Religion is a spiritual component of life, according to many. Nowadays there are many different beliefs, but in the center there are always two directions that attract the most attention. The Orthodox and Catholic churches are the largest and most global in the religious world. But once it was one single church, one faith. Why and how the division of churches occurred is quite difficult to judge, because only historical information has survived to this day, but certain conclusions can still be drawn from it.

Split

Officially, the collapse occurred in 1054, it was then that two new ones appeared religious directions: Western and Eastern or, as they are also commonly called, Roman Catholic and Greek Catholic. Since then it is believed that adherents eastern religion orthodox and true believers. But the reason for the division of religions began to emerge long before the ninth century and gradually led to great differences. Separation christian church to Western and Eastern was quite expected on the basis of these conflicts.

Disagreements between churches

The ground for the great schism was being laid on all sides. The conflict concerned almost all areas. The churches could not find agreement either in rituals, or in politics, or in culture. The nature of the problems was ecclesiological and theological, and it was no longer possible to hope for a peaceful solution to the issue.

Disagreements in politics

The main problem of the conflict on political grounds was the antagonism between the Byzantine emperors and the Popes. When the church was just emerging and getting on its feet, all of Rome was a single empire. Everything was one - politics, culture, and there was only one ruler at the head. But from the end of the third century political disagreements began. Still remaining a single empire, Rome was divided into several parts. The history of the division of churches is directly dependent on politics, because it was Emperor Constantine who initiated the schism by founding a new capital on the eastern side of Rome, known in modern times as Constantinople.

Naturally, the bishops began to base themselves on territorial position, and since it was there that the chair of the Apostle Peter was founded, they decided that it was time to declare themselves and gain more power, to become the dominant part of the entire Church. And the more time passed, the more ambitious the bishops perceived the situation. The Western church was consumed by pride.

In turn, the Popes defended the rights of the church, did not depend on the state of politics, and sometimes even opposed imperial opinion. But what was the main reason for the division of churches on political grounds was the coronation of Charlemagne by Pope Leo the Third, while the Byzantine successors to the throne completely refused to recognize the rule of Charles and openly considered him a usurper. Thus, the struggle for the throne also affected spiritual matters.

The first meeting in history between the Pope and the Patriarch of Moscow took place only in February 2016 on neutral Cuban territory. The phenomenal event was preceded by failures, mutual suspicions, centuries of hostility and attempts to bring everything to peace. The division of the Christian Church into Catholic and Orthodox branches occurred due to disagreements in the interpretation of the Creed. So, because of the single word, according to which the Son of God became another source of the Holy Spirit, the church was divided into two parts. The Great Schism was preceded by less, which ultimately led to current situation business

Church schism in 1054: reasons for the division of Christians

Ritual traditions and views on dogmatic principles in Rome and Constantinople began to gradually differ long before the final separation. In the past, communication between states was not so active, and each church developed in its own direction.

1. The first preconditions for the schism began in 863. For several years, Orthodox and Catholics were in confrontation. The events went down in history as the Photius Schism. The two ruling church leaders wanted to divide the lands, but did not agree. The official reason was doubts about the legality of the election of Patriarch Photius.
2. Ultimately, both religious leaders anathematized each other. Communication between the heads of Catholics and Orthodox was resumed only in 879 at the Fourth Council of Constantinople, which is now not recognized by the Vatican.
3. In 1053, another formal reason for the future Great Schism clearly stood out - the dispute over unleavened bread. The Orthodox used leavened bread for the sacrament of Eucharast, and the Catholics used unleavened bread.
4. In 1054, Pope Leo XI sent Cardinal Humbert to Constantinople. The reason was the closure of Latin churches in the capital of Orthodoxy that occurred a year earlier. The Holy Gifts were thrown away and trampled underfoot due to the unleavened method of preparing bread.
5. The papal claims to the lands were justified by a forged document. The Vatican was interested in receiving military support from Constantinople, and this was the main reason for the pressure put on the Patriarch.
6. After the death of Pope Leo XI, his legates nevertheless decided to excommunicate and depose the leader of the Orthodox. Retaliatory measures were not long in coming: four days later they themselves were anathematized by the Patriarch of Constantinople.

The split of Christianity into Orthodoxy and Catholicism: results

It seemed that it was impossible to anathematize half of the Christians, but the religious leaders of that time saw this as acceptable. Only in 1965 did Pope Paul VI and Ecumenical Patriarch Athenagoras lift the mutual excommunication of churches.

