Continuing+tensions+between+Catholic+and+Orthodox+Christianity

** The Byzantine Empire ** ** Byzantine Christianity **

**East and West Differ** Christianity was practiced differently in the Byzantine empire than in the West. The Byzantine emperor controlled Church affairs and appointed the patriarch, or highest Church ofﬁcial, in Constantinople. Byzantine Christians rejected the pope’s claim to authority over all Christians.

**The Church Divides** During the Middle Ages, the eastern and western branches of Christianity grew even more further apart due to a dispute over the use of certain icons, or holy images. In 1054, other controversies caused a complete split known as the Great Schism. The Byzantine church became known as the Eastern Orthodox Church. The western branch became known as the Roman Catholic Church. The patriarch and the pope excommunicated each other. Following that, connections between the two churches were faraway and guarded. They behaved toward each other as rivals rather than as branches of the same faith.