The great schism resulted largely from a disagreement over
the authority and supremacy of the Pope. The Great Schism refers to the division of the Christian Church into the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church in 1054.
The disagreement over the authority of the Pope had been building up for centuries, with cultural, theological, and political differences between the Latin-speaking West and the Greek-speaking East. One major point of contention was the role of the Pope as the ultimate authority in the Church.
In the West, especially in Rome, the Pope was seen as the successor of Saint Peter, holding the keys to heaven and having supreme authority over the Church. This concept of papal primacy gave the Pope the power to make and interpret Church doctrine, appoint bishops, and settle disputes.
On the other hand, in the East, while the Patriarch of Constantinople held significant authority, there was a more collective leadership structure in which various patriarchs had a say in important matters. The Eastern Orthodox Church emphasized the equal authority of all bishops and rejected the idea of one bishop having supreme authority over others.
The tension between these two views reached a breaking point in 1054 when Pope Leo IX and Patriarch Michael Cerularius excommunicated each other. This act of excommunication was symbolic of the division that had been growing for centuries and marked the formal split between the two branches of Christianity.
The Great Schism not only highlighted the difference in beliefs regarding the authority of the Pope but also highlighted other cultural and theological differences between the East and West such as the use of Greek and Latin languages in religious services, the celebration of Easter on different dates, and liturgical practices.
Overall, the disagreement over the authority and supremacy of the Pope played a significant role in the Great Schism, leading to the permanent division of the Christian Church into the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.