Question

Which evidence best supports the historical claim that the East-West Schism did not begin

in 1054 CE, but that mutual excommunication was part of an already growing division?
(1 point)

Crusaders from Western Europe looted and sacked the city of Constantinople in 1204 CE

The decreasing power of the pope following the end of the Western Roman Empire in
476 CE conflicted with the rise of Byzantine power in the East

The Roman Catholic Church affirmed the ideas of papal supremacy at the First Vatican
Council in 1870 CE

The Byzantine Empire rose as a major economic and political power in the western
Mediterranean region while Western Europe became more isolated

Answer 1

[AI-generated answer — Bot GPT 3.5]

The evidence that best supports the historical claim that the East-West Schism did not begin in 1054 CE, but that mutual excommunication was part of an already growing division is the decreasing power of the pope following the end of the Western Roman Empire in 476 CE conflicting with the rise of Byzantine power in the East. This evidence suggests that there were already tensions and divisions between the Eastern and Western churches before the mutual excommunication in 1054 CE.