What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants. The difference between Catholics and Protestants

How did the branches

The Orthodox Church kept intact the truth that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles. But the Lord Himself warned His disciples that from among those who would be with them, there would appear people who would like to distort the truth and muddle it with their inventions: Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, and inside are cruel wolves   (Matt. 7, 15).

And the apostles also warned about this. For example, the apostle Peter wrote: you will have false teachers who introduce destructive heresies and, rejecting the Lord who has redeemed them, will bring themselves quick death. And many will follow their debauchery, and through them the path of truth will be reproached ... Leaving the straight path, they have lost their way ... they have prepared the darkness of eternal darkness   (2 Pet. 2, 1-2, 15, 17).

Heresy is understood as a lie, which a person follows consciously. The path that Jesus Christ has opened requires selflessness and efforts from a person to show whether he really entered this path with a firm intention and love of truth. It’s not enough just to call yourself a Christian, you have to prove that you are a Christian with your own deeds, words and thoughts, with your whole life. He who loves the truth, for the sake of it, is ready to abandon all lies in his thoughts and his life so that the truth can enter into it, purify and sanctify it.

But not everyone embarks on this path with pure intentions. And then the subsequent life in the Church reveals their unfit mood. And those who love themselves more than God, fall away from the Church.

There is a sin of deed - when a person by deed violates the commandments of God, and there is a sin of the mind - when a person prefers his lie to Divine truth. The second is called heresy. And among those who called themselves Christians at different times, both people devoted to the sin of the act and people devoted to the sin of the mind were identified. One and the other person resists God. If one and the other person made a firm choice in favor of sin, he cannot remain in the Church, and falls away from it. Thus, throughout history, all who chose sin have left the Orthodox Church.

The Apostle John spoke of them: They left us, but were not ours: for if they were ours, they would have remained with us; but they went out, and after that it was revealed that not all of our   (1In. 2 , 19).

Their fate is unenviable, because the Scripture says that the devotees heresies ... the kingdom of God will not inherit   (Gal. 5 , 20-21).

Precisely because a person is free, he can always make a choice and use freedom either for good, choosing the path to God, or for evil, choosing sin. This is the reason that false teachers arose and those who believed more than Christ and His Church arose.

When heretics appeared, introducing a lie, the holy fathers of the Orthodox Church began to explain to them their errors and called for abandonment of fiction and appeal to the truth. Some, being convinced by their words, were corrected, but not all. And of those who persisted in lies, the Church pronounced its judgment, testifying that they are not true followers of Christ and members of the community of faithful founded by Him. So the apostolic council was executed: Heretic after the first and second admonitions, turn away, knowing that such has been corrupted and sin, being self-condemned   (Tit. 3 , 10-11).

There were many such people in history. The most common and numerous of the communities founded by them that have survived to this day are the Monophysitic Eastern Churches (they arose in the V century), the Roman Catholic Church (which fell away from the Ecumenical Orthodox Church in the XI century) and the Churches that call themselves Protestant. Today we will consider that the path of Protestantism differs from the path of the Orthodox Church.

Protestantism

If a branch breaks off from a tree, then, having lost touch with vital juices, it will inevitably begin to dry out, lose its leaves, become brittle and easily break at the first onslaught.

The same is evident in the life of all communities that have separated from the Orthodox Church. Just as a broken branch cannot keep leaves on itself, so those who are separated from genuine church unity can no longer maintain their inner unity. This is because, having left the family of God, they lose touch with the life-giving and saving power of the Holy Spirit, and the sinful desire to resist the truth and put themselves above others, which led them to fall away from the Church, continues to act among the fallen themselves, turning already against them and leading to ever new internal divisions.

So, in the XI century, the Local Roman Church separated from the Orthodox Church, and at the beginning of the XVI century a significant part of people separated from it, following the ideas of the former Catholic priest Luther and his associates. They formed their own communities, which they began to consider the "Church." This movement is collectively called Protestants, and their separation itself is called the Reformation.

In turn, the Protestants also did not maintain internal unity, but began to divide even more into different currents and directions, each of which claimed that it was the real Church of Jesus Christ. They continue to share to the present day, and now there are more than twenty thousand of them in the world.

Each of their directions has its own particularities of dogma, which could be described for a long time, and here we confine ourselves to analyzing only the main features that are characteristic of all Protestant nominations and which distinguish them from the Orthodox Church.

The main reason for the emergence of Protestantism was a protest against the teachings and religious practices of the Roman Catholic Church.

As St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) notes, indeed, “many errors crept into the Roman Church. Luther would have done well if he, having rejected the errors of the Latins, replaced these errors with the true teaching of the Holy Christ Church; but he replaced them with his delusions; some misconceptions of Rome, very important, were quite followed, and some strengthened. " “Protestants rebelled against the ugly power and divine popes; but since they acted on the prompting of passions, drowning in debauchery, and not with the direct aim of striving for the holy Truth, they did not prove worthy to behold it. "

They rejected the erroneous idea that the Pope was the head of the Church, but retained the Catholic delusion that the Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son.

The scripture

Protestants formulated the principle: “only the Scriptures”, it means that authority is recognized only by the Bible, and they reject the Holy Tradition of the Church.

And in this they contradict themselves, because the Holy Scripture itself indicates the need to honor the Holy Tradition coming from the apostles: stand and hold the traditions that you have taught, either by word or message to our   (2 Thess. 2 , 15), writes the apostle Paul.

If a person writes a text and distributes it to different people, and then asks to explain how they understood it, then it will surely turn out that someone understood the text correctly and someone incorrectly, putting their meaning in these words. It is known that any text has different options for understanding. They may be true, or they may be wrong. The same with the text of the Holy Scripture, if you tear it from the Holy Tradition. Indeed, Protestants think that understanding the Scriptures is necessary as anyone wants. But such an approach cannot help find the truth.

Here is how St. Nicholas of Japan wrote about this: “Sometimes the Japanese Protestants come to me and ask me to explain some place of the Holy Scripture. “Yes, you have your own missionary teachers — ask them,” I tell them. “What do they answer?” - "We asked them, they say: understand, as you know; but I need to know the true thought of God, and not my personal opinion" ... We have something wrong, everything is light and reliable, clear and durable - because we are apart from the Holy We also accept the Holy Scriptures, and Holy Tradition is a living, uninterrupted voice ... of our Church from the time of Christ and His Apostles to this day, which will be until the end of the world. It affirms the whole of Scripture. ”

The apostle Peter himself testifies that no prophecy in Scripture can be resolved by itself, for never a prophecy was uttered by the will of man, but God's holy men spoke it, being moved by the Holy Spirit   (2 Pet. 1 , 20-21). Accordingly, only the Holy Fathers, moved by the same Holy Spirit, can open to a person a true understanding of the Word of God.

Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition constitute one indivisible whole, and so it was from the very beginning.

Not in writing, but verbally, the Lord Jesus Christ revealed to the apostles how to understand the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament (Lk. 24, 27), and they also verbally taught the first Orthodox Christians. Protestants want to imitate the early apostolic communities in their organization, but in the early years the early Christians did not have the New Testament scripture at all, and everything was passed from mouth to mouth as a tradition.

The Bible was given by God to the Orthodox Church, it was in accordance with Holy Tradition that the Orthodox Church approved the composition of the Bible in its Councils, and it was the Orthodox Church that, before Protestants appeared, lovingly preserved the Holy Scriptures in their communities.

The Protestants, using the Bible, not written by them, not collected by them, not saved by them, reject Holy Tradition, and thereby close their true understanding of the Word of God. Therefore, they often argue about the Bible and often come up with their own, human traditions, which have no connection with either the apostles or the Holy Spirit, and fall, according to the apostle, into empty seduction, according to human tradition .., and not according to Christ   (Col. 2, 8).

