Who are the Orthodox?

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Who are the Orthodox Christians, and how should a good Catholic perceive them?

They seem practically Catholic themselves. Really only one Pope away from the true faith.

They claim they are the original Church that Jesus founded. Could that be? There seems hardly anything heretical about them and if I did not know better I would say an Orthodox liturgy would be just as good as a mass.

Can someone clarify this?
 
Orthodox are two different Communions of Apostolic Churches that separated from the Catholic Church in two different separations. First in 451, the Oriental Orthodox - consisting of the Armenian, Indian, Syriac, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Coptic Churches - following the theology of St. Cyril of Alexandria regarding “miaphysitism” (not monophysitism as is often wrongly claimed by others). Miaphysitism is a legitimate position within the Catholic Church.
Later in 1054 - an estimate date - the Eastern Orthodox Churches - consisting of the Russian, Greek, Ukrainian, etc) separated from Rome due to political conflicts, the Crusades, killing of Latins in Constantinople, and the mutual excommunications of the Ecumenical Patriarch and a Cardinal representing a then-recently deceased Pope of Rome.

The theologies of both the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox are wholly acceptable to the Catholic Church. Both Communions have had groups reunited with the Latin Catholic Church in various times, making up the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Eastern CATHOLIC Churches follow the Liturgy, theology, Patrimony, calendar, Apostolic heritage, etc of their Orthodox counterparts, but are fully united to each other and the Pope of Rome.

It should be mentioned that there was an earlier separation before the two Orthodox Communions with Rome. The Church of Babylon, called the Assyrian Church of the East. This church separated in 431, when the Church accepted the Christology of Nestorius - then the Patriarch of Constantinople, who’s later followers theology was repudiated by St. Cyril of Alexandria, among others. The majority of this Church reunited with Rome and the Eastern Catholic Churches in the 1500s, making up the Chaldean Catholic Church. There remains a separation with those that did not unite, but the Christological controversy has been resolved.
 
The Eastern Orthodox Churches split from Rome in the Great Schism of 1054. They have valid apostolic succession and all seven valid sacraments. We should all pray for a resumption of full communion between our Churches.

The Catechism:
838 "The Church knows that she is joined in many ways to the baptized who are honored by the name of Christian, but do not profess the Catholic faith in its entirety or have not preserved unity or communion under the successor of Peter."322 Those "who believe in Christ and have been properly baptized are put in a certain, although imperfect, communion with the Catholic Church."323 **With the Orthodox Churches, this communion is so profound “that it lacks little to attain the fullness that would permit a common celebration of the Lord’s Eucharist.”**324
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SyroMalankara said:
Orthodox are two different Communions of Apostolic Churches that separated from the Catholic Church in two different separations. First in 451, the Oriental Orthodox - consisting of the Armenian, Indian, Syriac, Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Coptic Churches - following the theology of St. Cyril of Alexandria regarding “miaphysitism” (not monophysitism as is often wrongly claimed by others). Miaphysitism is a legitimate position within the Catholic Church.
Later in 1054 - an estimate date - the Eastern Orthodox Churches - consisting of the Russian, Greek, Ukrainian, etc) separated from Rome due to political conflicts, the Crusades, killing of Latins in Constantinople, and the mutual excommunications of the Ecumenical Patriarch and a Cardinal representing a then-recently deceased Pope of Rome.

The theologies of both the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox are wholly acceptable to the Catholic Church. Both Communions have had groups reunited with the Latin Catholic Church in various times, making up the Eastern Catholic Churches. The Eastern CATHOLIC Churches follow the Liturgy, theology, Patrimony, calendar, Apostolic heritage, etc of their Orthodox counterparts, but are fully united to each other and the Pope of Rome.

It should be mentioned that there was an earlier separation before the two Orthodox Communions with Rome. The Church of Babylon, called the Assyrian Church of the East. This church separated in 431, when the Church accepted the Christology of Nestorius - then the Patriarch of Constantinople, who’s later followers theology was repudiated by St. Cyril of Alexandria, among others. The majority of this Church reunited with Rome and the Eastern Catholic Churches in the 1500s, making up the Chaldean Catholic Church. There remains a separation with those that did not unite, but the Christological controversy has been resolved.
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A very thorough answer.

Does the theological difference between the Nestorian Churches and the Oriental Orthodox remain a divisive issue, since the Nestorius vs. Cyril of Alexandria was so heated at the time?

Also, do you know the general state of relations between the Oriental and Eastern Orthodox Churches? Do they consider each other legitimate and ‘orthodox’?
 
HabemusFrancis said:
Who are the Orthodox Christians, and how should a good Catholic perceive them?
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As I almost went Eastern Orthodox rather than Catholic, I would advise treating them almost as brothers and sisters. And I would pray for reunification.

They take issue with the level of supremacy of the Roman Bishop. In fairness to them, it does seem to be something that has developed over time - especially after the schism (eastern influence was thus reduced in the western, “Catholic” world).

In fairness to Rome, the Orthodox view that the Pope is “First Among Equals” is a logical contradiction. There can be no “first” if everyone is indeed equal. Thus “Peter’s Heir” does have something that all other bishops do not, even if that “something” is not necessarily Supremacy (in the EO view).
 
Vonsalza said:
As I almost went Eastern Orthodox rather than Catholic, I would advise treating them almost as brothers and sisters. And I would pray for reunification.

They take issue with the level of supremacy of the Roman Bishop. In fairness to them, it does seem to be something that has developed over time - especially after the schism (eastern influence was thus reduced in the western, “Catholic” world).

In fairness to Rome, the Orthodox view that the Pope is “First Among Equals” is a logical contradiction. There can be no “first” if everyone is indeed equal. Thus “Peter’s Heir” does have something that all other bishops do not, even if that “something” is not necessarily Supremacy (in the EO view).
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And was given the keys to the kingdom.
 
The more I hear their liturgy and see what they believe the more I believe they are really Catholic for all intents and purposes.

I love the interior of their churches.

They don’t seem radically different really, and its just some dry highly technical theological points that stop them from being Catholic.
 
See the Catechism and the various documents from the Church on this for a fuller answer.
 
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