Great Schism

I INTRODUCTION
Great Schism, in the history of the Christian church, term used to refer
to both the break between the Eastern and Western churches,
traditionally dated 1054, and the period (1378-1417) in the Western
church when two (and then three) popes simultaneously claimed to be
legitimate. The term schism means any formal and willful separation
from the unity of the Christian church; unlike heresy, with which it is
often linked, it does not of itself denote doctrinal deviations.
II SCHISM OF EASTERN AND WESTERN CHURCHES
The alienation between the Eastern and Western churches had deep
cultural and political roots and evolved over the course of many
centuries. As Western culture was gradually transformed, for instance,
by the influx of Germanic peoples, the East sustained an unbroken
tradition of Hellenistic Christianity. Although respectful of the
prerogatives of Rome as the original capital of the empire, the church
at Constantinople (present-day stanbul) resented some of the
jurisdictional claims made by the popes, claims vigorously renewed and
amplified during the pontificate of Leo IX (reigned 1048-54) and his
successors. The West, in turn, opposed the Caesaropapism
(subordination of the church to a secular ruler) that characterized the
church at Constantinople. See Church and State.
In 1043 Michael Cerularius became patriarch in Constantinople. In
reaction to the pope's intervention in the affairs of Byzantine churches
in southern Italy, Cerularius began a campaign against Latin churches in
his own city and eventually closed them. His attacks were directed

against such matters as the Latin churchs use of unleavened bread.

Only later did he discover the discrepancy in belief between the two
churches on the procession of the Holy Spirit, a divisive issue that was
destined to assume ever greater importance in subsequent centuries.
See Filioque.
Humbert of Silva Cardinal Candida, sent to Constantinople from Rome
in 1054 to deal with the problem, matched Cerularius in narrowminded zeal and concluded his visit by excommunicating the patriarch
and his colleagues, an act later interpreted as an excommunication of
the entire Greek church. After a few days, the patriarch and his synod
responded in kind. Later events, such as the tragic sacking of
Constantinople in 1204 during the Fourth Crusade (see Crusades)
confirmed the rift, and efforts to heal it have never been successful. On
December 7, 1965, however, the mutual excommunications were
cancelled by Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras I as part of a
larger effort to draw the two churches together.
III SCHISM OF RIVAL POPES
The Great Schism in the Western church began with the contested
election of Pope Urban VI in 1378. The cardinals who elected him,
dismayed at his erratic behavior, withdrew their obedience, declared
Urbans election invalid because it was made under the duress of
rioting in Rome, and selected a new pope, Clement VII. Urban retaliated
by excommunicating Clement and his followers and by creating a
college of cardinals of his own.
Historians today find it impossible to adjudicate between the claims for
validity of these two elections. In any case, when Clement moved to

Avignon in France and won the adherence of the French king, the
schism began in earnest. Allegiance to either pope was determined by
the political preferences of the rulers concerned.
During the half-century the schism lasted, a number of solutions were
proposed, including the popes resignations, but only the convocation
of a council offered any real hope. Cardinals and bishops from both
sides met at Pisa in 1409, but their efforts only resulted in adding a
third pope to the other two. The Council of Constance (1414-1418)
finally effected the resignation or deposition of the contending popes
and the election of Martin V (reigned 1417-1431) with universal
recognition. The scandal of the schism gave temporary impetus to a
conciliar theory of church government and also intensified the call for
reform that eventually erupted in the Protestant Reformation.
See also Christianity; Orthodox Church; Papacy; Roman Catholic Church.
Contributed By:
John W. O'Malley
Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All
rights reserved.