The sacraments

Protestants rejected the priesthood and priesthood, not believing that God could act through them, and even if they left something similar, it was only a name, believing that these were only symbols and reminders of historical events that remained in the past, and not holy reality in itself. Instead of bishops and priests, they got pastors who had no connection with the apostles, no succession of grace, as in the Orthodox Church, where every bishop and priest has a blessing from God that can be traced from our days to Jesus Christ Himself. The Protestant pastor is only a speaker and administrator of community life.

As St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) says, “Luther ... with passionate rejection of the unlawful authority of the popes, rejected and legitimate, rejected the episcopal dignity itself, the very ordination, even though the establishment of both belongs to the apostles themselves ... rejected the Sacrament of Confession, although all Scripture testifies that it is not possible to receive absolution without confessing them. ” Rejected by Protestants and other ceremonies.

The veneration of the Virgin and saints

The Blessed Virgin Mary, who gave birth to the Lord Jesus Christ through humanity, said prophetically: from now on all the births will please me   (Lk. 1 , 48). This was said about the true followers of Christ - Orthodox Christians. And indeed, since then to this day from generation to generation all Orthodox Christians have venerated the Blessed Virgin Mary. And the Protestants do not want to honor and please her, contrary to the Scriptures.

The Virgin Mary, like all the saints, that is, people who have gone all the way along the path of salvation revealed by Christ, have been united with God and are always in harmony with Him.

The Virgin and all the saints became the closest and most beloved friends of God. Even a man, if his beloved friend asks for something, he will try to fulfill it, also God willingly listens and soon fulfills the requests of the saints. It is known that even during his earthly life, when they asked, He certainly responded. So, for example, at the request of the Mother, He helped the poor newlyweds and performed a miracle at a feast in order to save them from shame (John 2, 1-11).

Scripture reports that God is not the God of the dead, but the living, for in Him all are alive (Luke 20, 38). Therefore, after death, people do not disappear without a trace, but their living souls are kept by God, and those who are holy retain the opportunity to communicate with Him. And the Scripture directly says that the deceased saints make requests to God and He hears them (see: Rev. 6, 9-10). Therefore, Orthodox Christians revere the Blessed Virgin Mary and other saints and turn to them with requests that they intercede with God for us. Experience shows that many healings, deliverances from death and other help are received by those who resort to their prayer intercession.

For example, in 1395, the great Mongol commander Tamerlan with a huge army went to Russia to capture and destroy its cities, including the capital, Moscow. The Russians did not have enough strength to withstand such an army. Orthodox residents of Moscow began to earnestly ask the Most Holy Theotokos to pray to God for their salvation from impending misfortune. And so, one morning, Tamerlan unexpectedly announced to his commanders that it was necessary to turn the army and return back. And he answered questions about the reason that at night in a dream he saw a great mountain, on top of which stood a beautiful radiant woman who ordered him to leave the Russian lands. And, although Tamerlane was not an Orthodox Christian, he out of fear and respect for the holiness and spiritual strength of the Virgin Mary who appeared appeared to obey Her.

Prayers for the dead

Those Orthodox Christians who during their lifetime could not conquer sin and become saints do not disappear after death either, but they themselves need our prayers. Therefore, the Orthodox Church prays for the dead, believing that through these prayers the Lord sends relief for the posthumous fate of our deceased loved ones. But the Protestants also do not want to admit this, and refuse to pray for the dead.

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The Lord Jesus Christ, speaking of his followers, said: the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days   (Mark 2: 20).

The Lord Jesus Christ was taken from his disciples the first time on Wednesday, when Judas betrayed him and the villains seized to lead to judgment, and the second time on Friday, when the villains crucified him on the Cross. Therefore, in fulfillment of the words of the Savior, Orthodox Christians from ancient times observe fasting every Wednesday and Friday, refraining for the sake of the Lord from eating foods of animal origin, as well as from all kinds of entertainments.

The Lord Jesus Christ fasted forty days and nights (see: Matthew 4, 2), setting an example for His disciples (see: John 13, 15). And the apostles, as the Bible says, with lied to the Lord and fasted   (Acts 13, 2). Therefore, Orthodox Christians, in addition to one-day fasts, also have many days, of which the main one is Lent.

Protestants deny fasting and fasting days.

Sacred images

One who wants to worship the true God, should not at the same time worship false gods, who are either invented by people or those spirits that have fallen from God and become evil. These evil spirits often appeared to people to mislead them and distract from worshiping the true God to worship themselves.

However, having commanded to build the temple, the Lord even in these ancient times also commanded to make images of cherubs in it (see: Exodus 25, 18-22) - spirits who remained faithful to God and became holy angels. Therefore, from the earliest times, Orthodox Christians have made sacred images of saints who united with the Lord. In the ancient underground catacombs, where Christians persecuted by the Gentiles gathered for prayer and priesthood in the II-III centuries, they depicted the Virgin Mary, the apostles, plots from the Gospel. These ancient sacred images have survived to this day. Similarly, in modern churches of the Orthodox Church there are the same sacred images, icons. When looking at them, it’s easier for a person to ascend soul to prototype, concentrate on prayer to him. After such prayers before holy icons, God often sends people help, often miraculous healings occur. In particular, Orthodox Christians prayed for deliverance from Tamerlane’s army in 1395 precisely at one of the icons of the Virgin - Vladimir.

However, Protestants mistakenly reject the veneration of sacred images, not understanding the difference between them and between idols. This comes from their erroneous understanding of the Bible, as well as from the corresponding spiritual mood - after all, only one who does not understand the difference between the holy and evil spirit can not notice the fundamental difference between the image of the saint and the image of the evil spirit.

Other differences

Protestants believe that if a person recognizes Jesus Christ as God and Savior, then he already becomes saved and holy, and no special things are needed for this. And Orthodox Christians, following the apostle James, believe that faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself   (James 2 ,   17). And the Savior Himself said: Not everyone who says to me: “Lord! Lord!” Will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven   (Matt. 7, 21). And that means, according to Orthodox Christians, that it is necessary to fulfill the commandments that express the will of the Father, and thus prove your faith in deeds.

Also, Protestants do not have monasticism and monasteries, but the Orthodox have them. The monks zealously work to fulfill all the commandments of Christ. And besides, they take three additional vows for the sake of God: the vow of celibacy, the vow of non-possession (lack of property) and the vow of obedience to the spiritual leader. In this, they imitate the apostle Paul, who was celibate, non-possessive, and completely obedient to the Lord. The monastic path is considered to be higher and more glorious than the path of a lay person - a family man, but a lay person can also be saved, become a saint. Among the apostles of Christ there were married people, namely, the apostles Peter and Philip.

When St. Nicholas of Japan at the end of the 19th century was asked why, although the Orthodox in Japan have only two missionaries and the Protestants were six hundred, however, more Japanese converted to Orthodoxy than to Protestantism, he answered: “It’s not about people, but in the teaching. If the Japanese, before embracing Christianity, thoroughly studies it and compares it: he recognizes Catholicism in the Catholic mission, Protestantism in the Protestant mission, we have our teaching, then, as far as I know, he always accepts Orthodoxy.<...>   What is this? Yes, the fact that in Orthodoxy the teaching of Christ is kept pure and whole; we didn’t add anything to it like the Catholics, we didn’t add anything like the Protestants. ”

Indeed, Orthodox Christians are convinced, as St. Theophan the Recluse says, of this indisputable truth: “What God has revealed and what he has commanded, there is nothing to be added to, nor diminished from. This applies to Catholics and Protestants. They add everything, but these decrease ... The Catholics have corrupted the apostolic tradition. Protestants undertook to rectify the matter - and did worse. Catholics have one dad, and Protestants, neither Protestant, then dad. ”

Therefore, everyone who is really interested in the truth, and not in their thoughts, both in past centuries and in our time, will certainly find their way to the Orthodox Church, and often even without any efforts of Orthodox Christians, God Himself leads such people to the truth. As an example, here are two recent stories whose participants and witnesses are still alive.

