THE SCHISM OF 1054: LESSONS ON PERSONAL INTEREST AND COMMON GOOD FOR THE NIGERIAN LOCAL CHURCH

Abstract

It is a known fact that there was a major disagreement and subsequent separation between the Western and Eastern Churches in the eleventh century. It was an episode that threatened and indeed severed the bond that existed for centuries between the two rites. What may not be widely known were the detailed events and contributions of some Church personnel that eventually led to that fateful separation. There was an interplay of personal sentiments and biases that consequently escalated to a major rift in the Church. It is quite unfortunate that personal sentiments were allowed to dictate the status of relationship between people and nations knit together in the same faith. An enabling factor that acted as a carriage-support for these excesses was the socio-religious culture of the time, where Church personnel commanded an unquestionable loyalty among the people. In comparison, the religious disposition of some African and particularly Nigerian Catholics bear similar features with that of Medieval Europe in terms of strong sentiments of faith and respect for Church leaders, the words and actions of religious minsters carry a lot of weight even beyond spiritual matters. As such, personal excesses of some members of the clergy, if not checked, can become a breeding ground for potential crisis in the Church. This is quite true especially in rural communities where priority of dignity is given to the local priest even in secular matters. This work tries to revisit the contextual details of what led to the division between the Western and Eastern Churches, as a cautionary reference for the Nigerian Church.