We share the same apostolic roots, the same early councils, and the same sacraments. But we’re not in communion with Rome, and that matters.
The split happened gradually over centuries, not overnight in 1054. That year’s mutual excommunications were more symptom than cause. The real issues run deeper, and they’re still with us today.
The Big One: Papal Authority
Here’s the heart of it. Catholics believe the Pope has universal jurisdiction over all Christians and can teach infallibly when speaking ex cathedra. We don’t.
Orthodox Christianity is conciliar. We believe the Church is governed by bishops meeting in council, not by one bishop with supreme authority over everyone else. Sure, we’ve always given Rome a primacy of honor, first among equals. But that’s different from what developed in the West, where the Pope claimed he could define doctrine unilaterally and exercise immediate jurisdiction anywhere in the world.
That’s a change from how the early Church worked. The first seven Ecumenical Councils didn’t operate that way. Bishops gathered, debated, prayed, and decided together. No single bishop could overturn a council or define new dogma on his own authority.
This isn’t about disrespecting the Pope or the Catholic Church. It’s about what we believe the Church actually is. We think the conciliar model is what Christ established through the Apostles.
The Filioque
You’ll hear this word a lot when people discuss Orthodox-Catholic differences. It’s Latin for “and the Son.”
The Nicene Creed originally said the Holy Spirit “proceeds from the Father.” The Western Church added “and the Son” without calling an Ecumenical Council. We believe that was wrong on two counts: theologically and procedurally.
Theologically, we hold to what’s called the “monarchy of the Father.” The Father is the single source within the Trinity. The Son is begotten of the Father. The Spirit proceeds from the Father. Adding “and the Son” muddies this and changes how we understand the relationships between the three Persons.
Procedurally, you can’t just change the Creed. Not even the Pope can do that on his own. That’s the conciliar issue again.
How We Understand Salvation
Catholics and Orthodox both believe Jesus Christ saves us. But we emphasize different things.
We talk about theosis, becoming by grace what God is by nature. Salvation isn’t mainly a legal transaction where God declares you righteous. It’s healing. Transformation. Union with God. You’re not just forgiven; you’re being remade.
Fr. Thomas Hopko used to say we’re not trying to get to heaven, we’re trying to become heavenly. That’s the Orthodox approach. The Christian life is a process of being united to God through the sacraments, prayer, fasting, and the life of the Church.
Catholic theology has these elements too. But Western theology developed more legal language, guilt, merit, satisfaction, purgatory as temporal punishment. We’re not saying that’s all wrong. We’re saying the Eastern Fathers kept the focus on healing and participation in God’s life, and we think that’s the fuller picture.
Other Differences You’ll Notice
Catholics have doctrines we don’t share. The Immaculate Conception (that Mary was conceived without original sin) became Catholic dogma in 1854. We honor Mary’s purity differently but never defined it that way. Purgatory as a distinct place with temporal punishment isn’t part of our teaching. Indulgences aren’t a thing for us.
In worship, you’ll see differences right away. We use icons, not statues. Our priests can be married (if they marry before ordination). We fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, plus Great Lent and other fasting seasons. Our liturgy is ancient and mostly unchanged, if you walked into a fourth-century church in Antioch, you’d recognize what we’re doing on Sunday morning.
The calendar’s different too. Some Orthodox churches still use the old Julian calendar, which is why you’ll sometimes see “Orthodox Christmas” on January 7. It’s not a different Christmas; it’s December 25 on the old calendar.
What About Your Catholic Family?
This matters if you’re from a Catholic background or have Catholic relatives in Southeast Texas. And lots of folks here do.
Start with what you share. You both believe in the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Resurrection, the sacraments. You both revere the early Fathers and the first councils. That’s not nothing. That’s most of Christianity.
When you explain why you’re becoming Orthodox, don’t trash-talk Rome. Say something like: “We share most of our faith. Our differences are about church authority and how certain doctrines developed. I’ve found something in Orthodoxy that’s drawing me closer to Christ, and I hope you can respect that even if you don’t agree.”
Your Catholic grandmother isn’t a heretic. The Catholic Church has valid sacraments and real holiness. We’re just not in communion, and we believe the Orthodox Church has preserved the fullness of the apostolic faith without the additions that developed in the West.
If your family asks hard questions, talk to Fr. Michael or one of the other priests. They’ve walked people through this before. They can help you explain things in a way that’s honest but not harsh.
Why It Matters
These aren’t just abstract theological puzzles. They shape how we worship, how we understand our relationship with God, and what we think the Church is.
Metropolitan Kallistos Ware wrote that the tragedy of the schism is that East and West needed each other. The West’s precision and the East’s mysticism were meant to balance each other. Instead, we’ve been apart for nearly a thousand years.
We believe Orthodoxy is the Church Christ founded. That’s not arrogance; it’s what we actually believe. But we say it with sadness about the division, not triumphalism. We pray for the day when that unity is restored, not by one side capitulating, but by both sides returning to the faith of the Apostles and the Fathers.
If you’re exploring Orthodoxy and this is new territory, pick up The Orthodox Church by Met. Kallistos Ware. It’s clear, charitable, and thorough. Or listen to Fr. Tom Hopko’s “Speaking the Truth in Love” series on Ancient Faith Radio. He explains these differences better than anyone.
And come to Vespers on Saturday evening. You’ll see what Orthodoxy is before you fully understand all the theology. Sometimes that’s the best way to learn.
