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THE GREAT SCHISM
GREAT SCHISM: GENERAL INFORMATION

As the Christian church grew throughout the
Roman world, the challenges the church faced
changed:
 Church
leaders became politically powerful
 The church struggled to keep believers unified on
many arguments about their beliefs:
 Source
of the Holy Spirit
 Should communion be served with unleavened bread
 The power of the Pope
 Icons
GREAT SCHISM: GENERAL INFORMATION

Step 1:


Step 2:


Patriarch (church leader) of Constantinople orders all
Latin-speaking churches to be shut down.
The Pope (in Rome) sent representatives to
Constantinople demanding that the Patriarch to
recognize the authority of the Pope and the church in
Rome.
Step 3:

The Patriarch refused, and the Pope’s representatives
excommunicated him (kicked him out of the church).
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Capital : Rome



Had been the capital of the
Empire and Christianity had
flourished there.
Leadership: Pope

EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
Claimed universal jurisdiction
over all matters dealing with
the Christian church
Capital: Constantinople


Had been the capital of the
first Roman Emperor to
embrace Christianity
Leadership: Patriarch

Seen as the first among
orthodox bishops = does not
claim as much power as the
Pope
WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH
EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH

Language:


EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

Continued to use Latin as the
church’s official language

Beliefs:

Icons:

The RCC believed that objects
called Icons that held religious
importance could be honored
without being worshipped
Language:

Since the majority of Christians
in the East did not speak Latin,
the church began to use Greek.
Beliefs:

Icons:

The EOC believed that any
honor paid to “icons” was a
form of idolatry (worshipping
false gods).
WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH
GREAT SCHISM – CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

On your graphic organizer, fill the blanks with
the missing terms and definitions.

Not for a grade. Take it honestly, because this
will determine whether or not you are ready to
move on.
GREAT SCHISM – TERMS TO KNOW
GREAT SCHISM

The split of the Catholic Church in 1054:
 West
= Roman Catholic Church (Rome)
 East = Eastern Orthodox Church (Constantinople)

Causes:
 Disagreement
over the power of the Pope
 Disagreement over the use of icons in the church
POPE

Leader of the Catholic / Roman Catholic
Church.

Has “universal jurisdiction” over all matters
dealing with the church.

Authority not recognized by the Eastern
Orthodox Church
PATRIARCH

Leader of the Eastern Orthodox Church

Not as powerful as the Catholic Pope
 Seen
as first among the Orthodox bishops, so his
power is limited.

Authority not recognized by the Roman Catholic
Church
ICONS

Images (statues, paintings, murals etc.) of
religious events or figures that were
incorporated into Catholic church practices.

Eastern Orthodox Christians opposed this
practice as a form of idol worship.

One of the main causes of the Great Schism
Iconoclasm
EFFECTS OF THE GREAT SCHISM
IN DEFENSE OF ICONS (RCC ARGUMENT)

“Now, in order that perfection be represented
before the eyes of all people, even in paintings, we
ordain that from now on Christ our God, the Lamb
who took upon Himself the sins of the world, be
set up, even in images according to His human
character, instead of the ancient Lamb. Through
this figure we realize the height of the humiliation
of God the Word and are led to remember His life
in the flesh, His suffering, and His saving death,
and the redemption ensuing from it for the world.”

Justinian II (692 AD)
AGAINST ICONS (ARGUMENT)

“The divine nature is completely
uncircumscribable and cannot be depicted or
represented in any medium whatsoever. The word
Christ means both God and Man, and an icon of
Christ would therefore have to be an image of God
in the flesh of the Son of God. But this is
impossible. The artist would fall either into the
heresy which claims that the divine and human
natures of Christ are separate or into that which
holds that there is only one nature of Christ.”

Statement from the Council of Hiera (754 AD)