After another 51 years, the leaders of the divided churches met in person for the first time. The deep-rooted differences were not so strong that religious leaders could not be under the same roof.

• A thousand years of existence without reference to the Vatican has strengthened the separation of two approaches to Christian history and worship of God.
• The Orthodox Church never became united: there are many organizations in different countries, headed by their Patriarchs.
• Catholic leaders realized that it would be impossible to subdue or destroy the branch. They recognized the enormity of the new religion, equal to their own.

The split of Christianity into Orthodoxy and Catholicism did not prevent believers from glorifying the Creator. Let representatives of one confession perfectly pronounce and recognize dogmas that are unacceptable to another. True love to God has no religious boundaries. Let Catholics immerse babies at baptism once, and Orthodox - three times. Little things of this kind matter only in mortal life. Having appeared before the Lord, everyone will be responsible for their actions, and not for the decoration of the temple they previously visited. There are many things that unite Catholics and Orthodox Christians. First of all, it is the Word of Christ, which is followed with humility in the soul. It’s easy to find heresy, it’s more difficult to understand and forgive, to see in everyone a creation of God and one’s neighbor. The main purpose of the Church is to be a shepherd for the people and a shelter for the disadvantaged.

The Christian Church has never been united. This is very important to remember so as not to fall into the extremes that have so often occurred in the history of this religion. From the New Testament it is clear that the disciples of Jesus Christ, even during his lifetime, had disputes about which of them was more important and important in the nascent community. Two of them - John and James - even asked for thrones on the right and on the right. left hand from Christ in the coming kingdom. After the death of the founder, the first thing Christians began to do was to divide into various opposing groups. The Book of Acts reports about numerous false apostles, about heretics, about those who emerged from among the first Christians and founded their own community. Of course, they looked at the authors of the New Testament texts and their communities in the same way - as heretical and schismatic communities. Why did this happen and what was the main reason for the division of churches?

Ante-Nicene Church Period

We know extremely little about what Christianity was like before 325. All we know is that it is a messianic movement within Judaism that was initiated by a traveling preacher named Jesus. His teaching was rejected by the majority of Jews, and Jesus himself was crucified. A few followers, however, claimed that he had risen from the dead and declared him to be the messiah promised by the prophets of the Tanakh and who had come to save the world. Faced with total rejection among their compatriots, they spread their preaching among the pagans, from among whom they found many adherents.

The first divisions among Christians

During this mission, the first schism of the Christian Church occurred. When leaving to preach, the apostles did not have a codified written doctrine and general principles preaching. Therefore, they preached different Christs, different theories and concepts of salvation, and imposed different ethical and religious obligations on converts. Some of them forced pagan Christians to be circumcised, observe the rules of kashrut, keep the Sabbath, and fulfill other provisions of the Mosaic Law. Others, on the contrary, canceled all requirements Old Testament not only in relation to pagan converts, but also in relation to themselves. In addition, some considered Christ to be the messiah, a prophet, but at the same time a man, while others began to endow him with divine qualities. Soon a layer of dubious legends appeared, such as stories about events from childhood and other things. Plus, the saving role of Christ was assessed differently. All this led to significant contradictions and conflicts within the early Christians and initiated a split in the Christian church.

Similar differences in views (up to mutual rejection of each other) between the apostles Peter, James and Paul are clearly visible. Modern scholars studying the division of churches identify four main branches of Christianity at this stage. In addition to the three leaders mentioned above, they add the branch of John - also a separate and independent alliance of local communities. All this is natural, given that Christ did not leave either a viceroy or a successor, and generally did not give any practical instructions for organizing the church of believers. The new communities were completely independent, subject only to the authority of the preacher who founded them and the elected leaders within themselves. Theology, practice and liturgy had independent development in each community. Therefore, episodes of division were present in the Christian environment from the very beginning and they were most often doctrinal in nature.

Post-Nicene period

After he legalized Christianity, and especially after 325, when the first took place in the city of Nicaea, the Orthodox party that he blessed actually absorbed most of the other trends of early Christianity. Those that remained were declared heretics and were outlawed. Christian leaders in the person of the bishops they received the status of government officials with all the legal consequences of their new position. As a result, the question of the administrative structure and governance of the Church arose with all seriousness. If in the previous period the reasons for the division of churches were doctrinal and ethical in nature, then in post-Nicene Christianity another important motive was added - political. Thus, an orthodox Catholic who refused to obey his bishop, or the bishop himself who did not recognize the legal authority over himself, for example, a neighboring metropolitan, could find himself outside the church fence.

