While there were wars between groups that were Catholic and groups that were Orthodox, there were no wars between them ABOUT the orthodox/catholic issue. The simple fact is that at no point did either church consider the other heretical. There are some theological distinctions, but nothing that is earthshattering or unresolvable. The Council of Florence managed it, though it was later repudiated by the Eastern Churches, largely on political grounds (it acknowledged the primacy of the Pope).
The two original schisms, that of Photius and of Michael Caerulaerius, were principally power struggles between the particular Patriarch and the Pope. Both were later patched up by subsequent Patriarchs, though Michael's less well than Photius'.
More importantly, the Popes never sought to overthrow the patriarchate nor did the patriarchs seek the destruction of the papacy. Protestantism, at least the Reformed variety, can't make that claim. Similarly, Orthodoxy was never a threat to the monarchs of the western kingdoms.
Of the examples given, the only one with a shred of validity is the TO-Muscovite fighting and that requires a belief that the TO cared one whit about the religious beliefs of their foes. Few scholars hold that theory. The latin sack of Constantinople got the responsible parties excommunicated by the outraged Pope, at least temporarily. The Pope and the Byzantines were allies against the Normans in Italy, at least until Caerlaerius sabotaged things. The Lombards were neither Catholic nor Orthodox and were opposed by both the Popes and the Patriarchs.
Addition: The Ethiopian Church is not, strictly speaking, Orthodox either. It, like the Armenian and Coptic Churches, does not accept the Council of Chalcedon. It has been considered fully heretical by the other Churches, rather than merely schismatic.
Aloha
Vormaerin
The two original schisms, that of Photius and of Michael Caerulaerius, were principally power struggles between the particular Patriarch and the Pope. Both were later patched up by subsequent Patriarchs, though Michael's less well than Photius'.
More importantly, the Popes never sought to overthrow the patriarchate nor did the patriarchs seek the destruction of the papacy. Protestantism, at least the Reformed variety, can't make that claim. Similarly, Orthodoxy was never a threat to the monarchs of the western kingdoms.
Of the examples given, the only one with a shred of validity is the TO-Muscovite fighting and that requires a belief that the TO cared one whit about the religious beliefs of their foes. Few scholars hold that theory. The latin sack of Constantinople got the responsible parties excommunicated by the outraged Pope, at least temporarily. The Pope and the Byzantines were allies against the Normans in Italy, at least until Caerlaerius sabotaged things. The Lombards were neither Catholic nor Orthodox and were opposed by both the Popes and the Patriarchs.
Addition: The Ethiopian Church is not, strictly speaking, Orthodox either. It, like the Armenian and Coptic Churches, does not accept the Council of Chalcedon. It has been considered fully heretical by the other Churches, rather than merely schismatic.
Aloha
Vormaerin
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