Case in the USA

In the 1960s, in the US state of California, in the cities of Ben Lomon and Santa Barbara, a large group of young Protestants came to the conclusion that all the Protestant Churches they know could not be a real Church, since they suggest that after the apostles the Church of Christ disappeared , and it was as if only in the XVI century Luther and other leaders of Protestantism revived. But such an idea contradicts the words of Christ that the gates of hell will not prevail against his Church. And then these young people began to study the historical books of Christians, from the earliest antiquity, from the first century to the second, then to the third and so on, tracing the continuous history of the Church founded by Christ and His apostles. And now, thanks to their many years of research, these young Americans themselves were convinced that the Orthodox Church is such a Church, although none of the Orthodox Christians communicated with them and inspired them with such an idea, but the very history of Christianity witnessed this truth for them. And then they came into contact with the Orthodox Church in 1974, all, consisting of more than two thousand people, accepted Orthodoxy.

Case in Benin

Another story happened in West Africa, in Benin. In this country there were no Orthodox Christians at all, most of the inhabitants were pagans, a little more professed Islam, and some were Catholics or Protestants.

Here with one of them, a man named Optat Behanzin, in 1969 a misfortune happened: his five-year-old son Eric, who was paralyzed, was seriously ill. Behanzin took his son to the hospital, but doctors said that the boy could not be cured. Then the heartbroken father turned to his Protestant “Church”, began to attend prayer meetings in the hope that God would heal his son. But these prayers were fruitless. After this, Optatus gathered some close people at home, persuading them to pray together to Jesus Christ for the healing of Eric. And after their prayer a miracle happened: the boy was healed; it strengthened the small community. Subsequently, all new miraculous healings took place by their prayers to God. Therefore, more and more people came to them - both Catholics and Protestants.

In 1975, the community decided to shape themselves as an independent church, and the faithful decided to pray intensely and fast in order to know the will of God. And at that moment Eric Bekhanzin, who was already eleven years old, received a revelation: when asked what they should call their church community, God replied: “My Church is called the Orthodox Church.” This really surprised the Beninians, because none of them, including Eric himself, had ever heard of the existence of such a Church, and they did not even know the word "Orthodox." However, they called their community the “Orthodox Church of Benin,” and only twelve years later could they get to know Orthodox Christians. And when they found out about the real Orthodox Church, which has been called this way since ancient times and originates from the apostles, they all together, consisting of more than 2,500 people, moved to the Orthodox Church. Thus, the Lord responds to the requests of all who are really looking for the path of holiness leading to the truth, and brings such a person to His Church.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). The concept of heresy and schism.

St. Hilarion. Christianity or the Church.

Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov). Lutheranism.

How is Orthodoxy different from Catholicism and Protestantism? You will learn about this from a lecture by Professor Osipov, published in our article.

Nowadays, this boundless question worries a lot of people. The reason is completely obvious. The religious pluralism that we are witnessing now, given the unprecedented influx of various religious movements, movements, churches, it unwittingly compels us to once again turn to the faith that has always been traditional for us. For us, I say, for our people, primordially, for a thousand years now.

Why are so many uninvited guests coming to us now? What is the reason? Where did some completely new religious movements come from that find here, nevertheless, an address and registration? How can we respond to this? What does our faith say, why do we prefer to remain Orthodox? After all, the truth is not because they were just born? If I was born - I am Orthodox, born Catholic - I am Catholic, born Muslim - I am Muslim. Is this a sign of what? Man's disinterest in his faith.

The interest is just meaningful: what is Orthodoxy, what gives it priority to man in comparison with the vast sea of \u200b\u200breligions that we all now face?

As far as this will be impossible, I will try now not to give an academic lecture, otherwise you will fall asleep. Since I understand perfectly well: academic lectures are rather dry, they present a lot of formal material that is needed for students, future priests, but they need it for another reason, more, I would say, methodological rather than essential.

It seems to me that for every person, at least for me, despite the fact that I am engaged in theology, it has always been the most important interest - to see the essence of the matter. And what is Orthodoxy? Of course, it is easiest to show this by comparing it to non-Orthodoxy. By the way, this method is very effective. Compare and show how it differs from Catholicism, from Protestantism, how does Orthodoxy differ from other religions in essence?

If you are interested in such a plan, we can talk precisely in this context, since now such a methodology is very relevant. But we can look on the other hand, no less, it seems to me, interesting, look at Orthodoxy from a completely different point of view, namely, how it responds to the deepest essential needs of the human person.

What are these significant requests? What are these requests, without which we cannot literally live? Well, you can, of course, not think about anything, but now we are not talking about such people. But if a person thinks, if he lives, what is he interested in? And if he is also a thinker, then he consciously raises the question of the meaning of life.

And if it is tougher to say, then it will be even clearer - all the same, they seek happiness. Happiness. Throughout history, humanity strives for precisely this. And from this point of view, it would be interesting to know how Orthodoxy responds to this idea, and what does it give preferential to a person in answering this urgent question?

Here's the thing. All Christian denominations say that the center, being, meaning, ultimate goal of Christianity is Christ. He is our Savior, He is our ideal, and He is the One in whom we, in the body of which, using the image of the apostle Paul, in whose church we all enter into unity with God and gain the fullness of good. All denominations. Christian denominations.

Professor Osipov

I explain to those who, maybe, do not know this word. “Denominations” when we use it, we are talking about Christian denominations. Therefore, we are talking about non-Orthodox. When we talk about other religions, we are talking about different faiths, about other faiths.

So, we are talking about denominations. A representative of any faith will say yes, here we are completely united. That’s the whole point. As soon as we touch on the essence of the matter: what does it mean that we believe in Christ as the Savior, how do you understand what He did for us? - Disagreements begin. And so serious that sometimes it looks like the struggle for peace, as a result of which there is no stone on stone from our buildings.

So here it is. Of course, the essence of Christianity is the confession of Christ, the One who is the real Savior, we say. But how do you understand what He did? Here, let’s go through a little how Catholicism looks at this issue, how Protestantism looks, and how Orthodoxy looks.

So, from the Catholic point of view, the primary emphasis, which is literally the center of the Catholic doctrine, is the belief that people - the first people - have infinitely offended God with their crime, with their hearing. And we do nothing else, as we continue this business.

Those. this doctrine assumes, voluntarily or involuntarily, that the God who, according to the idea of \u200b\u200bnot only Christian, but also the idea of \u200b\u200bpre-Christian, Old Testament, the Divine is an unchanging being, in which there is no passion, an impassive being, a simple being, in this case, was in the position of who suffers from the sins or crimes of his creature. Those. the unchanging turned out to be changeable, dispassion turns out to be deeply passionate. This is the first question that involuntarily arises in connection with this doctrine. The doctrine that we can insult God.

By the way, Protestantism affirms the same point of view, but Orthodoxy rejects it. How does it differ in this case? It says: no, we hurt ourselves by sins, every sin is a wound on the body of our soul. We break the laws of our being that are established by God. We are not shapeless amoeba, we are god-like creatures.

And going beyond the boundaries of those laws in which we exist, we harm ourselves. Sin is self-harm. I won’t bring any inconvenience to the law of gravity if I jump down from some floor there.

But I myself will suffer great. We do not harm God with our sins - we kill ourselves. The sin-making slave is sin. He falls into this slavery of the element advocating laws. We are killing ourselves.

From here it takes on a different meaning, an understanding of what Christ has done for mankind. From a Catholic-Protestant point of view, He redeemed us from the righteous wrath of God. He took all the punishment for us, you hear, for our sins and for the sin of the first people. He suffered this punishment for us. He tamed the righteous wrath of God. Here is the idea.

Protestantism in their symbolic texts, the most authoritative, argues that if before that God was angry before Christ, then from now on He has changed, He has ceased to be angry at people. Change occurs in God, and not in man with the coming of Christ. From being angry and hating, he turned into loving and saving, thanks to the sacrifice of Christ.

Therefore, in Catholicism, the central dogma of salvation is called the dogma of redemption, redemption. The term atonement means ransom, ransom of a slave. In Protestantism, the same dogma is called the dogma of justification. As in the trial, they accuse him and justify him, as a result of this, the other and the third.

