July 16, 1054 - The Great Schism

Because of the lack of specific instruction on how to set up the Church, many Christians have differed on significant theological ideas throughout history. Despite the exhortation of Paul to live peaceably with all, these disagreements led to major rifts and denominational divisions. The first of these occurred on July 16, 1054, and is known as “The Great Schism.” This took place when the churches of Rome and Constantinople split from each other and formed the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches. In 1968, the two churches came together for the first time and apologized for the split (pictured).