[Author’s Name]
[Institution’s Name]
Essay on Issues which led to the split between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
The world is at a turning point in its history. The dramatic and breathtaking events of 1989 in Eastern Europe, closely following and accelerating the changes in the Soviet Union, have altered the course of history. It is not just the cold war that has ended but post-war Europe. These changes that were unthinkable even a year ago will have profound consequences for the churches around the world. Fifteen years after the spectacular series of events in Central and Eastern Europe that culminatedin the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the role of the churches in this complex region continues to provoke interest and controversy.
The visible revival of church life is impressive, from the reconstruction of cathedrals and the revival of pilgrimage and procession, to the renewal of Church art and charitable activities. Most of all, the period has been marked by the return of the churches to the "public sphere" as important political and social actors. This long decade has also been one of particular challenge for the leadership of the World Council of Churches, and its general secretary Konrad Raiser, as the radically new religious context was accompanied by complex developments in the churches which spilled over into the international ecumenical arena in unpredictable ways.
During the communist period, the churches often coexisted and cooperated when faced with common pressures from the state. However, these same churches sometimes found it difficult to collaborate in the new context, as they struggled to restore their own identity and role. Strained relations and sometimes violence became apparent in several countries, as issues of canonical territory and historical injustice surfaced. Stereotypes were propagated by Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants, including by theologians and church leaders. In many cases, conflicts emerged along national and ethnic lines, dividing people within one confession......
