What is the difference between Orthodoxy and Catholicism. Orthodoxy and Catholicism: attitudes and opinions about religion, the main differences from the Orthodox Church

For obvious reasons, I will answer the other way around - about the differences between Catholicism and Orthodoxy in spiritual terms.

A large number of spiritual practices: these include prayers of the rosary (Rosary, Chaplet of Divine Mercy and others), and adoration of the Holy Gifts (adoration), and reflection on the Gospel in the most different traditions(from Ignatian to Lectio Divina), and spiritual exercises (from the simplest recollections to a month’s silence according to the method of St. Ignatius of Loyola) - I have described almost all of them in detail here:

The absence of the institution of “elders”, who are perceived among believers as enlightened and infallible saints living in their lifetime. And the attitude towards priests is different: there is no usual Orthodox “father blessed me to buy a skirt, father did not bless me to be friends with Petya” - Catholics make decisions themselves, without shifting responsibility to a priest or nun.

Catholics, for the most part, know better the course of the Liturgy - both because they are participants, and not spectators-listeners, and because they have undergone catechesis (you cannot become a Catholic without studying the faith).

Catholics receive communion more often, and here, alas, it is not without abuse - either it becomes a habit and faith in the Eucharist is lost, or they begin to receive Communion without confession.

By the way, Eucharistic veneration is characteristic only of Catholics - Orthodox Christians have neither adoration nor a procession for the celebration of the Body and Blood of the Lord (Corpus Christi). The holy place of veneration of the Eucharist is occupied by popular saints, as far as I understand.

With all this, Catholics are more inclined to simplify, increase “closeness to the people” and “compliance modern world" - are more inclined to become like Protestants. At the same time, forgetting the nature and purpose of the Church.

Catholics love to play ecumenism and rush around with it like a white bag, not paying attention to the fact that these games are of no interest to anyone except themselves. A sort of non-aggressive, naive-romantic “mouse brother”.

For Catholics, the exclusivity of the Church, as a rule, remains only on paper, not in their heads, but Orthodox Christians remember very well why they are truer.

Well, and the monastic traditions, which have already been mentioned here - great amount a wide variety of orders and congregations, from the ultra-liberal Jesuits and entertaining Franciscans, the slightly more moderate Dominicans to the invariably strict lifestyle of the highly spiritual Benedictines and Carthusians; movements of the laity - from the unbridled Neocatechumenate and careless focolars to the moderate Communione e Liberazione and the restrained prelature of Opus Dei.

And also rituals - there are about 22 of them in the Catholic Church. Not only Latin (the most famous) and Byzantine (identical to Orthodox), but also exotic Syro-Malabar, Dominican and others; here are traditionalists committed to the pre-reform Latin rite (according to the Missal of 1962) and former Anglicans who became Catholics in the pontificate of Benedict XVI, receiving a personal prelature and their own order of worship. That is, Catholics are not so monotonous and not at all homogeneous, but at the same time they get along well together - both thanks to the fullness of truth, and thanks to the understanding of the importance of the unity of the Church, and thanks to human factors. The Orthodox are split into 16 church communities (and these are only official ones!), their heads cannot even meet to resolve any issues - the intrigues and attempts to pull the blanket over themselves are too strong...

In the CIS countries, most people are familiar with Orthodoxy, but know little about other Christian denominations and non-Christian religions. Therefore the question is: “ How does the Catholic Church differ from the Orthodox Church?“or, to put it more simply, “the difference between Catholicism and Orthodoxy” - Catholics are asked very often. Let's try to answer it.

First of all, Catholics are also Christians. Christianity is divided into three main directions: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. But there is no single Protestant Church (there are several thousand Protestant denominations in the world), and the Orthodox Church includes several Churches independent of each other.

