The Christian Church: East and West The great Western and Eastern schism

Schism A schism is a breaking of a relationship between two groups who still hold essential beliefs in common

Celebration of the Mass Church structure As the Eastern and Western sections of the Empire grew apart, so did the Eastern and Western Churches Political directions Language barrier Religious Leadership Theological disputes Filioque Iconoclast Celebration of the Mass Church structure

Political Directions: East West Political issues: line of Emperors back to Constantine Rejected the emperor from the West Emperor – in charge of politics Pope- in charge of religion Centralized state The empire in the East considered itself the “Roman Empire” with a new name: Byzantine Empire Political issues: pope became the “emperor” Appointed new emperors Waves of Barbarian invasions, small Barbarian kingdoms emerge No centralized state Pope and the Church begin to maintain peace and order

Eastern church Western church Causes of East-West Schism: Politics The Pope steps in: Leo, Gregory, etc. Eastern church Western church The Pope gains authority so that by the 8th C., he crowns a new Emperor of Rome (e.g. Charlemagne) even though there was an Emperor at Constantinople The emperor is strong and there is no need for a pope. In fact, the Eastern Emperor functions as “Super Bishop”

Thus, in the West, Empire Falls – Papacy Rises

Causes of East-West Schism: Language Barriers With the fall of Rome and because of various barbarian territories, Church doctrines and theology began to develop separately in the east and the west. Because people did not travel as much, there was less interaction between scholars of Greek and Scholars of Latin. Because neither knew what the other was writing (because they did not speak the same language), they came to different conclusions West church= speaks Latin Eastern Church = speaks Greek

Causes of East-West Schism: Theological Disputes: Filioque No need Father sends both the Son and the Spirit into the world Creed belongs to whole church; West should not change it Council stated that creed was not to be changed West violated this Bishop of Rome was going too far Eastern Church still today recites the original Creed Without the word and the Son Added the Filioque Filioque means and the Son Filioque was added to the creed as protection against Arianism Son is divine Filioque puts the Son on same level as Father Charlemagne accused the Eastern churches of heresy for not adding it

Filioque controversy Western church Eastern church And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Creator of life, Who proceeds from the Father, Who together with the Father and the Son is worshipped and glorified, Who spoke through the prophets. . We believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son (=filioque). With the Father and the Son, He is worshiped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets.

Theological disputes :Iconoclast Controversy Iconodules – “image devotees” favored icons as a medium for communication with God Iconoclasts “image breakers”– discouraged and destroyed icons Emperor Leo III in 726 (Eastern) “Get rid of icons!” They violate the 2nd Commandment: “You shall not make for yourself any carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.” Leo thought that the use of icons and images in worship hurt efforts to convert Jews and Muslims to Christianity because Jews and Muslims more strictly observe the 2nd Commandment Pope Gregory II (Western) Icons and images actually help people understand the Incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ Christ made God visible so it’s OK to make images of the visible God Visual learners Good for those who cannot read

And to this day, Icons in the East, and in the west are good

Unless you are Protestant…

Causes of East-West Schism: Religious leadership Priests can marry The Church’s highest authority is the ecumenical council Pope is first among equals Leadership Priests can no longer marry The Church’s highest authority is the Bishop of Rome Pope is also first among equals

The Mass and church structure West East In Greek but also in vernacular Altar separated from congregation by curtains and wall panels. Eucharist consecrated by priests behind panels. Scripture reading occurred in front of panels, to congregation Men and women seat separately Women cover their hair with a veil In Latin Church architecture –altar not hidden Similar structure to today: liturgy of the Word, then Liturgy of the Eucharist

Church Structure Western church Eastern church

The East-West Schism Refers to the separation of the churches from the west and east Officially happened in 1054 . Some Eastern Churches decided to stay in union with Rome by accepting the supremacy of the pope over the entire church Therefore, today there are Eastern Orthodox Churches and Eastern Rite Catholic Churches The vast majority of Eastern Christians are Orthodox and are not officially in union with the Church centered in Rome