And only in Orthodoxy the emphasis is on a completely different side. We say: Christ is the Savior. We do not deny this terminology - justification, redemption. Please, there are many other terms - adoption. There are many terms in the Holy Scriptures, but the terms in this case show HOW we understand what Christ did. And if in Western Christianity the cause of salvation is seen as an action of the legal order, of the court, then in Orthodoxy it is seen as an act of love. Like - I’ll say it now.

I will continue now on Western understanding. What is the seriousness of the problem - but what. If Christ appeared to the One who redeems us, pays the debt to the justice of God, then the idea naturally arises from here - what can I do? Christ redeemed us - in what sense, what did He do? Catholic theology answers: He brought satisfaction to God the Father for the first sin of the people. And for personal sins, we must also bring a ransom.

Question: what if I did more than is required? And a whole doctrine is being developed in Catholicism, completely unacceptable in the Orthodox mind with all its spirit - the doctrine of super-merit. It turns out that I can not only pay the debt for my sins, but I can do something more, and infinitely much more.

And Catholic theology points out: we find these extra-long endless merits in the Mother of God, so much that now the second thousand years are about to end, I have no doubt that another dogma will appear in the Catholic world. Dogma of the Applicant - Our Lady.

I have already met this term more than once; I remember that I entered into a discussion with one of the cardinals on this subject. Their redeemer is who? He who repays debts redeems debts for sins. Christ, yes, brought a lot of debt, brought full debt for original sin, for personal sins - we must. But we can not only fulfill, get a debt, we can bring an extra debt.

What follows from this? I would say terrible things. What is this horror? But here's the thing. Imagine that I understand perfectly, here I live, in something I sin, but who does not sin, you understand. For these sins, I do what is right for me, but I do more.

They will tell me that I must do this and that for sins, in Catholicism this doctrine of satisfying God's justice is very developed. I do more - how do I feel? I know that I do more, do you understand how I feel? I do even more - how do I feel?

And we see the dogmatic teaching of Catholicism imposes its terrible seal on the soul of man. She immediately puts a person on the path of pride, vanity. Pride in the full sense of the word.

Do you think such statements are random as those of Francis of Assisi when he says: I don’t recognize a single sin that I would not atone for by confession and repentance. Such things are accidental when some saint Teresa shouts: “Oh my God, my husband”? She is Christ, who declares: “Before that, I was your God, and now I am not only God, but also your spouse.” These are absolutely not accidental things when Francis of Assisi sees the seraphim and recognizes Christ in this seraphim, and suddenly he feels, think only, he feels completely transformed into Jesus!

Remember, Francis of Assisi is not some little saint. It is the first magnitude star in the Western Church. This luminary, which we have so many people extol, just read Durylin’s entry in the book “Flowers of Francis of Assisi,” as he writes there, how he extols Francis! The apostles themselves, it turns out, are lower than him. This vanity and pride are generated by the dogmatic teaching of the Church itself.

For a wide range of people, all dogma is a rather complicated area and boring. When you touch on its refraction in the immediate spiritual life of a person, you begin to understand how enormous the significance of this or that understanding of what Christ accomplished. Super merit. Christ says: if you had done all that was commanded to you, speak and think that you are not slaves.

If we take and consider the psychology of those whom the Orthodox Church calls the greatest saints. There are not many of them in history, those whom the church calls great: Anthony the Great, Athanasius the Great, Macarius the Great. There are not many of them. But if we look at their psychology, how they thought, how they felt!

Here is a striking example that we meet in the life of the Monk Sisoy the Great. Before his death, when all his associates and students gathered around him, he prays, they ask him: “What are you praying for, Sisoy?” - “So that God will give me more time to repent”. - “Sisoy, do you repent?”

And his face at the same time became more and more enlightened and shining. So radiant that it was already hard to look at him. He answered in such a way that he still has to be surprised: “Believe me, brothers, I don’t know if I even laid the foundation for my repentance.”

I draw your attention: a person is dying, and there can’t be any talk of hypocrisy here. We find similar examples as many as you want. Those who are sitting here, and those who read morning prayers, could not help but pay attention, for example, to the morning prayer of Macarius the Great.

A striking prayer, very brief, but think what he says, the Great Makarios, who was called the “earthly god”: “God, cleanse me a sinner, as if I had done good before You.” Those. I haven’t done anything good to you. It is he, Macarius, says so.

What it is? What is it, humility, maybe? Is it supposed to say that? God save you from thinking like that! These are people who were afraid to allow a shadow of cunning in their souls! And then they begin to hypocrite?

I’ll tell you about one of the greatest truths that Orthodoxy holds with both hands, you know how it sounds? Saints mourned their virtues as sins. You hear: virtues mourned as sins. Well, well, how to put this next to super-merit? Full contrast! Complete mutual exclusion!

And what is it - mourned virtues as sins? How can this be mourned? I give alms, help the poor, save someone from misfortune, what am I going to mourn? Glory to you, Lord, I am not a pound of raisins! As Feofan the Recluse said: "It’s rubbish itself, but it says everything: bring other people as well."

The saints saw that in every good deed that we do, a spoon of tar is necessarily mixed with a barrel of honey - vanity, man-pleasing, calculation. Well, the shadow at least mixes with what I myself realize, as improper, as vile at times, as bad, as evil.

Here were subtle psychologists. That's who really analyzed the state of his soul. That's who was attentive to what was happening inside the person. Think, saw, and therefore mourned their virtues as sins. That's where the cleanliness was! This is amazing.

Look, like the ancient Greeks, for example. Now, compare the ancient Greek musical ear and modern, that modern, which is the norm of music schools. It is enough to distinguish between tone, semitone, quarter-tone - they already say: well, what a rumor he has! But the ancient Greeks - no, the eighth tone.

And what are we talking about? What is absolute pitch? He does not tolerate the slightest deviation, not only one eighth, but, perhaps, one sixteenth tone can not stand, this dissonance. We say - the thinnest hearing, it is amazing, but what a purity of sound when everything is performed without any dissonance.

That's how in music this purity of sounding, so it turns out, this purity can be in the human soul. They felt how always even their good deeds, even their deeds and prayers, how imperfect they were in the face of the holy shrine of God that they subtly experienced and felt in their souls.

Here is Orthodoxy, and now compare with the super-merit. Now compare with psychology, when I do not recognize a single sin. See what's the difference? This is amazing! There is nothing in common! It is understandable, therefore, that the spiritual life in Catholicism led to that which was most definitely, clearly, with all responsibility said by our greatest saints as a state of charm. Ignatius Brianchaninov, an aristocrat of the highest class, the finest educated, delicate man, and suddenly, from his lips we hear the phrase when he says about these holy Catholic: “crazy”! He does not find another word.

Well, really, try to find another word when a young girl walks around the kindergarten with Jesus Christ for hours and talks. And, you don’t understand anything, this is one of the greatest saints of the Catholic Church, Katharina of Siena, who at the age of twenty felt that something unusual should happen to her soon and began to pray earnestly with great prayer.

Which one? I won’t tell you right away. We have the prayer of Jesus: Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. She began to pray, too, "Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God." Only further a strange continuation - “marry me in faith”!

Amazing! In my opinion, no explanation is required. Where are her thoughts directed, where are her feelings directed? Hence the endless visions, is the divine bridegroom Christ, attracts her to himself, i.e. hugs her, you need to say bluntly. He takes a heart out of her, inserts another heart into her, and these sweetest experiences, alas, make up the essence of her spiritual life. And how this spiritual life is expressed, look.

After all, I’m not telling you now some malicious slander against poor Katarina of Siena, this is what is now coming to us from Italy and published in Milan - the book “Portraits of Saints”. What does the author write while touching? Firstly, he is moved by this prayer: “marry me in faith”, then the author no longer finds words.

How does she address the rulers, the pope, the king of France? What she writes, you only think. The author of her life writes: in a state of ecstasy she even said to Christ himself “I want!” With an exclamation mark. And that was the leitmotif of all her letters. The king of France writes: listen to me and God. The Pope writes: Listen to the voices of the Holy Spirit that is addressed to you.

