A member of my brother-in-law’s family is Greek Orthodox. Through this family member, I was introduced to the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Clearwater, Florida. This church was built in 2019. The beauty and richness inside this place of worship inspired me to explore Church history. Here is what I learned!

There are several differences between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church. Some indicate as many as ten differences. It is also interesting to note that the Eastern Catholic Churches have some of the same customs as the Eastern Orthodox Churches. For example, Byzantine Catholic Churches use leavened bread in their liturgies and follow the Eastern practice of administering the Eucharist to infants after they receive confirmation also known as chrismation. The main difference between Catholics and Orthodox is the supremacy and infallibility of the Pope. Orthodox Christians view the Pope as having a “title of honor.” They do not see the Pope as the supreme authority over the Church. Instead, they have a synod of bishops that provides the leadership needed.

One of the differences that I found quite interesting was the Filioque clause in the Creed which states that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Eastern Orthodox believe the Holy Spirit proceeds solely from the Father. Trent Horn, in an article for Catholic Answers Magazine, stated that “if one understands that everything the Son has ultimately comes from the Father who begot him, then these two formulations can be equally accurate.”

As I continued my research, I particularly enjoyed one of the encyclicals from Pope Saint John Paul II who stated that “the Church must breathe with her two lungs!” He continued by stating that “in the first millennium of the history of Christianity, this expression refers primarily to the relationship between Byzantium and Rome.” However, he stated that “from the time of the Baptism of Rus it comes to have an even wider application…(and) goes back to a time when the Church in the East and the Church in the West were not divided…” Pope Saint John Paul II continued, “we, (therefore,) understand clearly that the vision of the full communion to be sought is that of unity in legitimate diversity.”

Pope Benedict XVI enjoyed a close friendship with the spiritual leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholemew.

Pope Francis also made significant efforts to reconcile with the Orthodox Church and to heal the 1,000-year rift since the Great Schism of 1054. In addition to a close relationship with the Patriarch Bartholemew, Pope Francis also held the first-ever meeting with a Russian Orthodox Patriarch in Havana, Cuba.

Recently, Pope Leo XIV addressed a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul and reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s commitment to the path of reconciliation and unity with the Orthodox Church.

Whether or not we will see in our lifetimes the reunion of the Eastern Orthodox and the Catholic Churches remains to be seen. However, we can continue to admire the beauty that is displayed in both churches and be inspired to move closer to God because of all that we experience.

Enjoy the video below of this beautiful Greek Orthodox Church.

I’ll be headed to the Baltic countries in June and will be blogging about Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia when I return.

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