That is so weird. About all I’ve ever heard from American Catholics is how Catholics and Orthodox are so much alike, they are like sister churches. Then I heard from American Orthodox on the question, and they were basically calling down anathemas on Catholics. Then I heard from an Orthodox Christian from Greece, who basically told me all sorts of Jack Chick-like stuff about the Catholic Church. The whole thing took me completely by surprise based on what I’d heard Catholics say about Orthodox. I had no idea that the warm fuzzies were very definitely not reciprocated.
I just find it interesting that you have heard a very different attitude from Catholics than I have. I mean, yeah, in the Balkans and various other borderlands between East/West there’s a lot of tension. But I’ve never really heard it spilling over much into American Catholicism. Unless you’re talking about the Internet. There you can get all sorts of whacky perspectives!