By the way, a curious fact occurs to her, which is difficult not to pay attention to. She has four or even more secretaries, and she immediately dictates answers to all of them, to different people at once. And at such a speed that they barely keep up with her. We find approximately the same picture with Helena Roerich when she hears a voice from there and also writes treatises of revelation with great speed. The phenomenon is similar and very understandable from a Christian point of view, not in doubt what happens to these poor people.

Now, understanding Christ as Savior, understanding what He did. Let's move away from Catholicism a bit, but what does Protestantism say about this? Oh, even more interesting things. What is Protestantism? This is Lutheranism, this is Reformation, this is the later Baptists, Pentecostals.

All this totality of Christian movements and, as the ecumenical language now expresses, churches - there the solution of the problem is even simpler. So simple that from tenderness you simply do not know what to do. It turns out that Christ so satisfied the justice of God with his sacrifice that he not only paid for the original sin, but for all the sins that we believers commit. And therefore, from now on, all of us believers are holy by the holiness of Christ. And sin to the believer is not charged with sin.

I say to students: listen, I’m moving to Lutheranism or somewhere. So good, so easy, and nothing else is needed - I am holy! What I want, then I create. It turns out that believers are not charged with sin. It turns out we are righteous with the righteousness of Christ. This is how the great words of the apostle Paul are interpreted: "we are saved only by faith."

All the time it surprises me, excuse me, if Protestants are present here, primitivism, there is no other word, how can such things be done so easily - to turn the work of salvation into such an elementary thing? I believe that two thousand years ago Christ came, I sincerely believe, I have no doubt, and therefore I am already holy by the holiness of Christ. What is it? You will now understand how dramatically, fundamentally different Orthodoxy from these things.

As Orthodoxy understands “we are saved only by faith”? How does Orthodoxy understand the feat of Christ, what did He do? If we take patristic theology, the first thing we see is that there is no question of redemption. It's funny to imagine.

Gregory the Theologian writes: to whom is the sacrifice of Christ made? I am said to be very worried, to whom? To the devil? - asks Gregory the Theologian. How crazy it is for God to offer sacrifice to his creatures. And what a creature - fallen. Maybe he sacrificed to his father? - then he asks.

And he answers: does the Father love less than the Son? Is not the Trinity a work of salvation? Indeed, does the Father love less than the Son? And was it even allowed to Abraham to sacrifice his son? Didn't He replace Isaac with a ram, a sheep? Those. rejects even that. And ends with the words: man had to be sanctified by humanity of God.

It is necessary to decipher it. First: there is no question of any ransom. Legal, legal, legal relations are not applicable between a person and God. Just as between the child and the parents are not applicable, a completely different principle applies. Orthodoxy pays all its attention to what is forgotten, actually discarded, and what is central in the Christian profession - God is love. Love God is.

By love, God humbles himself to a human image, unites with man, takes on his nature, unites with damaged human nature, and heals it through suffering, through humiliation, through the cross, through death, and resurrects it.

See how dramatically Christ is changing in his appearance to the disciples. If before that He is always with them, before that he is hungry and thirsty, he even says on the cross: My God, my God, left me free?

Look after the Resurrection: He goes with his companions, begins to break bread and - disappears, enters the “locked door” to the disciples.

On the one hand, it seems that he eats and drinks with them, on the other hand, He possesses properties that were not previously observed. Here is that transformed, that primordial, that flesh in glory, independent of the elements of this world, with which man was created, and to which man is destined in eternal life.

Watch how it changes. What did he do? He healed the damage that arose in our human nature as a result of sin. Sin of the first people. They committed a personal sin, but as a result of this personal sin, a serious damage to our nature occurred.

What do fathers say about this? They directly say: in a person there was a dissection of his being into the mind, heart and body. And these three seemed to be isolated, each of them acquired its own will, the confrontation began. “Ah, two souls live in my chest, and are torn apart, and long for separation.” And every person notices this, everyone knows that there is no unity in us. The mind directly says that there is truth, that there is truth, what to do, and conscience tells, and the heart, and the body leads directly to the opposite.

Here Christ restored, healed this nature, and for love it did it, for the love of the whole Holy Trinity. We are not talking about any ransom. And thanks to this restored nature, we can now spiritually, yes, spiritually, be born of Him, receive this new nature in the sacrament of Baptism.

In baptism, we receive the seed of a new person. As Simeon the New Theologian writes, one of the three theologians called by the Church: John the Theologian the Apostle, Gregory the Theologian and Simeon the New Theologian. What is he writing? Amazing words. “Then the God the Word comes into the baptized, as in the womb of the Evergreen, and abides in it like a seed.” It turns out how we get the fruits of Christ's sacrifice in ourselves.

Nothing seems to have changed outwardly. When Christ was resurrected, what people were, they remained, wars, illnesses continue, sins and crimes continue. However, a great thing happened - every person who saw that Christ really is the Truth, that He is that shrine that my soul craves, that in Him I see the meaning and justification of the worldview that leads me to the good of my life. When I am convinced of this, I can partake of Him.

In this sacrament of birth to the Church, in this sacrament of Baptism, I can receive this blessed seed, and if I lead a truly Christian life, this seed can grow in me. What does it mean to grow in me? After all, I can be baptized, and as I was, I remained so - a pagan. I can live a pagan, but I can live completely differently.

And so the history of the Church offers us an infinite number of those people who have shown what this seed of new life, which we received in baptism, does with a person. On the examples of saints that history has left for us, we see how a person is transformed, what kind of light he becomes for human society.

It is no coincidence that these great words of Seraphim of Sarov, who said: "Take hold of the spirit of peace, and thousands will be saved around you." Right A person who develops in himself this seed of a righteous, righteous Christian life, who repents of his sins, who perfectly understands that he has not only no merits - and cannot be. Who repents even of his good deeds, realizing that even this good I did not do as required, not kindly.

This person is gradually sanctified, his seed sprouts, turns into a tree that brings great fruits that sanctify the world. There is no ransom, no excuse, a completely different principle of life, a different view of Christ and spiritual life in comparison with the Western understanding of Christianity.

I presented you with the first version of a possible explanation. Sami understands that this is a brief summary. Naturally, in the theological school we analyze this in detail, there are a lot of curious things, for example, in Catholic dogma, in Protestant dogma, there are a lot of curious, I will tell you, things that now lead to such phenomena in life that everyone starts little by little to understand what we are dealing with, what is Western Christianity.

It gave rise to nihilism, materialism, deism, atheism. Moreover, this follows from theology itself, moreover, I must tell you that the whole of European civilization was generated precisely by Western theology as such, in all those forms that we see.

Question: In what year did the Orthodox Byzantium fall, what events preceded this?

- In 1453. Well, you know that the Turks were already gradually capturing the entire empire over the previous century, maybe even more. In the end, by this time the entire Byzantine empire was already within the walls of Constantinople. The whole empire. And she fell. Moreover, how she fell is very interesting.

The last emperor Constantine XI, with a sword in his hands, fought along with his fellow citizens for the salvation of his fatherland. That's wonderful - with a sword in his hands, to death. And in this sense it must be said that he died as a worthy emperor, as a hero. But what came before, you know, in evaluating any events of this kind, there are two approaches.

We will call one approach such a secularly historical approach, which finds and sees the causes of such phenomena in the historical processes that are taking place in the world. Why these processes go, no one can ever say. These processes go, it happens there - then something else happens here.

Christianity offers a completely different method of consideration. It claims that all processes taking place in society, historical processes, all processes taking place in the biosphere and even in the space sphere are all conditioned by a person’s spiritual state. Christianity does not deny the term, which, in truth, had a different meaning in paganism, but from there it comes that man is a microcosm.

Yes, a person, indeed, is that lever, that force that determines the entire state of the world around him. And, of course, the state of society and all the processes taking place in society and in the state. The reason is our spiritual moral condition.

