What is the difference between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Chu

I know that both are *essentially* Catholic but what are the differences between the two?

No rude answers please

Orthodox priests may marry and some Liturgical differences

Eastern Orthodox don't acknowledge a Pope. We have a few doctrinal differences, very few, some not necessarily as "important" as others.

The Orthodox are very faithful people. Most importantly they believe in the Fullness of Truth. That is essentially the strongest bind that ties us.

no pope for the Eastern Orthodox. I'm sure there are other differences as well.

the creed, the pope is not recognized as leader of the whole church, some Orthodoxes recognize him as a bishop and that's all, some doctrines about the virgin Mary, the purgatory doesn't exist in orthodox churches, the priests can be married in Orthodox churches, the orthodox churches use icons and roman catholic uses statues... check this website
http://christianityinview.com/comparison.html

The Catholic Church was One before the split of the orthodox church.
Not much different. The Roman Catholic and the eastern Catholics are governed by the Pope of Rome.
The Orthodox are also govern by their independent pope.

The Eastern Orthodox church was started in 325 Under Constantine, it was mostly destroyed about 400 and it re-emerged in 525 under Justinian. The Roman Catholic church was started in 872 by Bishop Thomas. The emperor was busy killing people some place and Thomas decided that he could start his own religion and make a ton of money with it. The Orthodox church sent bishops and priests out to proselytize. Thomas created the pope since the emperor was the head of the orthodox church. Thomas wanted to be the head of his church.

What do you mean 'essentially Catholic'? They both have in their creed of faith (or whatever this basic prayer is called) the word 'catholic' because in Greek it means 'all encompassing', so of course they both consider themselves 'all encompassing'.
They argued over one difference in this declaration of faith: Orthodox believe that the Holy Spirit stems from the Father, but Catholics from both the Father and the Son (this is called 'foliage', meaning 'and from the son', which they added to this prayer).

Practicalities:
Orthodox priests can get married only before they become priests, but in order to become Patriarchs (the equivalent of Pope), they have to be either unmarried or widowed.

Catholics believe the Pope is infallible, Orthodox believe no human is infallible.

Catholicism revolves much more around guilt and has had a tradition of 'buying off' your sins, in the middle ages through 'absolution papers', in general through doing a per scribed number of prayers or whatever the priests tell you.

During confession in Catholicism you sit in a box where priest and believer can't see each others face, in Orthodox church it's face to face

In communion, in Orthodox church everyone receives the Body and Blood of Jesus (bread and wine), in Catholicism everyone gets the Hestia (like a wafer), and only priests can get the Blood.

Orthodox priests have long beards and hair, Catholic priests shave their heads.

Both have a lot of money, but Catholics have better PR and international relations.

Catholics allow inter-doctrine marriage, Orthodox allow it as long as it is an orthodox ceremony, the best man/woman is orthodox and you promise the kids will become orthodox.

Priests of both denominations are fond of little boys (sorry I couldn't resist this one!)

I can't think of any more...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Catholic%E2%80%93Eastern_Orthodox_theologica l_differences

The principal differences are:
1) the role of the Pope, bishop of Rome. The Orthodox do not consider him the chief bishop over all the churches. The other ancient patriarchates (Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem) along with a number of newer ones (Georgia, Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, etc) and some archbishoprics (Cyprus, Athens...) consider their own chief bishop to be the head of their own territories, and are not in submission to a "one bishop to rule them all". They are subject to Christ, and to each other.
2) the change to the ancient Nicene Creed, which is the common heritage of the Eastern Orthodox, the Oriental Orthodox, and the Roman Catholic Church. Rome added the Latin word "foliage" (Engl. "and the Son") to the Creed, which both violated ancient church laws prohibiting changes and misstates the Orthodox understanding of the origin of the Holy Spirit.

Orthodoxy does not believe in purgatory, indulgences, the immaculate conception of Mary, or the infallibility of the Pope -- these are major new teachings that further separate the two.

There are other things that are different that are lesser in impact. A few:
Orthodox priests and deacons may marry before ordination (not afterward).
Communion is given after baptism and Christian, even to infants.
The Orthodox "Apocrypha" is slightly larger than the one used by Rome.

Blessings.
/Orthodox