what was the great schism?

The Great Schism, also known as the East-West Schism, was the division of Christianity into two distinct branches: the Western (Roman Catholic) Church and the Eastern (Eastern Orthodox) Church. It officially occurred in 1054 AD when Pope Leo IX of Rome and Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople mutually excommunicated each other. This split was the culmination of centuries of theological, political, cultural, and liturgical differences and disputes. Key causes of the Great Schism included disagreements over papal authority (the extent of the Pope's power over Eastern patriarchs), doctrinal differences such as the insertion of the Filioque clause in the Nicene Creed by the Western Church, practices like the use of unleavened bread in the Eucharist, and political tensions intensified by the division of the Roman Empire and geographical separation. The schism resulted in the formation of two separate Christian traditions that have remained distinct to this day: the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East. Attempts at reconciliation have not resulted in full unity, and the schism's effects are still felt in modern Christianity.