Michael Brooks
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church formally split in 1054 during what is known as the East-West Schism or the Great Schism. The split was the culmination of centuries of growing divergence between the Greek East and the Latin West, with disputes over theological and doctrinal issues, as well as cultural and political practices. While the Catholic Church characterises the event as a schism, the Eastern Orthodox Church considers there to be deeper theological issues at play. Despite the formal split, there have been ongoing attempts to reconcile the two churches.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the split | 1054 (known as the East-West Schism or the Great Schism) |
| Reason for the split | Theological and doctrinal disputes, as well as differences in cultural and political practices |
| Specific issues | Procession of the Holy Spirit, use of leavened vs. unleavened bread in the Eucharist, iconoclasm, coronation of Charlemagne, pope's claim to universal jurisdiction, place of the See of Constantinople |
| Reconciliation attempts | In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I nullified the anathemas of 1054 as a gesture of goodwill |
| Current relationship | The Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church continue to develop along separate paths, with the Catholic Church being more centralized and hierarchical, while the Orthodox Church maintains a more decentralized and autonomous structure |
| Perspective on the split | Catholics view the split as a schism due to ecclesiological issues, while Orthodox theologians believe there are deeper theological issues beyond the primacy of the Pope |
| Ancestral sin | The Eastern Orthodox Church believes that ancestral sin corrupted our existence and that original sin is hereditary, while the Catholic Church holds that the sin of Adam that we inherit is called "sin" in an analogical sense |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Schism of 1054
The first step towards the formal schism occurred in 1053 when Patriarch Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople ordered the closure of all Latin churches in Constantinople. In 1054, the papal legate sent by Pope Leo IX travelled to Constantinople to deny Cerularius the title of "ecumenical patriarch". On July 16, 1054, Cardinal Humbert, legate of Pope Leo IX, entered the Cathedral of Hagia Sophia and placed a parchment declaring the Patriarch of Constantinople, Michael Cerularius, excommunicated. In response, Cerularius excommunicated Humbert and the other legates.
The validity of the Western legates' act was questionable because Pope Leo had died, and Cerularius' excommunication only applied to the legates personally. However, the mutual excommunications became a watershed in church history, and the breach was never healed. The two churches officially split along doctrinal, theological, linguistic, political, and geographical lines. While there were attempts at reconciliation, they did not succeed. In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I nullified the anathemas of 1054 as a gesture of goodwill, but this did not constitute a reunion.
It is important to note that the schism was a complex process that developed over centuries, with temporary reconciliations and periods of tension. Even after 1054, friendly relations continued between the East and West, and ordinary Christians were largely unaware of any significant divide. The East-West Schism is a reminder of the long history of friction and deterioration in relations between the Catholic and Orthodox churches.
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Theological and doctrinal disputes
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been officially divided since the East-West Schism of 1054. This schism was the culmination of a series of ecclesiastical differences and theological disputes between the Greek East and the Latin West.
One of the key theological disputes between the two churches is the understanding of the procession of the Holy Spirit, also known as the Filioque controversy. The Latin West added the Filioque clause to the Nicene Creed, stating that the Holy Spirit proceeds "and [from] the Son" (Filioque in Latin), in addition to proceeding from the Father. This modification was rejected by the Eastern Orthodox Church as it was seen as a deliberate change to the words of Christ, who stated that the Spirit proceeds from the Father and not the Father and the Son.
Another significant dispute is the question of papal primacy, or the "primacy of the Bishop of Rome." The Catholic Church attributes to the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church," while the Eastern Orthodox Church understands the primacy of the Bishop of Rome as one of greater honour, regarding him as "first among equals" without effective power over other churches. This difference in understanding the authority of the Pope has been a primary cause of the schism and an obstacle to reunification attempts.
The two churches also differ in their teachings on original sin and grace. The Eastern Orthodox Church teaches that original sin is hereditary and that we are born into a corrupted existence due to the ancestral sin of Adam and Eve. In contrast, the Catholic Church holds that the sin of Adam is inherited, and for the remission of this sin, even babies who have no personal sin are baptised. On the nature of grace, the Orthodox believe that grace is uncreated, while Catholics believe in both uncreated and created grace, with created grace being an effect of God's work.
Additionally, there have been disputes over the age of confirmation and holy communion. Orthodox infants receive chrismation and holy communion immediately after baptism, whereas Catholic children receive their first communion and confirmation from the age of seven.
The East-West Schism was also influenced by historical and language differences, which further contributed to the theological differences between the two churches. The mutual alienation of the Greek-speaking East and the Latin-speaking West led to a lack of understanding of each other's theological developments.
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Primacy of the Pope
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church formally separated in 1054 C.E. in what is known as the East-West Schism or the Great Schism. The two churches had long recognised their divergences, which became more pronounced in the centuries leading up to the split. The primacy of the Pope was one of the key issues that separated the two churches.
The Catholic Church attributes to the primacy of the Pope "full, supreme, and universal power over the whole Church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered". This power is codified in the Catholic Church's codes of canon law, such as the Latin Church's 1983 Code of Canon Law. The Catholic Church's claim to the Pope's primacy is based on the belief that the Bishop of Rome is the direct successor of Saint Peter, who was given the keys by Jesus in the New Testament (Matthew 16:18).
Eastern Orthodox Christians also accept that Saint Peter had a certain primacy among the Apostles. However, they interpret other texts, such as Matthew 18:18, to imply that the other Apostles also received the keys. They also believe that Saint Peter's primacy does not confer supreme authority on the Bishop of Rome as Saint Peter's successor. Instead, they regard the Bishop of Rome as "first among equals" and believe that his primacy is one of honour rather than power. This interpretation is based on the understanding that the Church of Rome was founded by both Saint Peter and Saint Paul, and that other Sees are also of Saint Peter.