Divisions of the post-Nicene period

We have already found out what was the main reason for the division of churches during this period. However, clergy often tried to color political motives in doctrinal tones. Therefore, this period provides examples of several very complex schisms in nature - Arian (named after its leader, the priest Arius), Nestorian (named after the founder, Patriarch Nestorius), Monophysite (named after the doctrine of a single nature in Christ) and many others.

Great Schism

The most significant schism in the history of Christianity occurred at the turn of the first and second millennia. The hitherto united orthodox one in 1054 was divided into two independent parts - the eastern, now called Orthodox Church, and the Western, known as the Roman Catholic Church.

Reasons for the schism of 1054

To put it briefly, main reason The division of the church in 1054 is political. The fact is that the Roman Empire at that time consisted of two independent parts. The eastern part of the empire - Byzantium - was ruled by Caesar, whose throne and administrative center was located in Constantinople. The Emperor was also the Western Empire, which was actually ruled by the Bishop of Rome, who concentrated both secular and spiritual power in his hands, and, in addition, claimed power in the Byzantine churches. On this basis, of course, disputes and conflicts soon arose, expressed in a number of church claims against each other. Essentially petty quibbles served as a reason for a serious confrontation.

Ultimately, in 1053, in Constantinople, by order of Patriarch Michael Cerularius, all churches of the Latin rite were closed. In response to this, Pope Leo IX sent an embassy to the capital of Byzantium led by Cardinal Humbert, who excommunicated Michael from the church. In response to this, the patriarch assembled a council and mutual papal legates. They didn’t notice it right away special attention, and interchurch relations continued as usual. But twenty years later, the initially minor conflict began to be recognized as a fundamental division of the Christian church.

Reformation

The next important split in Christianity is the emergence of Protestantism. This happened in the 30s of the 16th century, when one German monk of the Augustinian order rebelled against the authority of the Bishop of Rome and dared to criticize a number of dogmatic, disciplinary, ethical and other provisions of the Catholic Church. What was the main reason for the division of churches at this moment is difficult to answer unequivocally. Luther was a convinced Christian, and his main motive was the struggle for the purity of faith.

Of course, his movement also became a political force for the liberation of the German churches from the power of the Pope. And this, in turn, freed the hands of secular authorities, no longer constrained by the demands of Rome. For the same reasons, Protestants continued to divide among themselves. Very quickly in many European countries Protestantism's own ideologists began to appear. The Catholic Church began to burst at the seams - many countries fell out of the orbit of Rome's influence, others were on the verge of it. At the same time, the Protestants themselves did not have a single spiritual authority, nor a single administrative center, and this partly resembled the organizational chaos of early Christianity. A similar situation is observed among them today.

Modern schisms

We found out what was the main reason for the division of churches in previous eras. What is happening to Christianity in this regard today? First of all, it must be said that significant schisms have not arisen since the Reformation. Existing churches continue to divide into similar small groups. Among the Orthodox there were Old Believer, Old Calendar and Catacomb schisms; several groups also separated from the Catholic Church, and Protestants have been tirelessly fragmenting since their very appearance. Today the number of Protestant denominations is more than twenty thousand. However, nothing fundamentally new has appeared, except for a few semi-Christian organizations like the Mormon Church and Jehovah's Witnesses.

It is important to note that, firstly, today most churches are not associated with the political regime and are separated from the state. And secondly, there is an ecumenical movement that seeks to bring together, if not unite, the various churches. Under these conditions, the main reason for the division of churches is ideological. Today, few people seriously reconsider dogmatics, but movements for the ordination of women, same-sex marriages, etc. receive enormous resonance. Reacting to this, each group separates itself from the others, taking its own principled position, while generally keeping the dogmatic content of Christianity intact.

From the very beginning of its adoption as a state, two church centers emerged: Byzantium And Rome.

The position of the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Pope was not the same. The Eastern Roman Empire retained its independence for another millennium after the division of the Roman Empire, and the Western one ceased to exist at the end of the 5th century. Patriarch- head of the Eastern Church - was reliably protected state power from external enemies, but he was completely dependent on the emperor. The head of the Western Church, the pope, was relatively free from direct influence from secular power, but he had to constantly maneuver between the rulers of the barbarian states that formed on the territory of the former Western Roman Empire. From the middle of the 8th century. the pope receives a gift of land and at the same time becomes a secular sovereign. To manage economic affairs, the church created a powerful administrative apparatus. This is the objective state of affairs that determined the confrontation between the Eastern and Western churches.