Besides the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC), there is the Georgian Orthodox Church, Serbian Orthodox Church, Greek Orthodox Church, Romanian Orthodox Church, etc. The Orthodox Churches are governed by patriarchs, metropolitans and archbishops. Not all Orthodox Churches have communion with each other in prayers and sacraments (which is necessary for individual Churches to be part of the one Ecumenical Church according to the catechism of Metropolitan Philaret) and recognize each other as true churches.

Even in Russia itself there are several Orthodox Churches (the Russian Orthodox Church itself, the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, etc.). It follows from this that world Orthodoxy does not have a single leadership. But the Orthodox believe that the unity of the Orthodox Church is manifested in a single doctrine and in mutual communication in the sacraments.

Catholicism is one Universal Church. All its parts are different countries the world are in communication with each other, share a single creed and recognize the Pope as their head. In the Catholic Church there is a division into rites (communities within the Catholic Church, differing from each other in forms of liturgical worship and church discipline): Roman, Byzantine, etc. Therefore, there are Catholics of the Roman rite, Catholics of the Byzantine rite, etc., but they are all members of the same Church.

Now we can talk about the differences:

1) So, the first difference between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches is in different understandings of the unity of the Church. For the Orthodox it is enough to share one faith and sacraments; Catholics, in addition to this, see the need for a single head of the Church - the Pope;

2) The Catholic Church differs from the Orthodox Church in its understanding of universality or catholicity. The Orthodox claim that the Universal Church is “embodied” in each local Church, headed by a bishop. Catholics add that this local Church must have communion with the local Roman Catholic Church in order to belong to the Universal Church.

3) The Catholic Church in that The Holy Spirit comes from the Father and the Son (“filioque”). The Orthodox Church confesses the Holy Spirit emanating only from the Father. Some Orthodox saints spoke about the procession of the Spirit from the Father through the Son, which does not contradict Catholic dogma.

4) The Catholic Church confesses that the sacrament of marriage is for life and prohibits divorce, The Orthodox Church allows divorce in some cases;

5)The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of purgatory. This is the state of souls after death, destined for heaven, but not yet ready for it. There is no purgatory in Orthodox teaching (although there is something similar - ordeal). But the prayers of the Orthodox for the dead assume that there are souls in an intermediate state for whom there is still hope of going to heaven after the Last Judgment;

6) The Catholic Church accepted the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary. This means that even original sin did not touch the Mother of the Savior. Orthodox Christians glorify the holiness of the Mother of God, but believe that she was born with original sin, like all people;

7)Catholic dogma of Mary's assumption to heaven body and soul is a logical continuation of the previous dogma. The Orthodox also believe that Mary resides in Heaven in body and soul, but this is not dogmatically enshrined in Orthodox teaching.

8) The Catholic Church accepted the dogma of the primacy of the Pope over the entire Church in matters of faith and morals, discipline and government. The Orthodox do not recognize the primacy of the Pope;

9) In the Orthodox Church one rite predominates. In the Catholic Church this a ritual that originated in Byzantium is called Byzantine and is one of several.

In Russia, the Roman (Latin) rite of the Catholic Church is better known. Therefore, the differences between the liturgical practice and church discipline of the Byzantine and Roman rites of the Catholic Church are often mistaken for differences between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church. But if the Orthodox liturgy is very different from the Roman rite mass, then the Catholic liturgy of the Byzantine rite is very similar. And the presence of married priests in the Russian Orthodox Church is also not a difference, since they are also in the Byzantine rite of the Catholic Church;

10) The Catholic Church proclaimed the dogma of the infallibility of the Pope o in matters of faith and morals in those cases where he, in agreement with all the bishops, affirms what the Catholic Church has already believed for many centuries. Orthodox believers believe that only the decisions of the Ecumenical Councils are infallible;

11) The Orthodox Church accepts the decisions of only the first seven Ecumenical Councils, while The Catholic Church is guided by the decisions of the 21st Ecumenical Council, the last of which was the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965).

It should be noted that the Catholic Church recognizes that local Orthodox Churches are true Churches, preserving apostolic succession and true sacraments. Both Catholics and Orthodox Christians have the same Creed.

