Greek Church

the Eastern Church, that of the old Eastern empire, which prior to the Turkish conquest, had its metropolis at Constantinople, as eae from the West Church, which had its capital at ‘Rome; the church of the people speaking the Greek language rather than that of the Roman nation. The first variance between the East and the West arose in the 2d century regarding the time of keeping Easter. The disputes which succeeded were chiefly as to personal dignity. As long as Rome was the metropolis of the empire, the Bishop of Rome had indisputably the most important see in the Church; but when, on May 11 330, Const an tine removed the seat of government to Byzantium (Constantinople), the bishop of the new metropolis became a formidable rival to his ecclesiastical brother at Rome. In the second General Council, that of Constantinople, 381, the Bishop of Constantinople was allowed to sit next to the oes of Rome; by the 28th canon of the Synod of Chalcedon, 403, he was permitted to enjoy an ae rank. In 588, John, Patriarch ‘of Constantinople, a umed the title |of ecumenical or universal bishop, for which he was denounced by Pope Gregory the Great. The last General Council in which the Churches of the East and the West were united was the Seventh, or Second Council of Nice, 787. The feud continued through the 9th and on to the 11th century. In the 13th an effort was made by Michael Pal seo log us to ee a re 0 union of the two great Churches at the Council of Florence, but all was in vain. They have remained separate till now. Efforts are said to be on foot looking to the union of the Greek and Roman Churches. The Bible as now interpreted by tradition is the rule of faith.