Which Christians are the most
Who are Catholics? These are representatives of Catholicism (from the Greek word “universal”, “ecumenical”) - one of the three main movements of Christianity along with Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Catholics are the largest Christian denomination: today there are more than 1.3 billion people.
“As soon as this incorrect wisdom had time to appear in the West, that the Holy Spirit also proceeds from the Son, it... little by little introduced with it other novelties, for the most part contradicting the commandments of our Savior clearly depicted in the Gospel, such as: sprinkling instead of immersion in The Sacrament of Baptism, the taking away of the divine Chalice from the laity and the use of unleavened bread instead of leavened bread, the exclusion of the invocation of the Holy Spirit from the Liturgy. It also introduced innovations that violated the ancient apostolic rites of the Catholic Church, such as: the exclusion of baptized infants from Confirmation, the exclusion of married men from the priesthood, and so on” (Reverend Ambrose of Optina).
Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence) - one of the most famous Catholic churches
Why were Catholics and Orthodox Christians divided?
In 1054, the Ecumenical Orthodox Church split into the Local Roman Church and a number of Eastern local Churches, united by common Orthodox dogmas. This happened due to different views on the interpretation of the doctrine of the Church and the doctrine of God. Also influenced by the desire of the Pope to become the generally recognized head of all Christian Churches. Theological differences also arose about the Filioque (the dogma of the Trinity). The Orthodox Church believes that the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father, the Catholic Church - from the Father and the Son. This became one of the reasons for the division.
It is worth noting that disagreements between Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople arose long before the official date of the schism. But after the closure of the Latin churches in Constantinople, Pope Leo sent a message to Patriarch Michael, in which he outlined his desire to become the head of the entire Church. The result of the conflict was mutual anathemas at the level of individual church hierarchs. Although these anathemas did not apply to the Churches, they cemented the split between the two Christian denominations for many centuries until the present day.
Over the course of several more centuries, there were both attempts at rapprochement between the Churches and events that strengthened the schism. As a result, the Pope's insistence on recognizing his dogmas led to harsh measures from the Patriarchate of Constantinople. The entire Catholic Church was declared heretical.
On the difference between the worldviews of Catholics and Orthodox Christians
Very often, Orthodox Christians are accused of being too strict, withdrawn, and even arrogant. There is a lot of talk about their reluctance to communicate with people who profess a different faith: with Catholics, Protestants, as well as representatives of other faiths, while everyone knows about the tolerant attitude of Catholics towards other religions. What is the difference between Western and Eastern Christianity? Orthodox and Catholics profess Christ, and before the Great Schism (1054) both generally belonged to the same church. At first glance, the answer is not particularly difficult: the filioque, the dogmas of the infallibility of the Pope and the immaculate conception of the Virgin Mary are the three main provisions of the Catholic Church with which the Orthodox Church does not agree; but can this be considered the only and, most importantly, the main reason for the split? It would probably be useful here to look at Catholicism and Orthodoxy from within the philosophical tradition. Philosophy takes us beyond the literal understanding of human actions and forces us to look for reasons at their source - thoughts. Thought unites, establishes a connection between people, and only thanks to it can we understand not only the interlocutor sitting next to us, but also a person who lived thousands of years ago. Thus, philosophy offers a very reliable path, the path that we will follow, identifying the characteristics of cultural traditions.
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and Pope Francis. Rome, Vatican. March 20, 2013
Before starting to move in this direction, it is necessary to feel the ground, because if there are differences, it means that there is something that is initially common, in this case, this is the confession of Christ. And although the latter belongs rather to the field of theology, it is philosophy that will help us clarify the undifferentiated, deepen the knowledge of ourselves and our faith - the limit and beginning of human knowledge.
The cradle of Western European culture is undoubtedly Ancient Greece. It is here that the individual free principle is formed in a person, the first hero and the concept of the heroic appear for the first time. Statehood is taking shape, the foundations of which are subsequently inherited by the Great Roman Empire, and after it by the entire West. However, the most important merit of Greek culture belongs, of course, to philosophy. While the Jewish prophets and kings were enlightening their people by divine grace, preparing Israel for the coming of the Messiah, something happened in Greece that completely changed consciousness: man learned about himself for the first time. A philosophy was born in which a person opens himself in thought, making a leap from mythological reality to the reality of individual existence. This event can also be regarded as a gradual preparation of the human mind for the mystery of the Incarnation, because thought, by its means, reveals the image of God in man, prepares his consciousness for a meeting with God.
