What major difference between eastern and western churches led to schism?
1 answer
One major difference between Eastern and Western churches that led to the schism was the disagreement over the authority and primacy of the Bishop of Rome (the Pope). The Eastern churches believed in a more decentralized structure with a collective leadership among the bishops, while the Western church upheld the belief in the Pope as the supreme authority in matters of doctrine and church governance. This difference in ecclesiastical hierarchy, combined with linguistic, cultural, and political differences, ultimately contributed to the growing tensions and eventual schism between the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic churches in 1054.