THE ORIGIN OF DENOMINATIONS
                            Lesson Six

I. DIVISION BETWEEN THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE GREEK
   ORTHODOX CHURCH.

   A. In 1054 A.D., a division was brought about that resulted in
      two separate bodies.
      1. The Greek Orthodox Church began when objections were made
         about various practices:
         (a) The authority of the Pope.
         (b) The doctrine of purgatory.
         (c) The doctrine of transubstantiation.
         (d) The doctrine of hereditary sin.
         (e) The doctrine of sprinkling for baptism.
         (f) The use of mechanical instruments of music in
             worship.
         (g) The selling of indulgences.
         (h) The practice of extreme unction.

      2. The Orthodox Church of today:
         (a) "We have various patriarchates....They are
             archbishops. They do not have the authority of the
             Pope in the Western church. The dogmas are based on
             the seven ecumenical councils and the interpretation
             by the archbishops. But no one speaks for the entire
             church.
         (b) "We have baptism by immersion,...Holy Eucharist with
             both species of bread and wine, penance, the
             sacrament of oils, which is the sacrament of healing,
             matrimony and holy orders.
         (c) "As far as the liturgy goes it's basically the same
             (as the Catholic church). Our service is elaborate
             and follows the oldest liturgy that of St. John of
             Chrysostom which is sometimes called the Byzantine
             tradition.
         (d) "The sign of the cross is made, except we cross from
             right to left.
         (e) "We do not have confessionals, but we have confession
             before communion. The person kneels before an icon
             and the priest hears his confession.
         (f) "Yes, we venerate icons. We have people who light
             candles and kiss icons.
         (g) "We do have nuns and monks.
         (h) "Priests can marry before ordination but not after.
             Bishops cannot be married, although they can be
             formerly married.
         (i) "We observe Holy Days, Christmas, Epiphany, Easter,
             which is the main one, the Transfiguration,
             Pentecost, Palm Sunday, Ascension, the Nativity, the
             Assumption, The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple,
             the Nativity of the mother of God, the Exultation of
             the Cross. We also have some minor feasts honoring
             the saints."
                           (Taken from "ONE WAY, A Layman's guide
                            to Denominations, Lilla Ross, The
                            Beaumont Enterprise, 1977.)

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