Despite their differences, Catholics and Orthodox Christians throughout the world profess one faith and one teaching of Jesus Christ. Once upon a time, human mistakes and prejudices separated us, but still faith in one God unites us.

Jesus prayed for the unity of His disciples. His disciples are all of us, both Catholics and Orthodox. Let us join in His prayer: “That they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me” (John 17:21). The unbelieving world needs our common witness for Christ.

Video lectures on the Dogmas of the Catholic Church

Christians all over the world are arguing about which beliefs are more correct and more important. Regarding Catholics and Orthodox Christians: what is the difference (and whether there is one) today are the most interesting questions.

It would seem that everything is so clear and simple that everyone can clearly answer briefly. But there are also those who simply do not even know what the relationship is between these faiths.

The history of the existence of two currents

So, first you need to understand Christianity as a whole. It is known that it is divided into three branches: Orthodox, Catholics, Protestants. Protestantism has several thousand churches and they are spread in all corners of the planet.

Back in the 11th century, Christianity was divided into Orthodoxy and Catholicism. There were a number of reasons for this, ranging from church ceremonies and ending with holiday dates. There are not many differences between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church. First of all, the way of management. Orthodoxy consists of numerous churches, ruled by archbishops, bishops, and metropolitans. Catholic churches all over the world are subordinate to the Pope. They are considered the Universal Church. In all countries, Catholic churches are in close, simple relationship.

Similarities between Orthodoxy and Catholicism

Orthodoxy and Catholicism have similarities and differences in approximately equal proportions. It is worth noting that both religions have not only a number of differences. Both Orthodoxy and Catholicism are very similar to each other. Here are the main points:

In addition, both confessions are united in the veneration of icons, the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, saints, and their relics. Also, the churches are united by the same holy saints of the first millennium, the Holy Letter, and the Church Sacraments.

Differences between faiths

Distinctive features between these faiths also exist. It was because of these factors that the church split once occurred. It is worth noting:

• Sign of the Cross. Today, probably, everyone knows how Catholics and Orthodox Christians are baptized. Catholics cross themselves from left to right, but we do the opposite. According to symbolism, when we are baptized first on the left, then on the right, then we are turned to God, if on the contrary, God is directed to his servants and blesses them.
• Unity of the Church. Catholics have one faith, sacraments and head - the Pope. In Orthodoxy there is no one leader of the Church, therefore there are several patriarchates (Moscow, Kiev, Serbian, etc.).
• Peculiarities of concluding a church marriage. In Catholicism, divorce is a taboo. Our church, unlike Catholicism, allows divorce.
• Heaven and Hell. According to Catholic dogma, the soul of the deceased goes through purgatory. Orthodoxy believes that the human soul goes through so-called ordeals.
• Sinless Conception of the Mother of God. According to accepted Catholic dogma, the Mother of God was immaculately conceived. Our clergy believes that the Mother of God had ancestral sin, although her holiness is glorified in prayers.
• Decision making (number of councils). Orthodox churches make decisions at 7 Ecumenical Councils, Catholic churches - 21.
• Disagreement in provisions. Our clergy does not recognize the Catholic dogma that the Holy Spirit comes from both the Father and the Son, believing that only from the Father.
• The essence of love. The Holy Spirit among Catholics is signified as love between the Father and the Son, God, and believers. The Orthodox see love as triune: Father - Son - Holy Spirit.
• The infallibility of the Pope. Orthodoxy denies the primacy of the Pope over all Christianity and his infallibility.
• Sacrament of Baptism. We must confess before the procedure. The child is immersed in the font, and in the Latin ritual water is poured on his head. Confession is considered a voluntary act.
• Clergymen. Catholic priests are called pastors, priests (for the Poles) and priests (priests in everyday life) for the Orthodox. Pastors do not wear a beard, but priests and monks wear a beard.
• Fast. Catholic canons regarding fasting are less strict than those of the Orthodox. Minimum retention from food is 1 hour. Unlike them, our minimum retention from food is 6 hours.
• Prayers before icons. There is an opinion that Catholics do not pray in front of icons. Actually this is not true. They have icons, but they have a number of features that differ from the Orthodox. For example, left hand the saint's is on the right (for the Orthodox it's the other way around), and all the words are written in Latin.
• Liturgy. According to tradition, church services are performed on Hostia (unleavened bread) in the Western rite and Prosphora (leavened bread) in the Orthodox.
• Celibacy. All Catholic ministers of the church take a vow of celibacy, but our priests get married.
• Holy water. Church ministers bless, and Catholics bless the water.
• Memorial days. These faiths also have different days of remembrance of the dead. For Catholics - the third, seventh and thirtieth day. For the Orthodox - third, ninth, fortieth.

