one God, for God is love - these assertions are familiar to us from childhood.Why, then, the Church of God is divided into Catholic and Orthodox?And in each direction there are still many confessions?All questions have their historical and religious answers.With some we now take a look.
history of Catholicism
clear that a Catholic - is a person who professes Christianity in its branch called Catholicism.The name dates back to ancient Roman and Latin roots and means "meets all", "According to all", "cathedral".That is universal.The value of the name emphasizes that a Catholic - a believer belonging to the religious movement, founded by Jesus Christ himself.When it was conceived, and spread throughout the world, his followers believed each other spiritual brothers and sisters.Then it was another opposition: Christian - non-Christian (pagan, orthodox, and so on. D.).
homeland denominations is considered the western part of ancient Rome.It appeared there, and the words themselves: Catholicism, Catholic.This area was formed during the first millennium.During this period, and creeds, and religious texts, hymns, and the service was the same for all, revere Christ and the Trinity.And only about 1054 East, centered in Constantinople, and the actual Catholic - West, which was the center of Rome.Since then, it was considered that a Catholic - is not just a Christian, a follower is the western religious tradition.
reasons split
What explains the reasons for the disorder, which has become so deep and irreconcilable?After all, what is interesting: for a long time after the split both Churches continued to call themselves Catholic (the same as the "Catholic"), t. E. Universal, ecumenical.Greco-Byzantine branch as a spiritual platform based on "Revelation" John, Rome - "In the epistle to the Hebrews."For the first characteristic selfless, moral quest "life of the soul."For the second - the formation of iron discipline, strict hierarchy, concentration of power in the hands of the priests of higher rank.Differences in the interpretation of many of the dogmas, rituals, church administration and other important areas of church life became the watershed, which threw Catholicism and Orthodoxy on the opposite side.Thus, if to split the Catholic meaning of the word is equal to the concept of "Christian", then after it became a point on the west direction of religion.
Catholic and Reformation
Over time, the Catholic clergy so departed from the norms that claim and preach the Bible, it was the founding of the Church in such areas as Protestantism.The spiritual and ideological basis it was the teaching of Martin Luther and his supporters.The Reformation gave rise to Calvinism, Anabaptism, Anglican and other Protestant denominations.Thus, Lutherans - a Catholic, or, in other words, evangelicals, who were against the church to actively intervene in the affairs of the world, to the papal prelates went hand in hand with the secular power.Sale of indulgences, the benefits of the Roman Church to the East, the abolition of monasticism - this is not a complete list of the phenomena that are actively criticized the followers of the great reformer.In his Lutheran faith rely on the Holy Trinity, especially by worshiping Jesus, recognizing his divine-human nature.The main criterion for the faith they have - the Bible.A distinctive feature of Lutheranism, like other Protestant denominations, a critical approach to a variety of books and theological authority.
the question of the unity of the Church
However, in light of the materials until the end and it is not clear: Catholics - is orthodox or not?So the question is raised by many who are not too deeply versed in theology and all religious subtleties.Respond and simply, and at the same time is difficult.As already stated above, originally - yes.While the church was one Christian, everyone who entered into it, and prayed the same way, and God worshiped by one regulation, and rituals had shared.But after each division - and the Catholic and Orthodox - see themselves as main successor to the heritage of Christ.
Interchurch relations
At the same time they are sufficient respect for each other.Thus, the Decree of Vatican II says that those who accept Christ as their God, believe in him and were baptized, considered by Catholics as brothers in faith.The Orthodox Churches also have their documents also confirm that Catholicism - a phenomenon whose nature is related to the nature of Orthodoxy.A discrepancy in the dogmatic postulates are not so fundamental that both the Church at odds with each other.On the contrary, the relationship between them should be built so that together serve the common cause.
