What major difference between the eastern and western churches lead to their SCHISM

Answer 1

The major difference between the Eastern and Western churches that led to their schism was the dispute over the primacy of the Bishop of Rome, also known as the Pope.

In the Eastern Church, the patriarchs of Constantinople, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem held equal authority, and they did not recognize the supremacy of the Bishop of Rome. They believed that the authority and decision-making power should be shared among several leaders.

On the other hand, the Bishop of Rome in the Western Church, who became known as the Pope, claimed primacy and authority over the entire Christian church. The Pope saw himself as the successor of Saint Peter and argued that he had the right to make definitive theological decisions and have jurisdiction over all other bishops.

This difference in the power structure between the Eastern and Western churches led to increasing tensions and disagreements between the two sides. The Western Church saw the Pope as the ultimate authority, while the Eastern Church rejected this claim and believed that each patriarch should have equal standing.

There were also other theological and cultural differences between the two churches that contributed to the schism, such as the use of different languages in religious services (Greek in the East and Latin in the West) and different liturgical practices. However, the primary cause of the schism was the dispute over the authority of the Bishop of Rome. The formal schism between the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church occurred in 1054, marking the final separation between the two.