Church hierarchy

It is also worth noting the difference in hierarchical ranks. According to the bit table, The highest level among the Orthodox is occupied by the patriarch. The next step is metropolitan, archbishop, bishop. Next come the ranks of priests and deacons.

The Catholic Church has the following ranks:

• Pope;
• Archbishops,
• Cardinals;
• Bishops;
• Priests;
• Deacons.

Orthodox Christians have two opinions about Catholics. First: Catholics are heretics who distorted the creed. Second: Catholics are schismatics, because it was because of them that a schism occurred from the One Holy Apostolic Church. Catholicism considers us schismatics, without classifying us as heretics.

Table "Comparison of Catholic and Orthodox Church"will help you better understand the fundamental differences when studying the history of the Middle Ages in the 6th grade, and can also be used as a review in high school.

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“Table “Comparison of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches””

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church

Table. Catholic and Orthodox Church.

How many mistakes were made? What mistakes were made?

This article will focus on what Catholicism is and who Catholics are. This direction is considered one of the branches of Christianity, formed due to a large schism in this religion, which occurred in 1054.

Who they are is in many ways similar to Orthodoxy, but there are also differences. The Catholic religion differs from other movements in Christianity in its religious teachings and cult rituals. Catholicism added new dogmas to the Creed.

Spreading

Catholicism is widespread in Western European (France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Italy) and Eastern European (Poland, Hungary, partly Latvia and Lithuania) countries, as well as in states South America, where it is professed by the overwhelming majority of the population. There are also Catholics in Asia and Africa, but the influence of the Catholic religion is insignificant here. compared to the Orthodox Christians are a minority. There are about 700 thousand of them. Catholics in Ukraine are more numerous. There are about 5 million people.

Name

The word "Catholicism" has Greek origin and translated means universality or universality. In the modern understanding, this term refers to the Western branch of Christianity, which adheres to the apostolic traditions. Apparently, the church was understood as something universal and universal. Ignatius of Antioch spoke about this in 115. The term "Catholicism" was officially introduced at the first Council of Constantinople (381). The Christian Church was recognized as one, holy, catholic and apostolic.

Origin of Catholicism

The term “church” began to appear in written sources (letters of Clement of Rome, Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna) from the second century. This word was synonymous with municipality. At the turn of the second and third centuries, Irenaeus of Lyons applied the word "church" to Christianity in general. For individual (regional, local) Christian communities it was used with the corresponding adjective (for example, the Church of Alexandria).

In the second century, Christian society was divided into laity and clergy. In turn, the latter were divided into bishops, priests and deacons. It remains unclear how governance was carried out in the communities - collegially or individually. Some experts believe that the government was initially democratic, but over time it became monarchical. The clergy was governed by a Spiritual Council headed by a bishop. This theory is supported by the letters of Ignatius of Antioch, in which he mentions bishops as leaders of Christian municipalities in Syria and Asia Minor. Over time, the Spiritual Council became merely an advisory body. But only the bishop had real power in a particular province.