The philosopher renounces the religious tradition (pagan) existing at that time and begins knowledge, making himself its source and beginning. Thought is the first movement, a transition to activity, participation in oneself, where “I” is the source of thought. Socrates said: “I know that I know nothing,” and with this he defined and fixed the position of the philosopher, who, like a river, is unchangeable in that which invariably changes. What makes a philosopher constantly recognize and replenish himself? A feeling that a person cannot explain is the love of wisdom, that reality that does not allow one to become isolated on oneself, leads one to the unknown, pointing out human limitations and lack of self-sufficiency in oneself, forces him to constantly change, while highlighting the “I” as the source your changes and efforts. Yes, it is the love of knowledge, and not the assertion of oneself in one’s knowledge, the love of wisdom that delivers an incomparable experience, the anticipation of discovery, and the discovery itself is just a short moment of infinity, which is nevertheless perceived so acutely and clearly, and it is clear that it cannot be confused with anything, much less forgotten.
However, this does not mean that a philosopher is a person who is constantly disappointed and seeks new knowledge - such creation would be like a vicious circle. Love provides both a goal and a way out. Love belongs to God and is given to us as a gift, as a guide to the blind, following which it is possible to find the right path. Speaking about knowledge as a human principle, we must take into account its limits, the presence of which is evidenced by the inexhaustible question about being, about truth, and love gives it infinity. Catholic theologian Jean Maritain wrote in his article “Metaphysics and Mysticism”: “Knowledge introduces into our soul all forms and all goods, but devoid of their inherent life and reduced to the level of objects of thought. They reside in us, are grafted into us, but their mode of being is incomplete. They require addition, they burden us with the desire to follow them in their own being and reality, to master them not only in idea, but also in reality. And this is where love comes in. It attracts the soul to the union of a real order, which the intellect, in itself, with the exception of special cases of the vision of God, cannot give.” [1] Yes, thought is not enough for a person, because its very nature is “insufficiency”, which is incapable to satisfy. This is the essence of human thinking: it leads, not stops (affirms), and it is thanks to this that we can “achieve a state of vision”[2].
Ancient Greece did not know the God of Abraham and Jacob; unfortunately, it had no access to personal faith, and therefore the ontology here was of a material nature, determined by the cosmological order. The philosopher stands on the threshold of faith, but does not see God. It is amazing that before Revelation, man himself, of his own free will, did everything in his power to come to Him. The philosopher was constantly in anticipation of the truth; his love for wisdom did not allow him to stop; it was she who kept the thinker in constant tension and anticipation.
And so! It's finished! The One for Whom the Greeks, and now the Romans, had been waiting for so long, without knowing it, and for Whom the Jews had been preparing for so long, appeared. The Nativity of Christ... We won’t talk in detail about the life of Jesus, let’s move immediately 33 years forward, to the Sanhedrin. The Judgment of Christ. They judge the Truth. And who judges? Those same Romans and Jews. Knowledge and grace meet at judgment. However, what did this knowledge turn into, which does not want to know anything except itself, and what did this grace become, which the Jews considered to be their merit? A gift is not human property, and this is often difficult to accept. Thus, the event towards which both of them have been so patiently and persistently since the Fall turns into a judgment on the Truth. Knowledge lacks the courage to believe, and the self in faith is too proud and inaccessible to stoop to knowledge. The Jews shouted with one voice: “Crucify him!” - and to the simple question of common sense: “What evil did he do?” — they couldn’t answer anything. The commandments of Moses, which were nothing but prohibitions and deprived a person of all hope, give way to the commandments of the Beatitudes of Christ - an invitation to faith, to salvation, which depends primarily on a person: he becomes responsible, and this responsibility is in itself a great gift. God is rejected twice, but this time He leaves the opportunity to come to Him to everyone who loves Him. The apostles “spread out in all four directions” to preach, found churches, gather communities, and ordain. This is how the United Apostolic Church is formed, and very soon Rome and Antioch become its two main centers.
Speaking about the Roman Church, we should not forget about Roman history. The most important merit of the Romans is the art of politics. The feeling of chosenness, primacy is in the blood of a Roman, he is born with this feeling, so where else if not in Rome could the first empire have formed? A Roman citizen does everything for his polis, serves it faithfully until his last breath, thus, the way of life of each person depends on how the state is structured. The empire is an ideal, universal system, and its citizens deserve the best life. However, it is hardly worth asserting that Rome, by accepting Christianity, adjusts it to its own standards and reduces it to its level of understanding. On the one hand, this line of thought can be justified by the fact that the religious sphere of life, like any other, was included in the state system, but if this were the only way, Catholicism would have long since become obsolete and ceased to exist. Is this the same as defining the Vatican as the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and considering the persistent desire of the Western Church to explain to a person in detail, with all the details, what faith in Christ is, a disregard for the personal perception of the Word of God?