There are vivid biblical examples: Sodom and Gomorrah, or the Flood. But we indicate biblical examples, but could we not give examples from the life of any state, including any Orthodox state? Could, and no less convincing, which would show as a degradation of spiritual life, as the conversion of Christianity into form, which ultimately leads to the impoverishment of the spirit.

It is clear that such a form and impoverishment of the spirit? Those. we are all Orthodox, but we live in a pagan way, but we beat ourselves in the chest, we perform services, we decorate everything that is necessary, well, we do everything with the order. And we ourselves remain pagans.

So, when from the outside the church life can even flourish, but if there is no corresponding spiritual process, when people do not get better, when there is no struggle with passions, if this change of soul does not take place, if there is no such correct spiritual change within a person, inside people, within society, this inevitably leads to cataclysms of a social historical character.

So one should not be surprised that entire Orthodox empires and Orthodox states often fell precisely because of this, that this external well-being, like a warm bath, relaxes us. And instead of the right Christian life, we begin to prosper. Then the disastrousness comes, necessarily and inevitably.

So in relation to the situation in which the fall of Byzantium occurred, we should look not so much at historical moments, not at external ones: how the Turks appeared there, why they decided here, how they moved - all this is only a consequence.

For the most part, people, as a rule, are blind tools in the hands of God's wise providence. He thinks he is killing someone, but he, the poor one, does not even know that you have freedom and you will answer for the malice with which you commit a sin, but to kill or not to kill a person is not in your hands . They want to kill one, and they just can't do it, but the other way, the thought has come - and it's easy for you. Each person will be responsible for the state of his soul.

It is the spiritual state that determines not only our personal life, the life of each person, but also determines the processes taking place in society. A striking example of this is Sodom and Gomorrah. Remember how Abraham talks with wanderers, with angels? When they told him that the city would be destroyed, remember, Abraham says: but, Sir, what if there are fifty righteous ones, destroy it? - Do not destroy. “What if forty-five?” - Do not destroy. - And if forty? - Do not destroy. And so he reached ten. - And if ten? - Do not destroy. And then he turned away and walked away from him.

There is a certain measure, it turns out. A very interesting phenomenon is indicated, which is extremely important. And what a pity that we do not understand this. There is a measure of righteousness. If there were even ten righteous people, the city would not be destroyed. There were none of them.

So it is now. Why will the same end of the world happen? These ten righteous will not remain. It is no accident that the Apocalypse says: “a woman clothed in the sun,” which, according to the interpretation of all the fathers, is the Church. “A woman clothed in the sun will flee into the wilderness.” In human society, no place can be found for it. As Tikhon Voronezhsky wrote, the 18th century, about the state of affairs in Russia, that he writes: “Christianity is imperceptibly moving away from people, only hypocrisy remains”.

Theophan the Recluse at the end of the last century writes: "Nobody does anything, another one or two generations, and Orthodoxy will not remain in Russia." A generation and a half passed after his words - and the revolution came.

Ignatius Brianchaninov what wrote? The idea is understandable - from a Christian point of view, which is confirmed by a huge number of facts, all the cataclysms of our world, as well as, by the way, take-offs in life, are caused by the spiritual moral state of man and society.

This is where the main reason for the fall of Constantinople.

Now I will say a few general words about Protestantism. What is the trouble with Protestantism in general? The fact that he resolutely rejected the Holy Tradition of the Church. What is Holy Tradition? This is the combined patristic teaching, teaching and experience of the fathers. For questions of faith, for questions of life. Rejecting, Protestantism declared: only Scripture, and that’s it.

So I have to talk with them, and I tell them: well, well, and how do you explain the fact that there are many Christian denominations that have the same Scripture? The answer is one - a different understanding of the Bible. What are the criteria, which of these understandings is true and which is false? Why do you think, for example, that the Pentecostal understanding of the Bible is true and the Catholic false, tell me why? Why do you consider the Lutheran understanding false? Why orthodox and so on? Where are the criteria?

So Orthodoxy claims that if we stand on the basis of a subjective understanding of the Bible, then we can come to any interpretations and any absurdities.

In Orthodoxy there is a golden principle - we believe that which everyone always believed everywhere and everywhere. Why is this true? For a very simple reason. For example, is the priesthood a sacrament or not? On the basis of the book of Acts, it is still difficult to understand who the elders are and who are the bishops. The apostle writes in his epistles, and it is not clear who this is about. How to find out what they wrote about?

We can think anything, but let's see what the disciples of the apostles wrote on these issues. They probably knew better than anyone what their direct teachers wrote. Are there such compositions? Yes, in the Church they bear the names of the husbands of the apostles. Clement of Rome, Hermia, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna.

From their writings it is very clearly, directly and clearly visible who the bishop is, who the presbyter is. And it turns out that only a bishop can ordain, and it turns out that the succession of ordinations is one of the laws of the Church. Their students write the same thing. That is, the picture is absolutely clear. We figured out how to understand the words of the apostles in this subject. This we call the Holy Tradition of the Church. Tradition, because the Gospel does not write about it. And we see how it is understood.

There is no criterion in Protestantism. Imagine: in the XIX century, after 1800 years after the emergence of Christianity, some teacher, some Muller, suddenly appeared and says: this is what you need to understand. We ask why? - I had a revelation. Ah, there it is, revelation. You had one thing, and your neighbor another, and he had a third. And you did not think, on what basis can you judge the truth or falsity of revelation?

All these teachers are completely unfamiliar with the teachings of the fathers, i.e. with the Sacred Tradition of the Church. Therefore, what comes to the head’s head, in which he can convince his followers, is considered to be the truth, completely without any relation to what the Church has taught for millennia.

Here, in this case, the Church does not reject at all, it even claims that with a correct Christian life, with a holy life, a person is compared with the Holy Spirit. But apart from the first century, we do not find in the history of the Church that even the great saints speak foreign languages. Neither Macarius the Great, nor Sysoi the Great, nor Athanasius the Great, nor Arseny the Great — did not speak languages \u200b\u200bat all. Is this the gift of the Holy Spirit? This is only one of the small gifts that was essential in the first century for the formation and approval of the Church and its preaching. Further we do not see this.

Therefore, to reduce the gifts of the Holy Spirit to speaking with tongues is so primitive that it is simply hard to imagine. Is this the gift of the Holy Spirit? Gifts of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul lists: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, temperance.” This is what the fruits of the Spirit are! There is not even a word about speaking with tongues. This is a practical thing that was purely historical in nature.

And second: how is the gift of the Holy Spirit acquired? This is completely forgotten. Wisdom will not enter into evil souls and will not dwell in a body enslaved by sin. The acquisition of the gift of the Holy Spirit is possible only on the basis of a proper Christian life, and a correct Christian life leads to the fact that a person is convinced that he is not at all what he should be. Moreover, he is convinced, I emphasize, that he is not worthy of a single gift of God, not a single one.

Therefore, what do we meet in the lives of the saints? They even begged to take away the gifts that God gave them. Hear, begged even to take away these external gifts. For example, the gifts of miracles. How they hid these gifts! Reached even to what? Everyone knew that he was a miracle worker, but he was categorically: I am the same as everyone. Literally, such a godly deception. They bring a dead baby, they ask: Father, pray over him, he is seriously ill. He prayed and he gets up. But the saint did not know that he was dead. How to hide!

I will tell you a striking thing - every true virtue is always deeply chaste. It is clear what is - chaste? Hiding himself. How is a chaste woman dressed? Every Christian virtue hides itself deeply, chastely.

Christ resurrects the daughter of Jairus and what says? Do not tell anyone. Blind-born - don't tell anyone. Leper - be silent, do not tell anyone. Just think, it seems that he came for this, but He, as in humanity and in truth, was All-Righteous, and it was natural.

True virtue hides itself, false - screams and makes noise. I have a gift, now I will speak foreign languages, only you will not understand anything that I will say, but you will see that I am in the gift of the Holy Spirit. This is all chastity. They, poor ones, have forgotten the very foundations of a proper spiritual life. There is no spirituality where there is no humility, where there is no awareness of one's unworthiness.