In the second century, the desire to preserve apostolic traditions contributed to the emergence of a structure. The Church had to protect the faith, dogmas and canons Holy Scripture. All this, as well as the influence of the syncretism of the Hellenistic religion, led to the formation of Catholicism in its ancient form.

The final formation of Catholicism

After the division of Christianity in 1054 into western and eastern branches, they began to be called Catholic and Orthodox. After the Reformation of the sixteenth century, the word “Roman” began to be added more and more often to the term “Catholic” in everyday use. From the point of view of religious studies, the concept of "Catholicism" covers many Christian communities that adhere to the same doctrine as the Catholic Church and are subject to the authority of the Pope. There are also Uniate and Eastern Catholic churches. As a rule, they left the authority of the Patriarch of Constantinople and became subordinate to the Pope, but retained their dogmas and rituals. Examples are the Greek Catholics, the Byzantine Catholic Church and others.

Basic tenets and postulates

To understand who Catholics are, you need to pay attention to the basic tenets of their faith. The main dogma of Catholicism, which distinguishes it from other areas of Christianity, is the thesis that the Pope is infallible. However, there are many known cases when Popes, in the struggle for power and influence, entered into dishonest alliances with large feudal lords and kings, were obsessed with the thirst for profit and constantly increased their wealth, and also interfered in politics.

The next postulate of Catholicism is the dogma of purgatory, approved in 1439 at the Council of Florence. This teaching is based on the fact that the human soul after death goes to purgatory, which is an intermediate level between hell and heaven. There she can be cleansed of her sins through various tests. Relatives and friends of the deceased can help his soul cope with trials through prayers and donations. It follows from this that a person’s fate in the afterlife depends not only on the righteousness of his life, but also on the financial well-being of his loved ones.

An important postulate of Catholicism is the thesis about the exclusive status of the clergy. According to him, without resorting to the services of the clergy, a person cannot independently earn God's grace. A Catholic priest has serious advantages and privileges compared to the ordinary flock. According to the Catholic religion, only the clergy has the right to read the Bible - this is their exclusive right. This is prohibited for other believers. Only publications written in Latin are considered canonical.

Catholic dogmatics determines the need for systematic confession of believers before the clergy. Everyone is obliged to have his own confessor and constantly report to him about his own thoughts and actions. Without systematic confession, the salvation of the soul is impossible. This condition allows the Catholic clergy to penetrate deeply into personal life his flock and control every step of a person. Constant confession allows the church to have a serious influence on society, and especially on women.

Catholic sacraments

The main task of the Catholic Church (the community of believers as a whole) is to preach Christ to the world. The sacraments are considered visible signs of God's invisible grace. Essentially, these are actions established by Jesus Christ that must be performed for the good and salvation of the soul. There are seven sacraments in Catholicism:

• baptism;
• anointing (confirmation);
• Eucharist, or communion (Catholics take their first communion at the age of 7-10 years);
• sacrament of repentance and reconciliation (confession);
• anointing;
• sacrament of the priesthood (ordination);
• sacrament of marriage.

According to some experts and researchers, the roots of the sacraments of Christianity go back to the pagan mysteries. However, this point of view is actively criticized by theologians. According to the latter, in the first centuries A.D. e. The pagans borrowed some rituals from Christianity.

What is the difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians?

What Catholicism and Orthodoxy have in common is that in both of these branches of Christianity, the church is a mediator between man and God. Both churches agree that the Bible is the fundamental document and doctrine of Christianity. However, there are many differences and disagreements between Orthodoxy and Catholicism.

Both directions agree that there is one God in three incarnations: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (trinity). But the origin of the latter is interpreted differently (the Filioque problem). The Orthodox profess the “Creed,” which proclaims the procession of the Holy Spirit only “from the Father.” Catholics add “and the Son” to the text, which changes the dogmatic meaning. Greek Catholics and other Eastern Catholic denominations have retained the Orthodox version of the Creed.

