For those of you who are religious and have faith in Christianity, did you ever examine the differences between Catholic and Orthodox Christianity?

Even though the basic element of faith in these beliefs is the existence of God and his son-martyr Jesus Christ, you may be surprised once you take a look at the substantial differences of Orthodoxy in its ecclesiastical practices.

Orthodox Churches now exist all around the world; however, the faith first developed in Greece, Russia, the Balkans and other eastern countries. Orthodoxy is then an Eastern tradition.

Orthodox services are structured around worshiping the divine. The leader of the church, the bishop, is he who leads the clergy and passes down his teachings. In the traditional Greek Orthodox Church, women and men are supposed to sit on different sides of the church, as they take turns in communion.

When entering a Greek Orthodox Church you can see very different architecture than what you are used to in a Catholic Church: large domes portraying Jesus Christ and many saints. There are also many icons of Jesus Christ and the saints that people bow before and kiss.

You then may see them do their cross from the right to the left with only three fingers, symbolizing the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The churches are decorated with overwhelmingly beautiful chandeliers made out of gold and bronze, and the walls are adorned by carefully hand-painted hagiographies.

Many church ‘mysteries,’ as they are called, are also conducted in quite a different manner than the respective Catholic mysteries. A perfect example would be a matrimonial service. You might recall this if you’ve seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding. Bride and groom exchange wedding wreaths and walk around the altar; this symbolizes their first steps together as husband and wife.

The history of the Orthodox Church is extensive and complex, including the hierarchical structure among its clergy. The aforementioned elements are only a simplistic reference to Orthodoxy.