Let's try to figure it out. Ancient thought was born much earlier than Christ, and human knowledge with His advent requires satisfaction and explanation. A Catholic, following the ancient Greek, feels quite confident here on earth, he has already found himself in the world, or at least established himself, and here he is trying to find God. His attitude to reality is not just different from the attitude of the Russian Orthodox towards it in our time, it is directly opposite. Western man strives to build his world according to the laws of the Kingdom of Heaven, puts them into practice and, in this sense, fights for himself. Perceiving the earth as the creation of God, he does not experience mistrust or prejudice towards it. Probably, it is precisely this attitude towards oneself and what surrounds a person that can explain both the Vatican and the Pope.
But what about Revelation - the question arises? If a Catholic is so immersed in life, then how will he find the way to God here on earth? Perhaps the fact is that he arranges the world around himself not in order to build the Kingdom of Heaven and exist peacefully in it. On the contrary, through his work, through creation, he seeks the path to God, is well aware of his connection with external reality and is not afraid of it, on the contrary, there is a tradition of the word, there is a philosophy that deals exclusively with its own business - “serves theology.” And thanks to her, the latter always corresponds to its time. A person realizes himself not in isolation from the world, but first of all here on earth, therefore philosophy returns to a person his stability and movement, the purpose of which, as is known, is to, resting both feet on the ground, rush with his head to the stars. A Catholic demonstrates this “standing” in his life (despite the fact that he sits in church).
As for the split of Catholicism, the emergence of Protestantism, let us remember that this began in the Middle Ages - the time of indulgences, inquisitions, torture, executions and witches. Church life at this time was experiencing a crisis. Its mystical significance as the Body of Christ is replaced by the perception of it as a human organization, as another state that needs reform. In this sense, of course, it is very easy for the Catholic Church to become dispersed; it is too here in life and risks existing more for man than for God.
Let us now turn to the Orthodox tradition. If earlier, when speaking about a Catholic, we meant a European and vice versa, since the life of a Western person cannot be imagined outside the Roman Catholic experience, then with Orthodoxy it is more complicated. Orthodoxy on Byzantine and Russian soil is far from the same thing. And despite the fact that Kievan Rus adopted Christianity from the hands of the Emperor of Constantinople, it received nothing but Christianity.
Let's start with Orthodoxy in Byzantium. Byzantium is considered the mother of theology, and all the holy fathers of the Church, it should be noted, were philosophically educated, because philosophy provides such help that a theologian cannot do without. She finds the line between knowledge and Revelation and, as it were, helps to project Divine truth into our word. Thus, St. Gregory Palamas, in his refutation of the works of the philosopher Varlaam against the sacredly silent, writes: “The truth about the philosophy of external sciences should be simply and briefly expressed as follows: the philosophical content found in the works or reasonings of individual philosophers can be called private philosophy; what is observed by all philosophers is common; a philosophy that has fallen away from the proper goal of all wisdom, the knowledge of God, has gone mad. Philosophy to which this has not happened is not turned into madness; and why would she go mad if she achieves her natural goal, that is, turns to the giver of nature - God? "[3] Here philosophy is considered as one of the possible paths to God, and its value is determined in connection with the fact that it leads to faith. The Byzantine is not as attached to the world as the Westerner. For him, the result is important, the result (this does not mean that a Catholic does not care about the result), he does not stay on the ground for a long time, he hurries to the top, and only after he reaches the highest point, he takes only one glance at the path he has traveled, while The Catholic blesses every step and steps more confidently, he perceives philosophy rather as a necessary condition, while the Byzantine - as a means, and philosophy itself is necessary for both equally, their attitude towards it is different. Consequently, their relationship to the limit, to the limit of human knowledge, is different. A Catholic believes as if from within, from his own world, he does not get lost here and feels reliable support, he has no need to give it up. The Byzantine, on the contrary, strives upward without looking back and does not see independent value in philosophy.
As for Orthodoxy in Russia, until the 9th century. The Slavs were pagans, but their paganism was very different from the Greek. There were no heroes opposing the omnipotent gods, much less philosophers - first of all, there was no personality, or rather, it was not so collected and concentrated to express and manifest itself, as it was in Antiquity. The “I” of the ancient Russian person is vague and not formalized. What has come down to us from our ancestors is only what is called oral folk art in school textbooks: tales, ballads, epics, jokes, proverbs and sayings, that is, what was passed down from mouth to mouth and was not the work of one person.