Both Catholics and Orthodox understand that there is a difference between the Creator and the creation. However, according to Catholic canons, the world has a material nature. He was created by God out of nothing. There is nothing divine in the material world. While Orthodoxy assumes that the divine creation is the embodiment of God himself, it comes from God, and therefore he is invisibly present in his creations. Orthodoxy believes that you can touch God through contemplation, that is, approach the divine through consciousness. Catholicism does not accept this.

Another difference between Catholics and Orthodox Christians is that the former consider it possible to introduce new dogmas. There is also a doctrine of " good deeds and merits" of Catholic saints and the Church. On its basis, the Pope can forgive the sins of his flock and is the vicar of God on Earth. In matters of religion he is considered infallible. This dogma was adopted in 1870.

Differences in rituals. How Catholics are baptized

There are also differences in rituals, the design of churches, etc. Orthodox Christians even perform the prayer procedure not exactly the same way as Catholics pray. Although at first glance it seems that the difference is in some small details. To feel the spiritual difference, it is enough to compare two icons, Catholic and Orthodox. The first one looks more like a beautiful painting. In Orthodoxy, icons are more sacred. Many people are wondering, Catholics and Orthodox? In the first case, they are baptized with two fingers, and in Orthodoxy - with three. In many Eastern Catholic rites, the thumb, index finger and middle fingers. How else are Catholics baptized? A less common method is to use an open palm, with the fingers pressed tightly together and the thumb slightly tucked in. inside. This symbolizes the openness of the soul to the Lord.

Man's destiny

The Catholic Church teaches that people are burdened by original sin (with the exception of the Virgin Mary), that is, every person from birth has a grain of Satan. Therefore, people need the grace of salvation, which can be obtained by living by faith and doing good works. The knowledge of the existence of God is, despite human sinfulness, accessible to the human mind. This means that people are responsible for their actions. Every person is loved by God, but at the end the Last Judgment awaits him. Particularly righteous and godly people are ranked among the Saints (canonized). The church keeps a list of them. The process of canonization is preceded by beatification (beatification). Orthodoxy also has a cult of Saints, but most Protestant movements rejects him.

Indulgences

In Catholicism, an indulgence is the complete or partial release of a person from punishment for his sins, as well as from the corresponding expiatory action imposed on him by the priest. Initially, the basis for receiving an indulgence was the performance of some good deed (for example, a pilgrimage to holy places). Then they became a donation of a certain amount to the church. During the Renaissance, serious and widespread abuses were observed, which consisted of the distribution of indulgences for money. As a result, this sparked the start of protests and a reform movement. In 1567, Pope Pius V banned the issuance of indulgences for money and material resources at all.

Celibacy in Catholicism

Another serious difference between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church is that all the clergy of the latter give Catholic clergy do not have the right to marry or even have sexual intercourse. All attempts to marry after receiving the diaconate are considered invalid. This rule was announced during the time of Pope Gregory the Great (590-604), and was finally approved only in the 11th century.

The Eastern churches rejected the Catholic version of celibacy at the Council of Trullo. In Catholicism, the vow of celibacy applies to all clergy. Initially small church ranks had the right to marry. Married men could be initiated into them. However, Pope Paul VI abolished them, replacing them with the positions of reader and acolyte, which were no longer associated with the status of cleric. He also introduced the institution of deacons for life (those who do not intend to advance further in their church career and become priests). These may include married men.

As an exception, married men who converted to Catholicism from various branches of Protestantism, where they held the ranks of pastors, clergy, etc., can be ordained to the priesthood. However, the Catholic Church does not recognize their priesthood.

Now the obligatory celibacy for all Catholic clergy is the subject of heated debate. In many European countries and the United States, some Catholics believe that mandatory celibacy should be abolished for non-monastic clergy. However, the Pope did not support such a reform.

