Ever since the time of the Apostolic Fathers, there have been divisions in the Church. Usually, minor differences could be overlooked, but occasionally, some opposed beliefs could cause major effects. For a thousand years, those problems were dealt with by convening councils of bishops to discuss whether some clarification or compromise of terminology could mend them. If not, the dissidents could be labeled as heretics and excluded, or put down if necessary. One such heresy, Arianism, insisted on denying the divinity of Christ, which obviously would have had pivotal consequences.
But there had also been, for centuries, a not-so-subtle competition for the authority to lead the Church. Five major metropolitan cities, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and of course, Constantinople, each wanting to surpass the others in influence, were leading their own factions, and struggling to impose their own interpretations upon the others. Thus, not all ecumenical councils ended peacefully, and at least one had to be annulled and redone a generation later. Even so, the practice of calling a worldwide council kept the Church in unity, even when they had to fight the heretics.
As early as the 7th century, tensions over the use of art, specifically statues, in the churches began to highlight cultural differences. This led to a separation of political powers, as the Pope decided to crown Charlemagne as the head of the Holy Roman Empire, no longer beholding to the Byzantine emperor. To this, he added, without consultation, a phrase to the Nicene Creed, stating that the Holy Spirit came from the Father "and the Son." It was a rebuke to the Arians, with whom the West was still struggling. And finally, in the 11th century, the Eastern Churches accused the West of "judaizing" and trying to be more Jewish than they thought was appropriate, because they were using plain unleavened bread to celebrate the Eucharist, like the Passover feast.
This brought to a peak the real issue that had been rising: the right of the Bishop of Rome to stand on his own authority, without having to bow to the majority opinions of the other bishops. Indeed, after the Creed issue, he thought that they should accept his rulings as authoritative for themselves as well. This unyielding stance, plus a diplomatic incident, caused the envoys of Rome and Constantinople to excommunicate each other. And then, when the Crusaders put Constantinople under seige a few decades later, the bitterness became fixed and permanent. There is no way forward if Rome insists on being more important than simply first among equals.
So these are the main differences, as they stand today, compounded by the further schizm with the Protestant churches. The Catholic Church still holds to the arrogant assumption that the Pope is the authoritative head of all Christians, and has the right to dictate tradition. These "talking points" represent an opposing point of view, sometimes offering a compromise.
1. Papal authority
- The Bishop of Rome is just one among many. The arrogant assuming of leadership authority was the primary cause of the Catholic/Orthodox Schism of 1054 AD. Authority and right teaching are to be determined in ecumenical council, according to the agreement and respect of the assembled Bishops.
2. Added traditions
- Catholics teach things not found in the Bible. The accumulation of traditions based on unwritten sources is the same "leaven of the Pharisees" that Jesus warned us to avoid. For example, extreme Marianism, confession, indulgences and purgatory.
3. Grace vs Works
- Works are simply the fruits and sign of justification, and not a means of the preservation or increase of grace. If you don't have them, God isn't working grace in you because you have no faith. We are saved by grace, through faith, and its evidence is works. (contra Trent, 24.) Perhaps an abundance of works may enhance your status in Heaven, but they do not effect your entrance therein. That is due to God's grace alone.
4. Mediation of grace via sacraments
- Grace comes as fully as you have faith, to the degree that you are open to it. It is mediated by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, in response to prayer. It is not dribbled out by drops in ritual acts. All churches have services, ordinary or with rituals, which act out the functions of the sacraments, as needed, but they don't all assume the unique authority to distribute grace to those who obey the church.
5. Need for confession to a priest
- We can always confess directly to Jesus. He is our High Priest. If we need advice, we can seek out a priest as a counselor, and elders in the church can advise and warn sinners to reform. A priest can recommend conscientious penance, but our confessions, in any case, are effective only when we are truly sorry for our sins, and when we honestly declare our repentance and intention to avoid repeating our sinful behavior. If we then fail again, we will need to confess again, and make some effort to perform effective penance so as to transform our lives. But Jesus is always willing to hear our confessions, and to offer us the strength to overcome them.
6. Mary as mediator
- Mary does not mediate either God's grace nor His salvation. Neither perpetual virginity nor a sinless life are in the Bible. If God wanted to remove her original sin, in response to her agreement to bear his Holy Child, so that the Holy Spirit would not be defiled, that is His right. Her faith is accounted to her as righteousness. Her mission in Heaven, the same as all the Saints, is to pray for us, and Jesus listens with sympathy and agreement to his Mother.
7. Transubstantiation
- The transformation of the elements in the Eucharist occurs for the benefit of the people in the Church, according to each individual's faith. Insofar as the believers acknowledge that what God says does happen, then the bread and wine do become Christ's body and blood, and not mere symbols of remembrance. However, the body of Christ cannot be corrupted by being received unworthily, nor does the priest perform a miracle where faith is not present.
8. The existence of purgatory
- There is no such place in the Bible. If a person needs to be purified of "dross" before entering Heaven, it can be accomplished instantly. The soul can be transformed by grace, even as the body is transformed by resurrection. God has no need to impose temporary punishments.
9. Indulgences
- A way for the Catholic Church to make money by selling the forgiveness of sin, or sidestepping a moral dilemma by pronouncing forgiveness of needful acts before they are committed. Either way, the institution is morally questionable.
10. Papal infallibility
- No Human being can be infallible, nor can the Chair of St. Peter. We have had bad Popes in the past, as well as good ones. The Pope's words can not be declared as perfect without thorough examination, experience, and prayerful discernment after the pronouncement. Just as we don't declare living Saints, we cannot declare perfect doctrines before they have been proved. Jesus never said that Peter was always going to get everything right. Rather, all of the apostles would agree together in council.
There have been some recent gestures and efforts to reconcile the Catholic Church with those in the East. Pope John Paul II began to build some bridges toward the Eastern Orthodox Churches, beginning with the agreement to not say the Nicene Creed with the phrase "and the Son" when in Orthodox company. And the Orthodox bishops seem to accept the distinction between the "veneration" of artworks being acceptable, as opposed to worshipping them as idols. We don't put offerings before statues. But there is still a long way to go before we have a true reconciliation, and negotiations with the Protestant churches have barely begun.
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