The Ravenna Document, issued in 2007, stated that representatives of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church jointly acknowledged the Bishop of Rome's primacy at the universal level. However, they also recognised that differences in understanding exist about how this primacy should be exercised and its scriptural and theological foundations.
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Language and cultural differences
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church have been officially divided since the East-West Schism of 1054. However, the roots of this schism can be traced back to the second century when Pope St. Victor I threatened to excommunicate the churches of Asia Minor over a dispute regarding the proper date of Easter. Over the centuries, several attempts were made to reconcile the differences between the two churches, but none were successful.
The East-West Schism was primarily caused by historical and linguistic differences, which led to theological differences between the Western and Eastern churches. The Eastern Church used Greek as its primary language, while the Western Church used Latin. As a result, translation errors and misunderstandings contributed to the growing divide between the two churches. For example, the word "ekporeuesthai" in Greek indicates a primary or ultimate cause, while the Latin word "procedere" indicates a procession but not from an ultimate cause. This linguistic difference had significant theological implications, particularly regarding the Filioque clause in the Nicene Creed.
The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church also differed in their practices and interpretations of certain doctrines. The Eastern Orthodox Church asserted that the Catholic Church had introduced new dogmas over the years, such as the immaculate conception and papal infallibility, which were not "backwards compatible" with traditional teachings. The Eastern Orthodox Church, on the other hand, focused on the development of the expression of doctrine while maintaining the eternal and unchanging meaning and substance. Additionally, the Eastern Orthodox Church viewed the primacy of the Bishop of Rome as a position of greater honour, considering him as "first among equals", while the Catholic Church attributed supreme and universal power to the Pope.
Cultural differences also played a significant role in the divide between the two churches. The Eastern Orthodox Church was closely tied to the culture and ethnicity of its parishioners, while the Catholic Church had a more universal appeal. The Eastern Orthodox Church was also more resistant to change and less accessible through modern means of communication, which may have contributed to a decline in its influence over time.
The East-West Schism was not just a religious divide but also a political one. The decline of the Western Roman Empire and the rise of the Eastern Capital of Byzantium shifted power dynamics, leading to an ever-growing linguistic, cultural, and political divide between the Pontiff of Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople. This power struggle, combined with theological differences and language barriers, ultimately resulted in the formal schism in 1054.
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Reconciliation attempts
The East-West Schism, also known as the Great Schism, was the break of communion between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054. Several attempts have been made to reconcile the two churches, but only limited progress has been made.
One of the earliest attempts at reconciliation was in the fifth century when the patriarch of Constantinople attempted to win back those who had rejected the Council of Chalcedon. This effort failed, and Constantinople and its supporters in the East found themselves out of communion with Rome for over four decades in what became known as the Acacian Schism.
In 1274, the Second Council of Lyon was convened by Pope Gregory X as an attempt at reconciliation. However, this effort also fell short. The Massacre of the Latins in 1204 and the subsequent sacking of Constantinople by Catholic Crusader armies further strained the relationship between the two churches and made reconciliation more difficult.
In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I nullified the anathemas of 1054 as a gesture of goodwill. However, this did not lead to a full reunion. The Eastern Catholic Churches emerged as a movement seeking to reconcile the East and West Schism by accepting the primacy of the Bishop of Rome while retaining some traditional liturgical practices. This approach, known as "Uniatism," has been criticised by some Orthodox theologians as ignoring critical doctrinal differences and past atrocities.
In February 2016, Pope Francis and Patriarch Kirill of the Russian Orthodox Church met in Cuba and signed a joint declaration expressing their hope for reconciliation between Greek Catholics and Orthodox. They acknowledged that past methods of "Uniatism" had not been successful in re-establishing unity and emphasised the right of ecclesial communities to exist and meet the spiritual needs of their faithful while seeking to live in peace with their neighbours.
Despite these attempts, the official view of the Catholic Church, as expressed in the decree Unitatis redintegratio of Vatican II, acknowledges that the East and West have followed different methods in the study of revelation, leading to the development of distinct theological traditions. The two churches continue to have different perceptions of the nature of the divide, with the Orthodox objecting to certain Catholic doctrines as heretical, including papal supremacy.
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Frequently asked questions
The Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church formally split in 1054, in what became known as the East-West Schism or the Great Schism.
The reasons for the split were multifaceted and occurred over several centuries. Disputes over theological and doctrinal issues, as well as cultural and political practices, led to the schism. For example, the procession of the Holy Spirit, the use of leavened or unleavened bread in the Eucharist, and the place of the See of Constantinople were points of contention. The use of Latin in the Western Church and Greek in the Eastern Church also contributed to the growing divergence between the two churches.
Yes, there were tremors of division as early as the second century when Pope St. Victor I threatened to excommunicate the churches of Asia Minor over a dispute regarding the proper date of Easter. The fourth century also saw significant ecclesiastical turmoil, with many bishops in the East resisting or modifying the Nicene Christology. The fifth century witnessed further divisions, with the Assyrian Church of the East breaking communion with the Catholic Church, the Eastern Orthodox churches, and the Oriental Orthodox churches due to their rejection of the Council of Ephesus.
Yes, there have been efforts over the years to bridge the divide and bring the two churches closer together. In 1965, Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras I nullified the anathemas of 1054 as a gesture of goodwill, although this did not constitute a full reunion.
