The Church Divides

The Church Divides

Where did the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church come from?

THE CRUCIAL date was October 30, 451, but there is a story that leads up to it.

In the early days of the Roman Empire, Rome was the imperial capital. The church there was the largest and wealthiest in the empire. By the middle of the third century its membership approached thirty thousand. It had no rival in the west.

In addition, certain early Christian writers from the second century on referred to Peter and Paul as founders of the church at Rome and to Rome’s bishops as successors to the apostles. Yet this respect for the history of the church of Rome did not prevent these same writers from openly disagreeing with the bishop of Rome when they believed him to be in error. In fact, up to the time of Emperor Constantine (312–337) the bishop of Rome exercised no authority outside the city.

As the church developed under Constantine, it naturally tended to follow the pattern of the empire, with the bishop of a provincial capital having authority over the bishops of the other cities of the province. In 325 the Council of Nicea recognized the bishops of Alexandria, Egypt; Antioch, Syria; and Rome as preeminent in their areas.

In 330 Constantine moved his residence from Rome to Constantinople, meaning “City of Constantine,” today’s Istanbul. Authority in the church moved east along with Constantine. Soon the bishop of Constantinople was considered to have authority equal to the bishops of Alexandria, Antioch, and Rome.

In 440 Leo I was elected bishop of Rome. He immediately proclaimed himself the supreme head of all Christendom. He established the ecclesiastical dynasty of Peter, which continues in the Roman Catholic Church today. In 451 Emperor Valentinian III put this into law, “As the primacy of the Apostolic See is based on the title of the blessed Peter, prince of episcopal dignity, on the dignity of the city of Rome, and on the decision of the Holy Synod, no illicit steps may be taken against this See to usurp its authority.”

In 451 another church council was called at Chalcedon, a suburb of Constantinople. Approximately 450 bishops were invited, but no more than 340 were present at any one time. Although Leo did not attend himself, his influence was very evident. Thus, it was to everyone’s surprise that on October 30, 451, the council gave the bishop of Constantinople authority equal to that of the bishop of Rome, making Constantinople for the east what Rome was for the west. The action of this council confirmed the independent authority of the bishop or patriarch of Constantinople over the eastern church.

Leo’s representative at the council protested vehemently, but the decision stood. The church now had two heads: the bishop of Rome over the western church and the bishop of Constantinople over the eastern church.

In the sixth century the bishop of Rome came to be called the pope. The word pope comes from the word papa and originally was a reference to the fatherly care exercised by all bishops.

In subsequent centuries the Roman Catholic Church, as the western church came to be known, has remained monolithic. The eastern church subdivided into many self-governing ethnic Orthodox churches, which together compose a federation known as the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Reflection

The whole controversy between the eastern church and the western church was based upon the assumption that there is an office of “bishop” that is different from and has greater authority than the office of “pastor” or “elder.” Do you think that is true? What church offices were present in the New Testament church?

It is a true saying that if someone wants to be an elder [Greek: “overseer” or “bishop”], he desires an honorable responsibility. For an elder [Greek: “presbyter” or “elder”] must be a man whose life cannot be spoken against.

1 Timothy 3:1-2