Roman Catholic vs Eastern Orthodox: 60 Differences (Part 4)

In this final video in the four-part series of differences between Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox, we’ll cover the last 16 differences.

00:00 Introduction
00:14 #45 – Canon Law
01:48 #46 – Sign of the Cross
02:37 #47 – Rosaries & Prayer Ropes
03:54 #48 – Hesychasm
05:39 #49 – Stations of the Cross
06:36 #50 – Prostration
07:30 #51 – Sainthood
08:43 #52 – Cremation
09:54 #53 – Calendars
11:11 #54 – Contraception
13:03 #55 – Fasting & Abstinence
15:50 #56 – Divorce
17:10 #57 – Hair Tradition
17:53 #58 – Imprimaturs
19:04 #59 – The True Church
20:33 #60 – Seriousness of Differences

[curiousing]

Thank you—again—for all the hard work that went into this series. I've saved it to share with Catholic friends who insist that the Orthodox are "basically the same as us".

[srleplay]

Catholics: It's not such a big deal
Orthodox: Yes, it is

[TheRealRealOK]

As an Orthodox Christian, I’ve enjoyed this series and I appreciate the fact that you make it clear that we have some very big and important differences with RCs.

Most Orthodox use prayer ropes, not beads.

[KrazyKryptonian]

This has been a great series. Thank you for doing it.

[Shevock]

Not all Catholics say the rosary or attend Stations. They're not obligated. And the Orthodox had a rosary that used the angelic salutation (1st half of the Hail Mary) dating back to the 8th Century. It obviously caught on more in the West, where it continues to be practiced today, than the East.

[jdotoz]

The first step in Catholic canonization is to be named a "Servant of God, " which is a recognition of "heroic virtue" in the deceased faithful. The main difference between the Servants of God and the Venerable is a more rigorous level of review. Some Servants of God are Nicholas Black Elk, Dorothy Day, and Fr. Vincent Capodanno.

[godsgospelgirl]

The Jesus Prayer is beautiful (Protestant here).

[ffs]

Great series! I thank God I was born in a time I could choose from an unbiased position which apostolic church to join, and that I am blessed to have more than one within driving distance.

[Ggdivhjkjl]

St Seraphim of Sarov prayed the rosary and said it was an ancient Orthodox practice which had been lost.

[clivejames]

As a Catholic, I pray the Rosary during the day as it takes some concentration on the mysteries. At night, when falling asleep, I'll pray the Orthodox Jesus prayer.

[dh]

I've been waiting for this! YouTube finally lets me know 😅

[ambientapathy]

In our canon law which is a bit more universal than implied here, we are told not to prostrate on Sundays as it’s the day of Christ Holy Resurrection, however the Greek church has begun to do this in imitation of the Roman Catholics, they kneel, they don’t prostrate fully but it holds the same meaning

[stephanottawa]

People having been make pilgrimages to the Holy Land since the time of the apostles, however the RC stations of the cross devotion emerged in the late middle ages as a sort of substitute for those who could not afford a pilgrimage to the Holy Land or when the Holy Land was not attainable due to Islamic colonization or occupation of Jerusalem (they still occupy the temple mount). The stations spread from Italy under the influence of the Franciscan friars and was thought for many years as a Franciscan church practice. Hence there were no stations of the cross in non-Franciscan parishes for a time, until due to a general popularization, the practice spread. It was also unknown in Northern Europe until after the Reformation. That is the reason why there are no stations in the medieval cathedrals of the Lutheran lands. There the images were not destroyed to a great extent as they were in Calvinistic countries, but there are no stations to be found as there were not any in the first place. They were added to RC churches that did not become Protestant in the Counter Reformation period. The claim that they were known for a millennium is therefore ridiculous, if not purposely misleading.

[RaptorLlama]

Very detailed, good series overall. Only real point of correction/expansion I would note is on calendars.

1. Contrary to popular belief, the Revised Julian is actually not the mix of Gregorian menaion (fixed days) with a Julian Paschalion (date of Pascha/easter). It actually refers to an alternative calendar for calculating the Menaion that happens to coincide with the Gregorian for the next 700 or so years. But it was made by a Serbian astronomer designed to be even more accurate than the Gregorian.

2. The use of the Julian Paschalion is simply a compromise made to celebrate Pascha at the same day as most Orthodox (more on that in the next point). The original intention was to use astronomical observation to determine Pascha rather than fixed tables, again beating the Gregorian in accuracy.

3. There are a handful of Orthodox Churches that utilize the Gregorian calendar. Most famous of these is the Finnish Orthodox Church, but there some parishes scattered in Europe that do the same.

[simonbacaltos]

The Catholics in the Philippines especially on Wednesday Mass on the Mother Perpetual Help devotion, devotees would kneel walk from the front entrance of the church to the altar. And during lent, Catholics in the Philippines recites the Passion, it's a singing of bible-based narrative of Christ life, passion and death, Catholics also fast a lot.

[SamDiMento]

You touched on the Rosary but not on the Catholic devotion of chaplets i.e. Chaplet of the Divine Mercy etc., some of which are very popular. Another distinction you didn't include is that of wearing scapulars, such as the Brown Scapular and others. The way Marian apparitions have informed popular Catholic devotion versus the Orthodox who (basically) don't believe in Marian apparitions, though if you start to lift the veil there are a few locally accepted ones. But in the Catholic sphere, Fatima alone is so defining of Catholicism, yet only happened 100 years ago. Add Lourdes, Akita, and many more...and that's sort of what I love about the Catholic tradition. Despite the mystery and beauty of Orthodox worship, the Catholic Church is ever-changing, ever-new, yet still firmly rooted to Tradition (although of course the Orthodox would disagree...but that's how I see it). Responding to and engaging with the world in which is finds itself while still remaining Church.

[Ggdivhjkjl]

The Oriental Orthodox make the sign of the cross in the same direction as the West.

[rhettaccardo]

Overlooked that there is a considerable Charismatic movement in Catholicism but not in Orthodoxy.

[aleksandrpeshkov]

Enters 💓 : " ... Nothing could bring Us closer to Truth than Our gratitude to 💓 ... And ... Still ... Nothing could bring Us closer to 💓 than the most vicious ingratitude towards ... Us ... "
💓💓💓 Ya 💓💓💓

[Raphacom]

The Rudder isn't exactly a code, but it's definitely equivalent to the Codex Juris Canonici.