In 1054 Leo, Bishop of Rome, sent three legates to Constantinople to attempt to settle the disputed questions of Greek and Latin usages. The chief legate was Humbert, Bishop of Silva Candida. The choice of Cardinal Humbert was unfortunate for … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Filioque
Where we left off in the history of the Great Schism was the death of Ignatius (877) and Photius again becoming the Patriarch of Constantinople. Photius was recognized by Rome and ecclesiastically master of Bulgaria. Until recently it was thought … Continue reading
Disturbed not only by the extension of the German influence in the Balkans and by the use of the Filioque, in 867 Photius took action. He wrote an Encyclical Letter to the other Patriarchs of the east, denouncing the Filioque … Continue reading
Four incidents are of particular importance when we think about the causes of the Great Schism: (1) the quarrel between Photius and Pope Nicolas I; (2) the incident of the Diptychs in 1009 (the name of the pope was dropped … Continue reading
In the fourth century, while Arians rallied around appropriate slogans such as ‘There was a time when he (the Son) was not’, the defenders of what was to be defined as true doctrine were led by Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria, … Continue reading
It was writers at Charlemagne’s court who first made the Filioque into an issue of controversy, accusing the Greeks of heresy because they recited the Creed in its original form. But Rome, with typical conservatism, continued to use the Creed … Continue reading
The Orthodox attitude to the Papacy is admirably expressed by a twelfth-century writer, Nicetas, Archbishop of Nicomedia: My dearest brother, we do not deny to the Roman Church the primacy amongst the five sister Patriarchates; and we recognize her right … Continue reading
From the start Greeks and Latins had each approached the Christian Mystery in their own way. For example, when reflecting on the Crucifixion, Latins thought primarily of Christ the Victim, while Greeks thought of Christ the Victor; Latins talked more … Continue reading