Differences with Catholics & Protestants

At this point, you may be wondering why the Orthodox Church is not the same as the Roman Catholic Church or the Protestant churches you are familiar with. We share much in common, since all of us confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. But there are important differences that come from history and from how we understand the faith handed down by the Apostles.

The Orthodox Church is the original Church of the Apostles. The Church founded by Christ and the Apostles continues unbroken in Orthodoxy. Jesus said, “I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). We see Orthodoxy as that same Church, still living the faith, worship, and teachings of the Apostles without change.

For the first thousand years, all Christians were united in one Church. But over time, the Church of Rome began to add new teachings that were not part of the ancient faith—such as the universal authority of the Pope over all Christians. The Orthodox Church never accepted this, because in the New Testament the Apostles led the Church together (Acts 15:6, 22), and no single Apostle ruled over the others. In the year 1054, the Church of Rome and the Orthodox Church sadly went separate ways. We pray for unity again, but without changing the ancient faith.

About 500 years ago, the Protestant Reformation began as a reaction against errors in the Roman Catholic Church. The Reformers rightly pointed back to the Bible, but they also rejected many of the ancient practices and teachings that the Apostles themselves had passed on. For example, many Protestant churches see Communion as only a symbol, while the Bible says, “The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?” (1 Corinthians 10:16). Also, many Protestants believe in “Scripture alone,” while the Bible itself tells us to hold to the teachings of the Apostles given “by word of mouth or by letter” (2 Thessalonians 2:15).

The Orthodox Church holds to the fullness of the Apostolic faith. Orthodoxy is not a “middle way” between Catholicism and Protestantism. It is the continuation of the one faith given by Christ. We have kept the same worship, the same sacraments, the same understanding of the Bible, and the same structure of the Church that the Apostles gave. This is why we sometimes say the Orthodox Church is the Church of the New Testament still alive today.

What unites us with all Christians? Even though we are different, we know that God loves all who call on the name of Jesus. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). We do not reject our Roman Catholic or Protestant brothers and sisters. Instead, we invite all Christians to discover the ancient faith in its fullness.

The ancient Orthodox Church is different because it has not added to or taken away from the original faith of the Apostles. It is the same Church they founded, still worshipping and living in Christ as they did.

With love in Christ,
Fr. Charles

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