoxy. Among the latter was Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich. In 1652, Nikon became the Patriarch of Moscow, he publicly taught about the "error of the Russian Church" and the need for its "correction" according to Greek models. In particular, Nikon ordered to replace traditional earthly prostrations with waist ones, to be baptized not with two, but with three fingers, to write not “Jesus”, but “Jesus”, to carry out religious processions in the opposite direction (against the sun), and the exclamation of “Hallelujah” during the service became say not twice, but thrice. All these innovations, corresponding to Greek practice, were in conflict with the decisions of the Stoglavy Council (1551).

The majority of the Russian Church, including clergy and even bishops, objected to the reform of worship, but they quickly lost the ability to resist. In 1654, Nikon arranges a council, where he seeks permission to hold a "book right". In 1656, an anathema was solemnly proclaimed in the Assumption Cathedral against those who are baptized with two fingers.

Part of the hierarchy, headed by Archpriest Avvakum, led the movement for the old faith (Old Believers). In the future, their followers began to be called schismatics and persecuted. Until the end of the XVII century. The Orthodox Church was the leading link in the political system of Russian society.

With the accession to the throne of Peter I, the situation began to change: the state was no longer going to share its role with the church. After the death of Patriarch Adrian (1700), no new patriarch was elected. Peter I instructed Bishop Feofan Prokopovich of Pskov to prepare the Spiritual Regulations, which established the Synod and, in fact, turned the clergy into officials serving in the spiritual department. The formal head of the Russian Orthodox Church was the chief prosecutor - a secular official. The emperor himself united in his person the highest state and religious power in the country.

For 1721–1917 the synodal period of the Russian Orthodox Church falls. After the February Revolution, a significant event took place - the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Tikhon was elected. However, after the October Revolution, the Bolshevik leaders compiled one of the first documents of the young republic - the Decree on Freedom of Conscience, the first paragraph of which prescribed the separation of the Church from the state. Thus began perhaps the most difficult period in the history of Russian Orthodoxy.

"Priestry" was recognized as the most dangerous enemy of the new ideology. At the direction of V. Lenin and L. Trotsky, churches were blown up, the property of the church was nationalized, and its ministers were destroyed on suspicion of organizing anti-Soviet rebellions. “We must crush the resistance of the clergy with such cruelty that they do not forget this for several decades,” wrote V. Lenin in 1922.

In 1920, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad separated from the Church in the Fatherland. Organized by emigrants who fled abroad from the Bolsheviks, ROCOR distanced itself from the Moscow Patriarchate in order to speak freely about the persecution of the Church in the USSR, which, of course, the hierarchs who remained in Soviet Russia could not do. In turn, many of those who could not or did not want to leave their homeland, when part of the parishes began to be ministered to by pastors in New York, had a feeling of distrust towards their overseas brethren as deserters.

During the years of struggle against religion, more than one generation of atheists has grown up in the USSR. However, even before the Second World War, the population census showed that about two-thirds of the country's population consider themselves to be Orthodox.

During the war years, the long-awaited softening of the position of the state in relation to religion took place - first of all, Orthodoxy. Extremely in need of maintaining a patriotic spirit, the Soviet government was forced to switch to cooperation with the Church. In 1943, on the personal instructions of I. Stalin, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia was elected, the Synod was restored, the restoration of churches began, theological schools were opened, the Council for the Affairs of the Russian Orthodox Church was created to communicate between the government and the Church. Stalin lobbied for an Ecumenical Council to be held in Moscow, which would transfer the title of "Ecumenical Patriarch" from the Patriarch of Constantinople to the Patriarch of Moscow.

During the time of N. Khrushchev, the senseless persecution of the Orthodox Church resumed, which was largely caused by the apparatus struggle with the “Stalinist” team in the Central Committee of the CPSU. In October 1958, the Central Committee adopted a resolution on the start of a propaganda and administrative offensive against "religious survivals." One of the results was the massive closure (and destruction!) of churches and the abolition of monasteries. Of the 63 monasteries that operated in 1958, only 44 remained in 1959, and in 1964 - only 18.

The first steps towards restoring the role of the ROC in the life of society began during the perestroika period. In 1988, the celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the baptism of Russia took place. Gradually, church holidays were legalized at the official level.

Today, the ROC has a great influence both on public consciousness and on state policy.

On May 17, 2007, an act of canonical unity between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia was signed at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. It was signed by the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II and the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, Metropolitan Laurus. The two parts of the Russian Church again became one.

After the death of Alexy II on December 5, 2008, the Local Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on January 27, 2009 elected Metropolitan Kirill of Smolensk and Kaliningrad (Vladimir Mikhailovich Gundyaev, born in 1946) as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.

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