The Great Schism was a split in 1054 between the Catholic Church (Western) and Eastern Orthodox Church. It was caused by disagreements over the authority of the Pope and use of icons. The Pope, head of the Catholic Church, claimed universal authority over all churches. However, the Patriarch of Constantinople, head of the Eastern Church, saw himself as first among bishops and did not recognize the Pope's power. Additionally, the Eastern Church viewed icons as idolatry while the Western Church believed they could honor icons without worshipping them. This ultimately led to the division between the Western and Eastern branches of Christianity.

1. THE GREAT SCHISM
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2. 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

3. GREAT SCHISM: GENERAL INFORMATION
 Step 1:
 Patriarch (church leader) of Constantinople orders all
Latin-speaking churches to be shut down.
 Step 2:
 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).

4. WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
 Capital : Rome
 Had been the capital of the
Empire and Christianity had
flourished there.
 Leadership: Pope
 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

5. WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

6. WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH
ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH
 Language:
 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).

7. 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.

8. GREAT SCHISM – TERMS TO KNOW

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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

13. Iconoclasm
EFFECTS OF THE GREAT SCHISM

14. 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)

15. 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)