THE SCHISM OF THE EAST AND THE WEST
WHEN DID CHRISTENDOM DIVIDE?
With the passage of time, many events from history have gained importance that is often undeserved. Through a desire to simplify history, or perhaps through a genuine misunderstanding, we sometimes inflate episodes which themselves had only passing significance, to serve as main causes for broader developments. It is only by going back into time and examining other incidents of the same period that we can determine the relative importance of any one event. Such is the case with the events leading to the schism between the Eastern and Western Churches during the Middle Ages. The argument between Michael Cerularius and Humbert of Mourmoutiers in 1054, which culminated in their mutual excommunication, has long been considered the main cause of the schism between the two Churches. Is this accurate? It is the purpose of this paper to discover whether or not the events of 1054 can be validly blamed with causing the schism and to determine what other events may have had more significant roles in causing the Churches to separate.