Celibacy in Orthodoxy

In Orthodoxy, clergy can be married if the marriage took place before ordination to the priesthood or deaconship. However, only monks of the minor schema, widowed or celibate priests can become bishops. In the Orthodox Church, a bishop must be a monk. Only archimandrites can be ordained to this rank. Simply celibates and representatives of married white clergy (non-monastics) cannot become bishops. Sometimes, as an exception, episcopal ordination is possible for representatives of these categories. However, before this they must accept the minor monastic schema and receive the rank of archimandrite.

Inquisition

To the question of who the Catholics of the medieval period were, you can get an idea by familiarizing yourself with the activities of such a church body as the Inquisition. It was a judicial institution catholic church, which was intended to combat heresy and heretics. In the 12th century, Catholicism faced the growth of various opposition movements in Europe. One of the main ones was Albigensianism (Cathars). The popes assigned the responsibility of fighting them to the bishops. They were supposed to identify heretics, judge them, and hand them over to secular authorities for execution. Supreme measure The punishment was burning at the stake. But the episcopal activity was not very effective. Therefore, Pope Gregory IX created a special church body to investigate the crimes of heretics - the Inquisition. Initially directed against the Cathars, it soon turned against all heretical movements, as well as witches, sorcerers, blasphemers, infidels, etc.

Inquisitorial Tribunal

The inquisitors were recruited from various members, primarily from the Dominicans. The Inquisition reported directly to the Pope. Initially, the tribunal was headed by two judges, and from the 14th century - by one, but it consisted of legal consultants who determined the degree of “hereticism”. In addition, the number of court employees included a notary (certified testimony), witnesses, a doctor (monitored the condition of the defendant during executions), a prosecutor and an executioner. The inquisitors were given part of the confiscated property of heretics, so there is no need to talk about the honesty and fairness of their trial, since it was beneficial for them to find a person guilty of heresy.

Inquisition procedure

There were two types of inquisitorial investigation: general and individual. The first time I was interviewed most of population of any area. At the second to a certain person made a call through the priest. In cases where the summoned person did not appear, he was excommunicated from the church. The man swore an oath to sincerely tell everything he knew about heretics and heresy. The progress of the investigation and proceedings were kept in the deepest secrecy. It is known that the inquisitors widely used torture, which was authorized by Pope Innocent IV. At times their cruelty was condemned even by secular authorities.

The accused were never given the names of the witnesses. Often they were excommunicated from the church, murderers, thieves, oathbreakers - people whose testimony was not taken into account even by the secular courts of that time. The defendant was deprived of the right to have a lawyer. The only possible form of defense was an appeal to the Holy See, although it was formally prohibited by Bull 1231. People once condemned by the Inquisition could be brought to justice again at any time. Even death did not save him from the investigation. If a person who had already died was found guilty, then his ashes were taken from the grave and burned.

Punishment system

The list of punishments for heretics was established by bulls 1213, 1231, as well as by the decrees of the Third Lateran Council. If a person confessed to heresy and repented during the trial, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. The Tribunal had the right to reduce the term. However, such sentences were rare. The prisoners were kept in extremely cramped cells, often shackled, and fed with water and bread. During the late Middle Ages, this sentence was replaced by hard labor in galleys. Obstinate heretics were sentenced to be burned at the stake. If a person confessed before the start of his trial, then various church punishments were imposed on him: excommunication, pilgrimage to holy places, donations to the church, interdict, different kinds penance.

Fasting in Catholicism

Fasting for Catholics consists of abstaining from excesses, both physical and spiritual. In Catholicism, there are the following fasting periods and days:

• Lent for Catholics. It lasts 40 days before Easter.
• Advent For four Sundays before Christmas, believers should reflect on his upcoming coming and be spiritually focused.
• All Fridays.
• Dates of some major Christian holidays.
• Quatuor anni tempora. Translated as “four seasons.” This special days repentance and fasting. A believer must fast once every season on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
• Fasting before communion. The believer must abstain from food an hour before communion.

The requirements for fasting in Catholicism and Orthodoxy are mostly similar.