THE GREAT SCHISMSSWH4

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:

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).

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

WESTERN VS. EASTERN CHURCH

ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH EASTERN ORTHODOX CHURCH

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).

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)