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Question 261

Is Orthodoxy the original Christianity, and what year was the split with the Catholic?  

 

Answer to Question 261

 

One of the things that distinguishes the Orthodox faith is that it has remained unaltered from the time of Christ and the Apostles. The Orthodox Church of the twenty first century believes precisely what was believed by Orthodox of the first, the fifth, the tenth, the fifteenth centuries. Of course there have been external changes like vestments, monastic habits, new feasts, canons of Ecumenical and Regional Councils, etc, also certain differences in religious customs are obvious from one Orthodox country to another, but nothing has been added or subtracted from her Faith, their has always been “one faith, one Lord, one baptism”. (Eph. 4: 4)

 

Officially the date for the Great Schism of east and west is dated to 1054, but problems began from the 8th century and continued to the beginning of the 13th century. The Schism between East and West became final with the Fourth Crusade in 1204 and the sacking of Constantinople. It brought about so much hatred and bitterness that even today the monks of Athos distrust the Christian West. It is a story of disgrace which should bring tears to those hearing how Christian brothers killed and raped fellow Christian brothers and then looted everything they could lay their hands on. The Fourth Crusade was between 1198-1204