Church History · 1054

The Great Schism: East and West Split

In 1054 leaders of the churches of Rome and Constantinople excommunicated each other, and the split between the Catholic West and the Orthodox East became lasting. The big issues were the pope's authority and the word filioque in the creed. The excommunications were lifted in 1965, but the churches are still apart.

Read it in the Bible: John 15:26 John 17:21 Ephesians 4:3

The Great Schism is the split between the Western church, led by the pope in Rome, and the Eastern church, led by the patriarchs in Constantinople and other cities. Its symbolic date is July 16, 1054, when a messenger from Rome laid a document excommunicating the patriarch of Constantinople on the altar of the Hagia Sophia. The patriarch answered with excommunications of his own. Those two churches became what we now call the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church, and they have been apart ever since, though relations today are far warmer than they were.

What Happened in 1054?

Tension had been building for years. In 1053 Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople closed the Latin style churches in his city, partly in protest over Western customs being pushed on Greek churches in southern Italy. Pope Leo IX sent a team of legates led by Cardinal Humbert to sort it out. Humbert was not famous for his gentle manner, and Cerularius was not famous for backing down. It did not go well.

On July 16, 1054, Humbert walked into the Hagia Sophia during worship and placed a bull of excommunication on the altar. There was a catch. Pope Leo IX had died a few months earlier, so many historians question whether the legates still had authority to act. A few days later, Cerularius and his synod excommunicated the legates in return.

What Caused the Great Schism?

The quarrel of 1054 was the spark, not the whole fire. East and West had been drifting apart for centuries. They spoke different languages, Greek and Latin, and their theology developed different styles. Britannica lists several main issues.

The pope's authority. The West held that the bishop of Rome, as the successor of Peter, had authority over the whole church. The East honored Rome as first in honor, but believed major questions should be settled by councils of bishops together.
The filioque. The original Nicene Creed says the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father. Western churches added filioque, meaning and the Son. The East objected both to the theology and to changing a shared creed without a shared council.
Worship customs. The West used unleavened bread at communion, and the East used leavened bread. The West required priests to be celibate, while the East allowed married priests.
Politics. The pope crowning Charlemagne as emperor in 800 had angered Constantinople, which saw itself as the true Roman Empire. See the Charlemagne article.

What Is the Filioque Controversy?

This sounds like a tiny word fight, but both sides saw a big question underneath. It is about how the Father, Son and Holy Spirit relate within the Trinity. Jesus said this about the Spirit:

the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me. John 15:26

The East says the Father alone is the source within the Godhead. The West says the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son as from one source, pointing to verses where Jesus sends the Spirit and where the Spirit is called the Spirit of the Son. Both sides fully affirm the Trinity. Most Protestant churches kept the Western wording, since they came out of the Western church. In recent decades, some Catholic and Protestant leaders have shown openness to saying the creed without it in shared settings.

When Did the Schism Become Final?

Most historians say 1054 was a turning point, not an instant clean break. Ordinary Christians in East and West kept some contact for a while. The real point of no return came in 1204, when soldiers of the Fourth Crusade attacked and looted Constantinople itself. After that, many Orthodox Christians saw the Latin church as an enemy. You can read about it in the article on the Crusades.

There were attempts to heal the split, at the Council of Lyon in 1274 and the Council of Florence in 1439. Leaders signed agreements, but the people and clergy of the East rejected them.

Were the Excommunications Ever Lifted?

Yes. In 1964, Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople met and embraced in Jerusalem, the first meeting of a pope and an ecumenical patriarch in centuries. On December 7, 1965, they issued a joint declaration that lifted the excommunications of 1054 and expressed regret for the offenses on both sides.

That did not reunite the churches. They are still not in full communion, mainly because they still disagree about the role of the pope. But since then popes and patriarchs have met, prayed together and worked on shared statements. The tone has changed from anger to brotherly respect.

Why It Matters for You Today

The night before He died, Jesus prayed for the unity of His followers.

that all of them may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I am in You. May they also be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me. John 17:21

The Great Schism is a sad chapter, but the lifting of the excommunications shows that old wounds can begin to heal. Whatever church you call home, you can learn from your brothers and sisters in the East and the West. The Orthodox kept a deep sense of worship and mystery. The Catholic West built schools and sent missionaries. Protestants later pushed the Bible into everyone's hands. Each has something to give.

and with diligence to preserve the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. Ephesians 4:3

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Questions People Ask

What was the Great Schism of 1054?

It was the split between the Western church centered in Rome and the Eastern church centered in Constantinople. In 1054 a papal legate excommunicated the patriarch of Constantinople, who excommunicated the legates in return. The two became the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches.

What were the main causes of the Great Schism?

The main issues were the authority of the pope over the whole church and the Western addition of filioque, and the Son, to the Nicene Creed. Differences in language, customs such as leavened or unleavened bread, married priests, and politics also played a part.

Were the excommunications of 1054 lifted?

Yes. Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras lifted the mutual excommunications in a joint declaration on December 7, 1965. The churches have grown closer since, but they are still not in full communion.

What does filioque mean?

Filioque is Latin for and the Son. Western churches added it to the Nicene Creed to say the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son. Eastern Orthodox churches keep the original wording, which says the Spirit proceeds from the Father.

Sources

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