Transcript The great schism

Similarities and
Differences
Differences Between Eastern
church and western church
Western Church
Roman Catholic
Eastern Church
Eastern Orthodox
Centered in Rome
Pope has authority over Bishops
Centered in Constantinople
Patriarch and other bishops share
authority
Farther away from the seat of
power once Constantinople
became capital
Close to the seat of power once
Constantinople became the
capital
Latin is spoken in the Liturgy
(church services)
Greek is spoken in the liturgy
(church services)
Pope has authority over Kings
and emperors
Emperor has authority over
Patriarch and bishops
Priests can’t marry
Divorce is not permitted
Priests can marry
Divorce is allowed under
certain conditions
What was the problem?
• The Catholic (west) and Orthodox (east)
argued over the following issues
1. Icons
2. Who was in charge?
– Pope (west) vs. Emperor (east)
What is an Icon?
• Religious images that can be
prayed to.
– Statue of the Virgin Mary
– Jesus Christ on the cross
• They appear in several forms; in mural
painting, mosaic and most typically painted on
small wooded panels.
The fight over Icons
• Orthodox (East)
• Catholic (West)
– Thought it was
– Thought that icons
wrong to worship
brought you closer
something that
to the idea/person
was man- made.
– Praying to a statue
Worship should
of Jesus brought
only be made to
you closer to him
God.
How did the icon fight begin?
• In 730, Byzantine Emperor Leo III
banned the use of icons , This
Byzantine emperor viewed the use of
icons as idol worship.
How does the west react?
• One pope even ordered the
excommunication of a Byzantine
emperor—that is, he said the emperor
was not a Christian and the church
wouldn’t give him recognition any
longer.
• Why is this a problem?
The Great Schism
• In 1054 the Christian church split
into 2 churches forever. In the West;
the Roman Catholic (universal)
Church. In the East; the Eastern
Orthodox (correct belief) Church.
So what’s the difference?
The West - Roman
Catholic Church
• Mass was in Latin
• Pope was Supreme head of Church in the
West - above any political ruler
• Priests could NOT marry
• Religious icons of martyrs and saints to
be respected
• Only Pope and Bishops could interpret
the scriptures.
The POPE is the
leader of the WESTERN
Roman Catholic Church.
The East- Orthodox Church
• “Mass” was in Greek - so everyone could
understand.
– Monks who did missionary work often
converted it into the language of the people
they were trying to convert
• The Byzantine Emperor was superior to
religious leader(patriarch) of
Constantinople.
• Priests could marry
• Icons not allowed
•
The leader of the EASTERN
Orthodox Church is
the “PATRIARCH”.