From time to time people ask, "If we all believe in Christ, why can't the Orthodox, Catholics, and Oriental Orthodox be one Church again?". The question sounds simple, but it touches the heart of everything the Orthodox Church confesses about truth. Unity without truth is not real unity.
The divisions among these ancient bodies were not caused by pride or politics alone, but by different faiths that cannot be reconciled without returning to the original Apostolic teaching preserved in Orthodoxy.
What Church Appeared First
The Orthodox Church is the same Church founded by Christ. It did not appear from another. It is the direct continuation of the Church that lived, prayed, and taught in the first centuries. When the Lord said...
"I will build My Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it"
- Matthew 16:18
... The Orthodox Church believes that promise is fulfilled in her life and faith.
All other Christian bodies (Oriental, Roman Catholic and the later Protestant groups) separated from this one Church at different times and for different reasons.
The Separation of the Oriental Orthodox
The Oriental Orthodox Churches (Coptic, Armenian, Syriac, Ethiopian, and others) separated in the fifth century after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 AD. The council confessed that Christ is one Person in two natures, fully God and fully man, "without confusion, change, division, or separation."
The Oriental bishops rejected this formula, fearing it divided Christ. They preferred the expression that Christ is "of one nature", which in practice led to misunderstanding of His true humanity. The Orthodox Church held that to deny either nature was to deny the fullness of the Incarnation.
Why the Eastern Orthodox Remained the Original Church
The Orthodox Church did not adopt a new teaching at Chalcedon... it defended what the Fathers had always taught from the time of the Apostles. The same faith had been proclaimed by St. Athanasius, St. Gregory the Theologian, and St. Basil the Great.
The definitions of Chalcedon were not innovations but safeguards. For that reason, the Church that remained faithful to these councils is the one that kept the unchanged Apostolic confession - the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Why the Oriental Churches Are Not Considered Fully Orthodox
The Orthodox Church prays for all who seek the truth, but cannot pretend that doctrines are equal. The division at Chalcedon concerned the very person of Christ. Without clear confession of who He is, salvation itself becomes uncertain. Because of this difference, communion cannot exist until the same faith is held again.
In recent years, some theological dialogues have brought mutual understanding and sympathy, yet full unity has not been restored. The Orthodox Church cannot call another body "Orthodox" if it does not hold the same confession in every point of the faith.
The Later Schism With the Catholic Church
Almost six centuries after Chalcedon, a new division arose: this time between Rome and the Orthodox East. The formal split, known as the Great Schism, took shape in 1054 AD. Its roots were long in forming: changes in belief, liturgical innovations, and claims of authority unknown to the ancient Church.
What the Schism Was About
The most serious issue was the addition of the Filioque ("and the Son") to the Creed.
The Creed originally confessed the Holy Spirit as “proceeding from the Father.” Rome added “and the Son.” ("proceeding from the Father "and the Son""), altering the balance of the Trinity. This was not a minor word but a change in how God is known: the Father is the one Source; the Son is begotten; the Spirit proceeds. To make the Spirit proceed from both turns the divine order upside down.
The West also began to teach about papal supremacy, claiming the Bishop of Rome as universal head with power over all churches. The Orthodox Church never recognized such a power; it contradicts the conciliar order established by the Apostles.
Other differences followed, such as: purgatory, the use of unleavened bread in the Eucharist, doctrines about created grace, indulgences, and later the idea of papal infallibility. None of these existed in the ancient Church.
Why the Orthodox Church Alone Keeps the Original Faith
Orthodoxy has not added to the Creed, nor altered the understanding of the Trinity, nor invented new doctrines about salvation or the Virgin Mary. Its worship, sacraments, and theology remain those of the undivided first millennium. The Orthodox Church confesses the same Christ, the same Trinity, and the same Holy Spirit that the Apostles proclaimed.
Because the Roman teaching of the Filioque changed the relation within the Trinity itself, we do not venerate the same understanding of God. The Orthodox confession remains that the Father alone is the eternal source of the Godhead, from Whom the Son is begotten and the Spirit proceeds. Any other formula reshapes the very being of God and leads to a different faith.
Why There Cannot Be a Forced Reunion
True unity cannot be built on compromise. To "reunite" while holding different faiths would create another division inside the Church. The Orthodox Church prays for the return of all, but knows that unity will come only in the truth, not in diplomacy. The path back is repentance and confession of the same Creed without additions or changes.
The Church welcomes every person who desires to return to the ancient faith, but she cannot alter the deposit entrusted to her by the Holy Spirit.
Conclusion
The separation between the Orthodox, the Oriental, and the Catholic Churches is not merely historical but theological. The Orthodox Church stands as the direct continuation of the Apostolic Church, unchanging in faith and worship. She prays for all who seek the truth, but she cannot trade truth for peace.
As long as human pride and new doctrines remain, division continues. Yet the door of repentance is open to everyone, for Christ Himself is the Head of the Church and the Truth that unites. The Orthodox Church waits not for negotiations, but for the day when all will again confess with one voice:
"I believe in one God, the Father Almighty... and in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father."
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