Question

Which of the following issues led to the Great Schism between the Eastern and Western Christian Church?

the use of icons and the position of Mary

the use of unleavened bread and the power of the pope

the power of the pope and the architecture of church buildings

the architecture of church buildings and the position of Mary

Answer 1

The Great Schism (meaning split) took place in the year 1054 AD. The primary causes of the Schism were disputes over the Pope's claims of authority or supremacy over the whole church (which were rejected by the Eastern Orthodox Patriarchs) and over the insertion of the 'Filioque' clause (meaning 'and the Son') into the Nicene Creed by the Western patriarch (pope) in 1014 AD. The Eastern Orthodox Church stated that the 28th Canon of the Council of Chalcedon explicitly proclaimed the equality of the Bishops of Rome and Constantinople, so there would not be one ruler over the whole church, but self-governing Patriarchs in Old Rome and New Rome (Constantinople).

There were other less significant reasons for the Schism, such as differences over liturgical practices, for example, the use of unleavened bread in the West.