In 988, Kievan Rus adopted Christianity from Byzantium. Constantinople transfers to Kyiv a scripture, a tradition that was not subject to such changes as the Roman one. Rus', of course, resists, because how can one immediately understand who Christ is and how beautiful Hagia Sophia of Constantinople is. And how can this be explained if the Slav does not yet know the meeting through conversation, conversation. It’s like taking a tree and transplanting it from bad but familiar soil to good soil: it’s difficult for it to rebuild and take root. But paganism is still gradually being replaced by Christianity. Naturally, the interpretation of the Bible was not extended, and the Bible itself was accessible only to the church and monastery. In Russia there was neither philosophy nor theology, perhaps that is why the church structure did not undergo any special changes. But how can we determine the relationship with God of an individual person? After all, there must be a personal relationship between the personality of God and my personality. What to do with a man of Holy Rus', whose personality is vague and not fully defined, and does not represent something integral and directed?
Let's start with the fact that he is born in a Christian state, he is baptized in early infancy, he not only gets used to the fact that God exists - besides this, he knows nothing else, has not heard, and nothing else will come to his mind. In Rus' the question is: “Why do you believe in God?” - absurd, incomprehensible. The Church offers repentance, thinking through and speaking out about oneself, which is very difficult in the absence of experience of self-awareness in Rus'. It is precisely because of the blurring of the boundaries of the personal principle that something of paganism remains in Russian, and the worst case is when they don’t feel the difference between paganism and Christianity: I’ll pray, maybe I’ll feel better. It takes a tremendous thirst for faith to be able to gather oneself, and most importantly, to doubt oneself, to find inside something other than what constantly sins and for which one must constantly ask for forgiveness. Russia is helped in this matter by the reforms and foreign policy of Pyotr Alekseevich. The personality begins to gather itself, to realize itself, the western breeze, while others believe that the hurricane, brings us “unacceptable questions and doubts.” Yes, it brings doubts, but it does not bring answers or explanations. In Russia, because it was unnecessary, there was no tradition of interpretation, but a wonderful tradition of teaching has developed, but the latter is not able to satisfy the current bewilderment, a person loses faith, but no, he does not lose faith - he cannot find the right path, the right road.
Thus, we come to the conclusion that religious tradition largely depends on the personal state of a person, and the experience accumulated over centuries cannot but influence the individual path to God. This path, in fact, is the only one, despite all the characteristics of an individual person, since there is one point of reference - the person himself, and there is the One to whom he strives.
The first and most important step is conversion, discovery of one’s own “I,” because it is impossible to come to more without knowing less. And then there is the understanding that knowledge has its limits. As for a Western Catholic and an Eastern Orthodox, the difference between them is rather not that one of them has a closer limit or is easier to reach, but a difference in attitude towards it. A Catholic, due to a tradition dating back to Antiquity, feels quite confident and secure in the world; Westerners have had time to get to know it and determine their place in it. Here the personality is already collected, concentrated even before the adoption of Christianity. In the East, a person comes to know himself, so to speak, within the framework of church experience, through repentance, in which his whole philosophy consists of self-disclosure, self-discovery, which is why in Byzantium there was no philosophical tradition - tradition was of no use, philosophy exists here as an individual experience that has no universal meaning. The same loneliness awaited the Russian people, but for a different reason. His loneliness is the lack of connection with external reality, as well as any tradition of thought, philosophical, and therefore theological. Each person, as a result, began the path anew - there was no continuity, no transfer of experience, unlike the Byzantine, who reached out to God, continuing the already established theological tradition. This initial uncertainty, even the instability of Eastern man, inevitably influenced the state structure, i.e. to reality, with which he had to maintain contact and, through this connection, manage and organize. It is necessary to know both reality itself and one’s own attitude towards it. In Russia, the church did not always keep up with the person, because a person’s agreement with the church depends, first of all, on the ability and consistency to answer his questions that arise again and again - to recognize himself again and again, to change in order to come to the unchangeable.
Magazine "Nachalo" No. 12, 2002
[1] Maritain J. Metaphysics and mysticism // Path. T. 1 (1-6). M. 1992. P.213. [2] Decree op. With. ? [3] St. Gregory Palamas. Triads in defense of the sacredly silent. M. Kanon, 1995. P.137.
