what is the difference between catholic and orthodox?

Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics separated from one another in 1054. There are very few theological differences.

The main difference is that the Eastern Orthodox Churches (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11329a.htm) use the Byzantine Rite (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04312d.htm) and the Roman Catholic Church use the Roman or Latin Rite.

Pope John Paul II said of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Orientale Lumen, "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common." (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apo...

With love in Christ.

Do you mean "Roman Catholic"?? I am Catholic - just not "Roman Catholic"

Eastern Orthodox Christians consider themselves to be Catholic (kath = according to holos = the whole) as well.

If that's what you mean: They were the same (basically) until the Great Schism of 1054 A.D.)

Google: "Great Schism" http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=the+great...

The biggest modern day difference is the acceptance (or, non-acceptance) of the Filioque clause in the Creed:

The so - called Filioque ("and the Son") clause, expressing the double procession of the Spirit, was added at the Third Council of Toledo (589). The Nicene Creed is used by Roman Catholics, many Protestants, and the Eastern Orthodox; the Eastern Orthodox, however, reject the Filioque clause.

Good question.

The term "Catholic" is widely misued. Many churches are in the catholic tradition, including the Eastern Orthodox churchs however they are not Roman Catholic. We usuallt use the term Catholic synomously with Roman Catholisim, but this is not the case. Easter Orthodox, like the Church Of Englan are catholic in structure and dopctroine and not too widely affected by the protestant reformation, they however split from the control and structure of Roman to for independant catholic churces. Throughout the 1990's and 2000s there has been greater cooperation amongst these churches with a view to one day uniting in a unfied church.

Roman Catholics, Orthodox Christians (in general), and the Assyrian Church of the East each recognize the "validity" of each other's Eucharist (Mass or Divine Liturgy), and of the holy orders of their respective priesthoods and episcopate. The Roman Catholic Church, on the other hand, considers Anglican Holy Orders to be "null and void," as declared by Pope Leo XIII in his Bull Apostolicae curae. Beginning with the Encyclical Letter Saepius officio of the Archbishops of Canterbury and York in response to Apostolicae curae, Anglicans, for obvious reasons, have steadfastly rejected this claim. At present, Old-Catholics are in full communion with the worldwide Anglican Communion, including full exchange of clergy and participation in each other's ordinations (including episcopal consecrations), and many Lutheran Churches are in communion with Anglican provinces. Although there were several statements made by a couple of Orthodox leaders in the early 20th century giving hope to High Anglican clergy that their priestly orders would eventually be recognized as valid by the Orthodox, today there is little variance among Orthodox patriarchs and metropolitans on the validity of Anglican Orders. As with the Catholic Church, today the Orthodox churches universally require ordination to the priesthood for Anglican clergy that convert to Orthodoxy, evidencing the prevailing Orthodox view that the Anglican liturgy is non-sacramental in nature. Recent decisions by various Anglican/Episcopal bishops to ordain women to the priesthood and to the episcopate have rendered any hope of formal ecclesiastical union with Orthodoxy (from the Orthodox point of view) a moot point.

Orthodox is the most strict

The Pope

just the name basically