What are the differences between the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eas

What are the differences between the beliefs of the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church?

The greatest one that I know of is the orthodox do not recognize and acknowledge the authority of the bishop of Rome as the head of the church. That is what caused them to split up. The orthodox also permit their priests to marry. Other than that, the teachings are practically the same. The orthodox still have valid sacraments although they are in schism. That does not mean a Catholic is permitted to receive the sacraments from the orthodox. As they are in schism we are not permitted.

PAC in Christo

If you're interested, this is a popular forum for Catholic Christians, you may find more answers here...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=26

Here is one for Orthodox Christians...

http://christianforums.com/forumdisplay.php?f=145

There are more differences between the Orthodox and Catholic Church besides disagreements over the pope's authority.

Some differences:
* The foliage - concerning the procession of the Holy Spirit. It is a portion of the Nicene creed which was added by the Catholic church. I'd contend that this was the wedge than began the division between the Western and Eastern Churches. The authority of the pope developed later over time.

Anyways, here's the portion of the Nicene Creed affected by the foliage.

-----------------------
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father (and the Son).
With the Father and the Son he is worshiped and glorified.
He has spoken through the Prophets.
---------------------

The portion in parentheses was added by the Catholic Church at the Council of Toledo. I think it was in the 6Th century, but I'm not positive. It was officially accepted in 1017 by the Western (Catholic) Church.

The foliage was a problem for Eastern (Orthodox) Christians for 2 main reasons.

1.) The verse that this was based on (John 15:26) only points to the Holy Spirit proceeding from the Father. The Nicine Creed was directly quoting from this
2.) All changes to things like this had to have ecumenical approval. The Western (Catholic) Christians did not receive this.

Ultimately, both sides had reasons for their approval or disapproval of this statement. However, communication between Western and Eastern Christianity was very difficult due to geographic location, and historical backgrounds of various invasions, etc. It was difficult to travel between the two areas, hence making ecumenical councils less likely to happen - at least if they were to include all the patriarchs.

OK...I could go on and on about this

* The pope - Yes, there is definitely a disagreement with this. Ironically, the Orthodox did consider the pope to be the "first among equals". They just never considered him to be authoritative over the other bishops.

* Rome vs Constatinople - Rome was originally the ecclesiastical primacy of all the patriarchates. As four of the five patriarchs were centered in the East around Constantinople, Constantinople became the ecclesiastical primacy of the East, while Rome held the primacy of the West. Eventually - I'm not sure how - Constantinople ended up becoming the "New Rome" - which didn't go over well with Rome. Others - feel free to expand on this if you know more.

* Purgatory (sorry this has to be shorter - I need to head to bed) - Orthodox don't believe the same thing about purgatory. We aren't quite as clear as to how this happens. We do believe in thesis though (if you're interested - Google what thesis is). It has a similar end result...Purification...Perfection...

* Marian Theology - We don't believe in the immaculate conception

*Another Marian theology - we don't believe that Mary never died. We do believe in the Domitian of the Mary, and the bodily assumption into Heaven, but we do believe she died first.

*I'm sure others will speak of more, and perhaps I'll write more another day - but for now, I need to head to bed.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Edit: As far as the rest of things that I was going to mention - the answer below me pretty much sums up it very succinctly

This is a lot longer than most people think. Some will say it's simply the Pope- but this is only the tip of the iceberg. I'm an Orhtodox convert
and my dad;s side of the family is Catholic
1. episcopacy- Orhtodox bishops are all equal non one is considered infallible a Patriarch Metroploitan or archbishop is simply the chairman of his synod and has one vote just like every one else.
2. foliage- Catholics teach dual procession we do not
3. Mortal and venial sin- we make no such discrimination
4. Original sin- the Orhtodox church dose not teach we are born damned to hell rather we damn ourselves and no unheated guilt
5. Sin is viewed as disease ND not just breaking a law. So our wrong actions are a result of a sick soul.
6. purgatory- We Orthodox pray for the dead as the judgement has not happened and we're not geting tortured for sins between now and then.
7. indulgences- this practice dose not nor has it ever existed in the Orthodox church since confession alone will result in forgiveness
8. Mary is not viewed as an immacualte conception in the Orhtodox church- the Catholic teaching is not possible in Orhtodox theology as it would either mean Chirst has no true human nature since or that mary is devine. Christ alone is free of original sin as he is God and can not be seperated from himself. While the RC celibrate the assumption of mary we celebrate the Dormistion and state clearly that she died.
9. confirmation- we don't practice confirmation rather christmation where the Holy spirit is given after baptism
10. communion- first children recive communion second we don't try to explain how it is both bread and wine and the body and blood of Christ .
11. The Catholic priest is all that is needed to concrate the host for communion while you need the Priest and at least 2 other people for an Orthdoox liturgy.
12. Scholasticism- a by product of the midle ages was the Roman Catholic tendency to analie everything while we Orhtodox will say we can't understand alot of things.
13. married priest- while Orhtodox priest can't marry a married man however can be ordained as a deacon or a priest. If your not married and you become a priest- you will be a monk. All Orthodox Bishops are monks. idealy we like to keep the monk priests in the monistary and the married priest will serve every place else.
14. development of doctrine- Catholics will talk about defining doctrine Orthodox on the other hand call this making things up since if it was realy important that we understood a doctrine it would have been stated clearly during the early years of the Church. We do recognise obviously that science will bring about new discoveries andtechnology so we seek to aply Traditonal thought when aproaching them and not changing doctirne.
15. Infalibility- while the Catholics teach the pope is infaliable on matters of faith and doctrine the orthodox church say it is the church colectivly that is infalible.
16. Fasting- Orhtodox fast more than catholics we fast wensday friday
as well as every day in Lent during advent the two weeks before the dormiton of Saint Mary and for the Aposltes fast and the beheading of St. John The Baptist. The Catholics will say simply no red meat as this is the bare minum they expect people to do while the Orthodox church gives the guidlines of only eating a little vegan meals as possible with a little worldy distractions as possible. As it is what we should strive towards.
17. meditative prayer- we don't use the catholic Rosary we say the jesus prayer "Lord Jesus Christ son of God have mercy on me a sinner" and usaly use a noted prayer rope but some time beeds will be used as well.
20. language- The Catholics had a long hsotry of only using Latin we orthodox have used a version of the local language. for example you go to a Russian Orthodox church and Litrugy is in 17th century Russian
you go to a Romanian Church it is in Romanian you go to an American Church it is going to be in English- a mix of English and another language or an other languiage depnding on the people at the Church.
the First bishop of Alaska- Saint Innoent translated the Ltirugy into the local languages in the early 19th century. Saint Cyrlil and Methodius were comisioned to Translate the Ltirugy into Slavonic the ancesstor of the modern Slavic langiuages in the 9th century