To be streamed on May 9th:
The second thousand years of the Church begins with an end to the unity of the Church. During the first 1000 years there had been, unfortunately, smaller splits; however, by 1054 the festering political, cultural, ecclesiological, theological, and ritual disagreements between Rome and Constantinople came to a head.
Politically, East and West differed on the Church-State relationship; culturally, language and philosophy diverged; ecclesiologically, the West saw the Pope of Rome as the head of the world-wide Church while the East did not recognize quite this level of ecclesiastical authority. Theologically, the main point of contention was the filioque: from Who or Whom did the Holy Spirit proceed. Finally, on points of ritual, the main point of disagreement at this time was the Eucharistic bread: the West maintained it should be unleavened, the East, leavened, symbolizing the difference in the way both viewed the consubstantiality of Christ’s body with ours.
The Great Schism of 1054 split the Church into two parts, a division that remains today. Immediately following the Schism, both side began engaging in polemical behavior toward the other. At one point, Roman crusaders, while liberating what had been Christian lands from the conquering Arabs and Turks, also forcibly removed Eastern patriarchs and destroyed Christian holy sites and sanctuaries.
In 1274, East and West met at the Council of Lyons. Delegates from Constantinople signed an “act of union” with Rome accepting the filioque as written by Rome. Upon receiving the news, the majority of Greek hierarchs did not accept the Union. These dissenters were subsequently “exiled, imprisoned, deprived of their property, and tortured” by its supporters. However, the opposition view eventually prevailed. Sadly, this and other attempted unions only reinforced the separation.
Following the failed union, during the 13th to 15th centuries, Western “policy on the eastern churches was determined by the conviction that the Catholic [Roman] Church was the only true church, and that salvation was impossible outside it.”
A final note: Rome has recently apologized for causing this distress and East and West have lifted the mutual excommunications imposed in 1054.
Come join with us this week!