In Class: Lecture on the East-West Split
Ms. Egan went on great length to discuss the high significance of what is known as the East-West Split or Schism. Occurring in 1054, the event marked a permanent division of the Christian religion. Rather than there being one unified church, there now existed one in the West, and one in the East.
The Schism was not at all a sudden event. For centuries, history had been leading up to it. Within the Roman Empire, there existed (among many) the two cities of Rome in the West and Constantinople in the East. Rome was known for being more liberal in observing practices and traditions, whereas Constantinople was known for being strict on its conservative policies. Rome was Latin; Constantinople was Greek. In time, a rivalry brewed between the two cities, vying for power within the Empire.
The Bishop of Rome, the Pope, and the Bishop of Constantinople, the Patriarch, were at odds with each other. Rome demanded the observance of its supreme authority in all ecclesiastical purposes. Much to the dismay of Constantinople, it pressed on the East a mandatory celibacy of the clergy and mandatory Latin-use in services, among other changes to Church tradition. The "final straw", however, was the West's addition of the phrase "filio que" (and the son) to the Nicene Creed in regards to the Holy Spirit's procession. The East refused to add this change, the Pope and Patriarch excommunicated each other, and thus, the two halves went their separate ways.
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