For several centuries, there was a struggle between these branches of the church with varying success, however, while the parties needed each other’s support, a complete break did not occur. In the middle of the 9th century. occurred between the papacy and the patriarchy, marking the beginning of the final schism. First of all, it concerned the appointment to the patriarchal throne Photia who was disliked by dad Nicholas I. The parties did not want to compromise also because it was connected with territorial claims in Bulgaria and Sicily. Bulgaria had recently been baptized, and the parties were arguing over whose jurisdiction it should fall.

Disputes also flared up over religious issues. The Roman Church distributed the Creed adopted at the council with an additional word filioque(and the Son), which meant the recognition of the procession of the Holy Spirit not only from God the Father, but also from God the Son. It was serious deviation from the initial understanding. In addition, the Roman Church allowed fasting on Saturdays, allowed the consumption of cheese and milk during Lent and other liberties. But this time it did not come to a complete break, since the parties were not yet strong enough.

In the middle of the 11th century. The crisis between the two churches took an irreconcilable form and led to a final break. The pope strengthened his influence in Sicily, where the patriarchy had previously occupied a dominant position. In response to this, the patriarch Mikhail Kirulariy ordered that worship according to the Greek model be introduced in the Latin churches of Constantinople. The Patriarch and the Pope exchanged threatening messages. Finally, in 1054, the pope sent his envoys to Constantinople, led by Cardinal Humbert. Patriarch Michael refused to enter into negotiations with them. As a result, the pope and the patriarch exchanged anathemas against each other, which marked the final split of the Christian churches and the emergence of the main trends -

Disagreements between the Pope (Western Church) and the Patriarch of Constantinople (and four other patriarchates - the Eastern Church), which began at the beginning of the 5th century, led to the fact that in 1054 the Pope was refused the demand to recognize him as the head of the entire Church. The prerequisites for such a demand were the threat of invasion by the Normans and, as a consequence, the need for military and political assistance. As a result of the refusal, the next Pope, through his legates, informed the Patriarch of Constantinople about his deposition and excommunication. To which he responded with an anathema against the legates and the Pope.

To deny the ancient Western commitment to arrogance and the desire to be above everyone else is pointless. It is thanks to these qualities Western countries became the dominant force throughout the world. Therefore, we can say with confidence that the schism occurred due to the arrogance of the Western Church and the pride of the Eastern. Arrogance because instead of standard diplomatic methods of gaining allies (which is what the Pope required), a position of strength and superiority was used. Pride because, instead of following church canons about forgiveness, love for one’s neighbor, and so on, the request for help (albeit quite well veiled) was answered with a proud refusal. Consequently, the cause of the split was ordinary human factors.

Consequences of the split

The split was inevitable, since in addition to cultural differences and differences in the interpretation of faith and rituals, there was such an important factor as a sense of self-worth and irreconcilability with the fact that someone is superior. It is this factor that has played a leading role many times throughout history, both world history in general and church history in particular. The separation of churches such as the Protestant (much later) occurred precisely according to the same principle. However, no matter how much you prepare, no matter how much you predict, any division will certainly lead to a violation of established traditions and principles, and the destruction of possible prospects. Namely:

• The schism introduced discord and dissonance into the Christian faith, became the pre-final point of division and destruction of the Roman Empire and contributed to the approach of the final one - the fall of Byzantium.
• Against the backdrop of strengthening Muslim trends of unification of the Middle East under the banners of one color and increase military power direct opponents of Christianity - the worst thing that could be invented - division. If by joint efforts it was possible to restrain the hordes of Muslims even on the outskirts of Constantinople, then the fact that the west and east (the churches) turned away from each other contributed to the fact that the last stronghold of the Romans fell under the onslaught of the Turks, and then he himself found himself under a real threat Rome.
• The schism, initiated by the “Christian brothers” with their own hands, and confirmed by the two main clergy, became one of the worst phenomena in Christianity. For if you compare the influence of Christianity before and after, you can see that “before” the Christian religion grew and developed practically on its own, the ideas promoted by the Bible themselves fell into the minds of people, and the Islamic threat was an extremely unpleasant, but solvable problem. “After” - the expansion of the influence of Christianity gradually faded away, and the already increasing area of ​​coverage of Islam began to grow by leaps and bounds.

Then many people appeared who protested against Catholicism, and so the Protestants appeared, led by the Augustinian monk Martin Luther in the 15th century. Protestantism is the third branch of Christianity, which is quite widespread.
And now there is a split in Ukrainian Church and completely brings such confusion into the ranks of believers that it becomes scary, what will all this lead to?!

Gdeshinsky Andrey