Division of the Church
1. In 1054, Pope Leo IX excommunicated Michael Cerularius, the Patriarch of Constantinople.
2. This, in effect, also excommunicated all those who followed the Patriarch's leadership.
3. After this time, the churches in eastern Europe were known as the Orthodox Church.
4. The Orthodox Church has several branches, with Greek Orthodox Church and the Russian Orthodox Church being the two major bodies.
5. The Orthodox Church rejects the idea that the Roman bishop (the Pope) rules over whole church.
6. This is known as the East-West Schism.