Grace Thompson
Christianity has three major branches: Roman Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Protestantism. Roman Catholicism is the largest of these, with 1.3 billion followers worldwide. Roman Catholicism traces its history to Jesus Christ and the Apostles. However, over the course of its history, several sects have broken away from it. For example, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church formally split in 1054 CE, with the Eastern Orthodox Church prioritizing liturgical worship and the veneration of saints and Mary. Other sects that broke away from the Roman Catholic Church include Lutheranism, Anglicanism, and the Coptic, Western Syrian, Armenian, and Ethiopian Churches. These splits often occurred due to political and theological disagreements.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of separation | 1054, 1870, 1965 |
| Reason for separation | Theological, political, doctrinal disagreements |
| Groups that separated | Eastern Orthodox Church, Old Catholic Church, Traditionalist Catholics, Progressive Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, Reformed Christians, Calvinist Christians |
| Key figures | Martin Luther, John Calvin, King Henry VIII of England, Jan Hus |
| Key disagreements | Role and authority of the Pope, filioque clause of the Nicene Creed, indulgences, interpretation of scripture, salvation, sacramental theology |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Schism
In the years leading up to the Great Schism, a series of ecclesiastical differences and theological disputes between the Greek East and Latin West created tensions between the two branches of Christianity. These disagreements covered a range of issues, including the procession of the Holy Spirit (Filioque), the use of leavened or unleavened bread in the Eucharist, iconoclasm, the pope's claim to universal jurisdiction, and the place of the See of Constantinople in relation to the pentarchy. The coronation of Charlemagne as emperor of the Romans in 800 also contributed to the growing divide.
The first step towards a formal schism occurred in 1053 when Patriarch Michael I Cerularius of Constantinople ordered the closure of all Latin churches in the city. In 1054, the mutual excommunications of the Pope and the Patriarch of Constantinople marked a watershed moment in church history, formalizing the split between the two churches. This event reflected the longstanding theological, political, and ecclesiastical discord between the Eastern and Western branches of Christianity.
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The Protestant Reformation
The Reformation spread to other European countries throughout the 16th century, with Lutheranism dominating northern Europe by the mid-century. John Calvin, a French lawyer who converted to Protestantism, played a significant role in the development of the Continental Reformed tradition. In England, the Reformation was influenced by political and religious factors, with King Henry VIII establishing the Anglican Church in 1534 after the Pope refused to grant him a marriage annulment. In Scotland, John Knox, influenced by John Calvin, led the establishment of Presbyterianism.
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The split between the Eastern and Western churches
The roots of the conflict lay in the distinct cultures, political interests, and theological differences between the two churches. The Eastern theology was influenced by Greek philosophy, while Western theology was largely based on Roman law. This led to differing interpretations of important doctrines, such as the procession of the Holy Spirit and the nature of Christ. The Eastern Church, for instance, taught that people inherit only the spiritual sickness of Adam and Eve, caused by their ancestral sin, while the Western Church held that original sin does not carry the character of a personal fault in any of Adam's descendants.
Another point of contention was the doctrine of purgatory, with the Eastern Church rejecting the Western notion of a physical place of purification after death. The Eastern Church also disagreed with the Western enforcement of clerical celibacy and the limitation of the right of confirmation to the bishop. The insertion of "and the Son" (Latin: Filioque) into the Nicene Creed by the Western Church without consulting the East was seen as an act of unilateralism.
The growing estrangement between the two churches was further exacerbated by political jealousies and the competing power centres of Rome and Constantinople. The decline of the Western Empire and the rise of Islam also contributed to the isolation of Rome from Constantinople, making travel between the two cities dangerous. The mutual excommunications of 1054, led by Cardinal Humbert of Silva Candida from the West and Cerularius from the East, marked a watershed moment in the history of the churches, and the schism has never officially been healed, despite improving relations in recent decades.
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The evolution of separate rites and practices
One of the earliest examples of a separate rite within Christianity was Arianism, which emerged in the 4th century. Arius, a priest from Alexandria, Egypt, denied the divinity of Jesus Christ, viewing him as distinct from God. While Arianism was condemned by the First Council of Nicaea in 325 and the First Council of Constantinople in 381, it persisted until the 7th century, particularly among Germanic peoples.
Another significant divergence occurred in the 5th century with the emergence of Nestorianism. Nestorius, a patriarch of Constantinople, asserted the existence of two distinct natures in Christ, one divine and one human. This belief led to the establishment of the Eastern Syrian and Malabar Churches, which remain separate from the Catholic Church. Monophysitism, on the other hand, held that only the divine nature of Christ was real, denying his human nature. This belief gave rise to several separate churches, including the Coptic, Western Syrian, Armenian, and Ethiopian Churches.