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Who are Catholics and what do they believe?
The Holy Scriptures (Bible) constitute the fundamental basis of Catholic doctrine. But Sacred Tradition is also honored (unlike Protestantism).
Faith is based on the veneration of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. At the same time, they believe that the Holy Spirit comes from God the Father and God the Son (in Orthodoxy only from God the Father).
According to the dogmas of the Catholic Church, the Pope is considered the vicar of Jesus Christ on earth. Therefore, he must have direct authority over all members of the Church. There is also the dogma of the infallibility (inerrancy) of the Pope. It says that the Pope cannot be mistaken in matters of faith and morals, all his statements are true. Such infallibility in judgment, according to the Catholic Church, comes from the Holy Spirit dwelling on the Pope.
Catholics claim that between hell and heaven there is purgatory, where a person can atone for sins after death. There is no such concept in Orthodoxy. But at the same time, the Orthodox Church prays for the dead to ease their fate in the afterlife.
What is Catholicism and who are Catholics?
Along with Protestantism and Orthodoxy, Catholicism is one of the most extensive movements of the Christian church.
Originating in apostolic times, over thousands of years it has spread throughout the planet and become widely known both for its doctrinal principles and for its comprehensive organizational structure. What is Catholicism? What are its characteristic features and who are called Catholics?
What does the word "Catholicism" mean?
The development of the modern Catholic Church began in the 1st century AD, and the word “Catholicism” was first used in the year 110 in a letter from Bishop Ignatius the God-Bearer to the population of the city of Smyrna (now Izmir).
The term comes from the Latin catholicismus , meaning "universal" or "according to all things" . From the second half of the 2nd century the concept was used to refer to the orthodox (non-heretical) church, and in the 4th century many early writers and historians used it to refer to all Christianity.
Until the Great Schism of 1054, Catholics viewed the history of Christianity as their own history. After the division of the Christian Church into Catholic and Orthodox, adherents of Catholicism set the goal of conquering the Holy Land from the Arabs, as a result of which the era of the Crusades began in Europe from the end of the 11th century.
In the 13th century, many monastic orders appeared in the Catholic Church (Franciscans, Augustinians, Dominicans), which played an important role in the fight against heretical movements. For many years, Catholics spread their religion in European countries, subjecting to the Inquisition anyone who did not follow their beliefs.
Today, Catholicism has liberal views and maintains dialogue with other Christian movements.
What is Catholicism?
Catholicism is the largest denomination of Christianity and presents itself as the only holistic and universal church led by Jesus Christ. The visible head of the doctrine is the Pope, who rules the Holy See and its sovereign territory, the Vatican.
Subordinate to the Pope are over 3 thousand jurisdictions around the world, divided into archdioceses, dioceses, apostolic vicariates and a number of other organizations. The clergy of the Catholic Church includes black clergy (monks) and white clergy, that is, priests who serve churches.
All ministers in Catholicism receive one of three sacred degrees - bishop, priest or deacon, and unordained ministers are elevated to the level of readers or acolytes.
Who are Catholics?
Catholics are a religious group of people who profess Catholic teachings. As the largest branch of Christianity, Catholicism currently has over 1.2 billion people living primarily in Europe.
The Catholic faith is accepted by residents of most European countries, including Italy, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and France. Many Catholics are concentrated in China, Australia, and the Philippines. In Africa their number reaches 175 million.
Beliefs in Catholicism
The Catholic religion is based on the Bible and Sacred Tradition, formed over the centuries as a result of the ecumenical councils. Like all Christians, Catholics believe in the oneness of God and widely revere not only Jesus Christ, but also the Virgin Mary.
According to Catholic teaching, the grace of God is communicated to people through 7 sacraments, which include baptism, church marriage, confirmation, communion, confession, ordination and unction. In addition, Catholics believe in purgatory, where the souls of people are cleansed of sins after death, and recognize the doctrine of indulgence - temporary release from punishment for sins in case of repentance.
How is Catholicism different from Orthodoxy?
Despite the fact that Catholicism and Orthodoxy are Christian religions, there are a number of differences between them. In particular, the Orthodox believe that Christ was conceived in the marriage of Mary and Joseph, while Catholics believe in the virgin birth of the Mother of God.
In Orthodoxy, the Holy Spirit is believed to come from God alone, while in Catholicism it is seen to come from both the Lord and his Son. Representatives of the Catholic Church welcome the dogma of the bodily Ascension of the Mother of God, and in the Orthodox environment neither her Ascension nor Assumption are recognized as dogmas.
