For Russians it is important to
examine the mutual relationship between Russia and Rome during the history of
the past 1,000 years. Already at the dawn of Russia’s baptism (at the end of 10th
century), the Roman pope sent emissaries to Korsun to persuade Prince Vladimir
not to embrace the Orthodox Church. Emissaries were sent to Kiev with the same
purpose. The pope tried to influence them through the kings of Poland and
Czechoslovakia and likewise attempted to manipulate the assembly of Slavic and
European princes. In response to the Tartar invasion of Russia, the pope sent
armed Swedes and Venetians. Meeting defeat in battle against the Russian armies
led by Prince Alexander Nevsky, the pope offered his help to battle the
Tartars. He received this response, "God is not found in human strength
but in truth." And the Pope answered with armed attacks in the 13th
century and again in the "Times of Trouble" from 1605 to 1612.
The advance of Rome in opposition to Orthodoxy has been uninterrupted over
the entire history of Russia. Poland was declared by the pope as missionary
territory for the Roman church. In our century, from 1919 to 1929, Roman
Catholics took possession of 43% of the Orthodox Churches there. During the
first quarter of our century, a new organ of the Roman Church became known as
the "Eastern Rite." Through adopting the external forms of worship of
the Orthodox Church, the "Eastern Rite" attempted to seduce Orthodox
Christians away from their Church.
How many times the merciless Catholics insisted that "the Lord will
sweep with a steel broom the Orthodox east for the purpose of empowering the
Catholic Church." In 1926 and 1928 the eastern Catholic emissary traveled
to Moscow again to make contact with and convert the Marxist internationalists.
The Jesuit priest Scwheiger insisted that the Bolsheviks were well prepared to
receive the Catholic missionaries, and that the long-suffering Russian people
were hostages of the Roman preachers’ efforts. The facts reveal that the
aggressive behavior of the Vatican towards Orthodoxy has not let up to this
day.
The Main Differences Between Orthodoxy and Catholicism
- Catholicism created new
dogmas in conflict with the apostolic teachings and the seven Ecumenical
Councils. The most serious deviations from the truth are the Latin dogmas
of the procession of the Holy Spirit "from the Son," of the
supremacy and infallibility of the Roman Pope, and of the "immaculate
conception" of the Mother of God (the claim that the Mother of God
was conceived without sin).
- In opposition to the
apostolic tradition, catholic priests must adhere to celibacy.
- Sacramental distortions: the
Sacrament of Communion is not performed according to the apostolic
Tradition. Instead of bread and wine, wafers are administered —
worshippers are excluded from the wine, which is reserved for the clergy.
Thus, the laity are denied the Blood of Christ. Also, the Sacrament of
Baptism is performed by the sprinkling of water rather than by immersion
as was the Tradition.
- The Orthodox Church does not
recognize "purgatory" (a place between heaven and hell, where
the deceased are permitted to atone for their sins). She likewise does not
accept the incorrect practice of indulgences, the merciless inquisitions
and torture carried out by the Catholic Church, nor the conversion of
Orthodox Christians to Catholicism.
Return to the first page