The Great Schism of 1054 marked a significant split between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Western Roman Catholic Church, often referred to as the East-West Schism. This schism was precipitated by a range of factors, including longstanding doctrinal disputes, conflicts over church governance, and the evolution of separate rites and practices. The Eastern Orthodox Church, while acknowledging the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, views it as honorific rather than jurisdictional, referring to the Bishop as the "first among equals".
In the 16th century, the Protestant Reformation led to a significant fragmentation of Western Christianity, with groups such as Lutherans and Calvinists breaking away from the Catholic Church due to theological and doctrinal disagreements. The Anglican Church, or the Church of England, also separated during this time, primarily for political rather than theological reasons.
More recently, in the late 19th and 20th centuries, various groups have broken away from the Catholic Church due to disagreements with reforms or the lack thereof. The "Old Catholic Church" broke away in 1870 over disputes regarding "papal infallibility", while "Traditionalist Catholics" and "Progressive Catholics" have split since 1965, either opposing or advocating for more progressive reforms.
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The ordination of homosexuals
The Catholic Church is the largest Christian denomination in the world, with approximately 1.2 billion members. It does not view itself as a denomination but as the original pre-denominational Church. The Protestant population is the second largest, with around 1.047 billion members. The sixteenth-century Protestants separated from the Catholic Church as a result of the Reformation, a movement against doctrines and practices that the Reformers perceived to be in violation of the Bible.
The Catholic Church has traditionally considered homosexuality as "intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law". In 1961, a document titled "Careful Selection and Training of Candidates for the States of Perfection and Sacred Orders" stated that homosexual men should not be ordained. In 2005, the Vatican published an instruction that reiterated the Church's stance: those with "deeply rooted homosexual tendencies" or who are sexually active cannot be ordained. This instruction was seen as an attempt to bar gay men from seminaries and the priesthood. The Belgian college of bishops clarified that these restrictions apply to all candidates, regardless of sexual orientation.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church, which contains the Church's dogmas and teachings, reflects this negative attitude towards homosexuality. It names "homosexual acts" as "intrinsically immoral and contrary to the natural law" and describes "homosexual tendencies" as "objectively disordered". However, it is important to note that the Catholic Church does not consider "homosexual orientation" as sinful in itself. The Catechism further states that "homosexual persons are called to chastity" and should be "accepted with respect and sensitivity", avoiding any unjust discrimination.
Despite the official teachings of the Church, many Catholic clergy either identify as gay or engage in same-sex sexual activity. In recent years, there have been efforts to connect the incidence of homosexuality within the priesthood to the sexual abuse scandals facing the Church. Critics argue that this is an attempt to shift blame away from issues such as abuse of power, pedophilia, clericalism, and institutional homophobia. In response to these scandals, the Vatican implemented psychological screening for candidates for the priesthood in 2008, listing ""deep-seated homosexual tendencies" as a condition for exclusion.
While the Catholic Church has welcomed celibate LGBTQ+ individuals into its congregations, there is a growing intolerance even within this population. Some parishes have denied membership to LGBTQ+ individuals and families, and there have been instances of LGBTQ+ employees being dismissed from Catholic schools and parishes for celebrating same-sex marriages. Overall, the Catholic Church's stance on the ordination of homosexuals remains complex and contested, with varying levels of acceptance and inclusion across different dioceses and parishes.
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Frequently asked questions
Catholicism, along with Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism, is one of the three major branches of Christianity. It is led by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, and is the largest of the three branches with 1.3 billion followers worldwide.
Examples of sects that broke away from Catholicism include Lutheranism, Anglicanism, the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Oriental Orthodox Church, the Assyrian Church of the East, and the Coptic Church.
The first major break occurred after the Council of Chalcedon in 451 CE. The Council repudiated Eutychian Monophysitism, which stated that the divine nature of Christ superseded his human nature. The Alexandrian Church rejected the Council's terms, leading to the formation of the Pre-Chalcedonian or Oriental Orthodox Churches.
The East-West Schism, also known as the Great Schism, occurred in 1054 CE. It was caused by a dispute over the inclusion of a new phrase in the Nicene Creed, as well as cultural, political, and ecclesiastical differences. The Western churches asserted that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, while the Eastern churches disagreed.
Catholicism is led by the Pope, the Bishop of Rome, while Eastern Orthodoxy considers the Pope as the "first among equals" and "Patriarch of the West". Eastern Orthodoxy places a high value on tradition and liturgical worship, including the use of icons and incense during services.