Once again I remind Sisoy the Great, whose face was enlightened so that they could not look at him, and he begged God to give him time to repent. That is what holiness means. When a person approaches a true shrine, he begins to see all the abomination, all his unworthiness. Here is an example of how dangerous it is to break away from what we call the Church, from what we call Holy Tradition, i.e. the teachings of the fathers.

The worst thing that exists in a person, and that forever and ever will not allow a person to be saved, is his opinion about himself: I am good. Is it clear to you? I'm good, everyone is bad, and I'm good. Once again, I repeat the great words of Theophan the Recluse: "he is rubbish himself rubbish, but he repeats everything: bring like other people." Here, indeed, spiritual death.

Not only Orthodox believers are called Christians. Protestants and Catholics are also Christians. There are 3 main areas of religion, which is based on the life and covenants of Jesus Christ:

• Orthodoxy
• Catholicism;
• Protestantism.

It is important for those who think about their relationship with God to know the difference between these religions.

Historically, the apostles of Jesus Christ created the Unified Holy Catholic Apostolic Church, which consisted of 5 main Local Churches:

• Jerusalem Local Church founded by the apostle James;
• Antioch Local Church - by the apostles Peter and Paul;
• Alexandria Local Church - by the Apostle Mark;
• Constantinople Local Church - Apostle Andrew;
• Roman Local Church - by the Apostle Peter.

Western and eastern churches have always been distinguished among themselves by the languages \u200b\u200bof worship, rites and dogmas

The Western Church was led by Pope Leo IX, and the Eastern by the Patriarch of Constantinople Michael Kirulariy. Divine services in the Roman Church took place in Latin, and in Constantinople in Greek. The rites also differed in the use of unleavened bread in Latin liturgies, and in Greek - sour and other details.

The final break of the Catholic and Orthodox Church.

In 1054, on the basis of disagreements in worship and the struggle for power, a final break occurred. Representatives of the pope announced that Michael Kirularius was excommunicated, and Michael, in turn, anathematized them.

Two separate areas of the Christian religion were formed - Orthodoxy and Catholicism. The western church was called Roman Catholic, and the eastern one was called Orthodox. The disagreements of the churches have not yet been overcome, although mutual curses were lifted in 1965.

Orthodoxy, within the meaning of the word, means “rightful glory or glorification” of God, that is, the doctrine of the true apostolic faith. The word Catholic means in Greek "universal or comprehensive," that is, the largest religion in terms of the number of believers.

Protestantism appeared much later - in 1517

The word Protestantism comes from the Latin language and means "solemn statement or objection." In the sixteenth century in Europe there was indignation of some members of the Catholic Church that its leadership began to abuse its power. As a result of this reformation, a new direction of Christianity was formed - Protestantism.

The head of the anti-Catholic movement of Christianity was Martin Luther, a theologian of medieval Germany, and a doctor of theology. He interpreted the epistles of the Apostle Paul in his own way and wrote 95 basic postulates of the Protestant faith.

There are now more than 20,000 different forms of Protestant teaching. The most common are:

• lutheranism   - The largest Protestant trend of Christianity, which strictly adheres to the principles of faith written by Martin Luther;
• calvinism - based on the theological doctrine of Jean Calvin, who wrote the treatise “Instruction in the Christian Faith” in 1536;
• anglicanism   - a direction that is historically associated with the English Church after its reformation;
• baptism   - comes from the ancient Greek word "immersed in water" and professes the conscious baptism of adults only;
• evangelical christians   - are based on salvation only through faith in Jesus Christ. The main thing that distinguishes the gospel church from the Orthodox is that it considers the canonical gospel to be the only source of faith.

Protestants and Orthodox are much more different than Catholics and Orthodox. If we make a general comparison, the Orthodox and Catholic churches are the first apostolic churches in which the apostolic succession of bishops is clearly traced through their ordination.

The Protestant church arose as a result of the reforms of the Catholic Church - this is its main difference from Orthodoxy.

In addition, rarely saw Protestants baptized, because of all directions, only Lutherans and Anglicans overshadow themselves with the sign of the Cross from left to right, just like Catholics do. In other forms of Protestantism, it is not customary to be baptized.

The differences between the three main Christian religions among themselves are in the organization of the church, the definition of the main principle of faith and the different interpretation of dogmas

Since ancient times, all Christian churches were equal. Although Catholics believe that the Roman church was at the head of the first five Local Churches. This opinion is not confirmed, since it is known for certain that Ecumenical Councils were convened to resolve all issues, where the opinion of all churches was taken into account.

A table showing the main differences between Orthodoxy, Catholicism and Protestantism:

Difference Criteria	Orthodoxy	Catholicism	Protestantism
Church formation order	This is an association of local churches that profess the same faith.	This is an association of churches led by the pope.	These are many anti-Catholic directions that differ from each other in organization and beliefs.
The main sources of faith	The basis of the doctrine is the Holy Tradition, which includes the Holy Scriptures.	The foundation of faith is the authority of the pope and his interpretation of scripture and scripture.	Only Scripture is recognized, which is taken literally and explains each direction in its own way.
Dogma of the Holy Spirit	It is believed that the Holy Spirit comes only from God the Father.	It is believed that the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father and from God the Son - Jesus Christ, as a result of which the Latin word filioque - Filioque - “and [from] the Son” is added to the Creed.	The Catholic view is used that the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father and from God the Son.
Worldview of the Last Judgment and Purgatory	Belief in a fair Last Judgment and in the fact that after death the soul passes the test of “ordeal”.	The belief that after death the soul ends in purgatory, where it gets rid of sins.	It is believed that there is no purgatory and "ordeal" of the soul, and only faith in Jesus Christ as God the Savior is enough to save.
Veneration of the virgin mary	The Virgin Mary is revered as the Most Holy Mother of God and Queen of Heaven, but who is born, like all people, from her father and mother during original sin.	Virgin Mary is venerated as a virgin without original sin.	Virgin Mary is revered simply as a sacred woman who gave birth to the Savior Jesus Christ.
The presence of certain sacred ranks		The hierarchy of priests - deacon, presbyter, bishop.	There is no approved name for the rank of priests due to different directions in the rites. There is a teaching that all who believe are sacred.
Relation to soul salvation and prayer for the dead		It is customary to pray for the dead, for the salvation of the soul. And also pray to the saints.	It is not customary to pray for the dead and saints. It is believed that only God needs to pray, and the fate of the soul after death is already determined by faith.
Rites of worship	Liturgy in the Eastern rite	Liturgy is served in Eastern and Latin rites	There is no definite liturgy; there are different forms of worship
The presence of the sacraments	There are 7 sacraments: Eucharist Priesthood Baptism · Anointing; Repentance Bare blessing.	There are 7 sacraments: Eucharist Priesthood Baptism · Anointing; Repentance Bare blessing.	Most communities recognize the sacraments of baptism and communion. The rest of the sacraments are considered to be ceremonies that do not carry God's special Grace.
Features of the Eucharist	During the Eucharist, bread and wine are considered to be the real Body and Blood of Christ, with which the laity and priests take communion. Bread is used from yeast dough.	During the Eucharist, bread from unleavened dough is used and wine is the Body and Blood of Christ. The laity take communion only with bread, the priests with bread and wine.	Bread and wine are accepted as a reminder of the mission of Jesus Christ.
Relation monasticism	There is an experience of monasticism.	There is an experience of monasticism.	Monasticism is not recognized.
Teaching of Guardian Angels	It is believed that a Christian has 2 Guardian Angels. One is given at birth, the second at baptism.	It is believed that the Christian has a Guardian Angel.	The presence of a Guardian Angel in a Christian is rejected.
Priesthood Rules for Marriage	All priests, except monks, are allowed to marry.	All priests make a vow of celibacy - celibacy.	Marriage is permitted to all believers.
Features of baptism	Baptism is carried out from infancy by three immersions in water. Immediately after baptism, anointing and communion are accepted.	Baptism is carried out from infancy by pouring water. Confirmation and communion takes place in conscious childhood (from 7 years).	Baptism is carried out only in adult conscious age.
Worship of religious attributes	Icons, temples and a cross are revered. Used body crosses.	Icons, images of saints and Jesus Christ and the cross are venerated. Used body crosses.	There are no icons or temples. The cross is found in some houses of worship. Cross stitches are not used.

Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant crosses differ in form and image.

Orthodoxy, unlike other religions, is called orthodox, that is, a religion that strictly and steadily, without accepting and not making any changes, follows the original path - the teaching of the apostles. The head of the Orthodox Church has always been and remains Jesus Christ himself. Who warned his disciples about the emergence of other false teachings.

Due to historical circumstances in 1054, the Universal Church was divided into Western and Eastern. In the XVI-XVII centuries, a part of the believers separated from the Catholic Church, who expressed their disagreement with some dogmas of the faith and the innovations of the Pope. Such Christians were called Protestants.

Catholics -christians belonging to the church of the Western Rite (Catholic), which was formed as a result of the division of the Ecumenical Church into two branches.
Protestants -christians belonging to religious Christian movements who, as a result of the Reformation, broke away from the Catholic Church.

Comparison of Catholics and Protestants

What is the difference between Catholics and Protestants?

The internal organization of the church

Catholics recognize the organizational unity of the church, held together by the unconditional authority of the Pope. Protestants of the Lutheran and Anglican churches maintain centralization, while Baptists are dominated by federalism. Their communities are autonomous and independent of each other. The absolute and only authority for Protestants is Jesus Christ.
Catholic priests do not marry. The Protestant clergy in this regard has no differences from ordinary citizens.
  Catholics have monastic orders (one of the forms of monasticism). Protestants have no such way of organizing spiritual life.
  The clergy of Catholics are exclusively men. In many Protestant movements, women also become bishops and priests.
  The adoption of new members by the Catholics is done through baptism. The age of the baptized does not matter. Protestants are baptized only at a conscious age.

Creed

Catholics recognize the equal authority of Scripture and Holy Tradition. Protestants recognize only scripture. The priesthood can interpret it in separate movements, but more often - a collection of believers, and sometimes the individual himself.
  Catholics preach the cult of the Virgin Mary as the Mother of God and the Intercessor of the human race. Protestants reject the dogma of the Catholic Church about the Virgin.
  Catholics have seven sacraments: baptism, the Eucharist, anointing, repentance, the priesthood, marriage, and the blessing of the priesthood. Protestants accept only two sacraments - baptism and communion. Quakers and Anabaptists have no sacraments at all.
  Catholics believe that after death, a private judgment is performed over the soul of a person for the sins committed during his life, as the threshold of the Last Judgment. They pray for the dead. Protestants reject the doctrine of the existence of the soul before the Last Judgment. They don’t pray for the deceased.

Church practice

For communion, Catholics use unleavened unleavened bread - unleavened bread. For Protestants, the type of bread in this case does not matter.
  Confession at least once a year in the presence of a priest is mandatory for Catholics. Protestants do not recognize mediators in fellowship with God.
  Catholics serve Mass as the main worship of the church. Protestants have no special form of worship.
  Catholics venerate icons, a cross, picturesque, as well as sculptural images of saints and their relics. For Catholics, saints are intercessors of God. Protestants do not recognize the icons and the cross (with very few exceptions) and do not honor the saints.

  The difference between Catholics and Protestants is as follows:

In Catholicism, there is an organizational unity of believers, held together by the authority of the Pope. Protestants have no unity, and no head of the church.
  Catholics can be clergymen only men, among Protestants among the clergy there are also women.
  Catholics are baptized at any age, Protestants only at a mature age.
Protestants deny Holy Tradition.
  Catholics recognize the cult of the Virgin Mary. The Virgin for Protestants is just a perfect woman. There is also no cult of saints.
  Catholics have seven sacraments of the church, Protestants - only two, and in some movements - not a single one.
  Catholics have a concept of the posthumous suffering of the soul. Protestants believe only in the Last Judgment.
   Catholics receive communion on unleavened bread; for Protestants, the type of bread for communion is unimportant.
  Catholics confess in the presence of a priest, Protestants - without an intermediary before God.
  Protestants have no particular form of worship.
  Protestants do not recognize the icons, the cross and do not honor the relics of saints, as is customary among Catholics.

Despite the fact that the Christian faith provides for the worship of one God, there are some differences in faiths. For example, if you take Catholics and Protestants, then they not only conduct services in different ways, but sometimes even look at life. Before joining any denomination, you need to understand in detail how these people breathe, what they put emphasis on, and in general - how their faith differs.

A bit of history

Back in the year 1054, when the Ecumenical Church was united, division occurred in it. As a result, Eastern and Western formed. A little later in the 17th century, the well-known theologian Martin Luther carried out a reformation in the Catholic Church, which caused some of the believers to separate. He refuted the teachings and dogmas of the Pope, expressed his disagreement about many innovations. After this, a Protestant denomination was formed, which functions along with the Catholic to this day. Church organization - what is the difference? Catholics consider the Pope to be their main authority. The unity of all local churches is based on this. As for the Protestants, for them the authority is exclusively Jesus Christ.

Only men can be preachers and confessors in Catholic assemblies. But some Protestant branches recognize the clergy of women, and they have every right to read and interpret the Holy Scriptures in worship. And in that, and in that denomination, baptism is required to accept a new person in the church. But the only difference is that Catholics baptize infants or people of any age - from young children to old people. They also recognize such a spiritual way of life as monasticism - separation of oneself from earthly temptations. Protestants take this issue more strictly and accept only people of a conscious age who can be responsible for their actions and accept the faith, regardless of the desire of their parents or relatives. You can only become a protestant of your own free will.

Spiritual life

Also, they do not have monasteries and monastic orders. Spiritual life is based on personal faith, prayer, reading the Bible, but you do not need to completely leave the world and separate yourself from everything earthly. Tip: When you enter the Catholic faith and take the dignity of a priest (which applies only to men), do not forget about the vow of celibacy. If you disagree with this vow and the charters of this denomination, it is better to choose another church, where marriage is more liberal and does not prohibit the creation of a family for clergy. The Protestant church in this sense is more free to marry a priest and even welcomes this step. But in some branches you cannot marry or marry a person of a different faith - for this they can even be excommunicated.

Catholics consider the authority of the Bible and Holy Tradition to be equal in rights. They recognize these scriptures as sacred, and therefore strictly obey many human laws that are not described in the Bible. Protestants adhere strictly to the authority of scripture. In the church itself, in the ministry, deacons and elders can interpret it. But there are also so-called home groups where people gather in a free environment and share their revelations. At the same time, the Protestants reject the priesthood of the Virgin Mary and do not worship her. Based on the Holy Scriptures, they claim that the only mediator between people is Jesus Christ, and there is no other. Catholics, on the other hand, extol the Theotokos and consider her an intercessor before God for the people. On this basis, representatives of these faiths often have serious disputes and disagreements. It must be remembered that the Christian faith inclines everyone to love and peace, so it is better to avoid such issues and “sharp corners” in communication.

The advantages of Catholicism:

• The strict and unchanging order of worship - the Mass, almost never changes. It creates a special mood of the soul and reverence.
• Confession is obligatory before the clergyman, which pushes a person to correction.
• A strict look in clothes while in the church.

Pros of Protestantism:

• They do not attach much importance to the sacraments, believing that rites should not be part of the life of a true believer. Only sacraments such as the sacrament and baptism are recognized. During the sacrament, any bread is used - while the Catholics believe that only unleavened bread is suitable for this.
• Diversity in worship can be a plus for those who do not attach importance to this. This eliminates the sense of ritual, allows a simple person to touch the divine. Everyone can participate in the meeting, share their spiritual experiences, and even perform a psalm.
• They do not recognize the worship of icons and images of saints. They pray exclusively to God.