Great Schism

I had the great opportunity to interview a person who was alive to experience the Great Schism. Elizabeth, the floor is yours...

Q: What caused the Great Schism?

A: Many people were fighting over the use of icons. It was a dispute about holy images if you will.

Q: Who was the dispute between?

A: The East and The West. What else is new? More specifically, it was the byzantines vs. the Pope in the West.

Q: When did all of this occur?

A: In 1054, more problems arose and caused a divide. The split separated eastern and western Christianity. This is what came to be known as the Great Schism, and boy was a it a little extreme.

Q: If Christianity was split, was was formed from it?

A: Two religions came out of the divide. The first religion was Greek Orthodox. The second religion that was born from the Schism was Roman Catholic. The Byzantines were Greek Orthodox and the Western became Roman Catholic.

Q: Did anything else major change during the Schism?

A: Why yes! It was the strangest thing. It was now The Pope vs. The Patriarch. They were now rivals as opposed to having something in common. They weren't believers in the same fate anymore. They became so different. Marriage was a big deal as well. They both excommunicated each other and it was also becoming about language, Greek vs. Latin.

Q: How do you think this will affect the distant future?

A: This will greatly affect the future because it creates the two new major religions in Europe. These didn't exist before and now, rather than one common religion... there is a great difference and two completely different sides now. It's quite the change and is sure to stick for a while.