Mosaic from Hagia Sophia, Istanbul, Turkey.

Christ PantokratorBY DIANELOS GEORGOUDIS (C. 1260-1261)

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Christ Pantokrator, by Dianelos Georgoudis (c. 1260-1261)

Christ Pantokator

Directions: Take some time to quietly view and reflect on the art. Let yourself be inspired in any way that happens naturally. Then think about the questions below, and discuss them with your classmates.

Conversation Questions

1. This image is of a mosaic. What is a mosaic? Have you ever seen one? Where?

2. This mosaic was completed in around 1260. This way of depicting our Lord, known as “Christ Pantokrator,” is one of the earliest in Christianity. Translated from Greek, Pantokrator means “all powerful” or “almighty.” How does this mosaic show Christ as almighty?

3. What book do you think Christ is holding in His left hand?

4. The position of Christ’s right hand is known as the “teaching position.” Why is Christ depicted as a teacher?

5. This mosaic is considered the best mosaic in the Hagia Sophia. What is the Hagia Sophia? Look at our timeline. When was it first built? Where is it? On a map or a globe, find the city where it is located.

6. Based on what you know about the first century of Christianity, what is the connection between this location and the Catholic Church?

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Note-Taking Aid

Directions: Read the information and then use the questions below to take notes on the history your teacher shares with you.

Jesus made the Apostles the first bishops. Jesus set St. Peter apart in a special way,

giving him the Keys to the Kingdom of heaven and the authority to make decisions for the Church. Both Scripture and Tradition point to Peter as the head of the Church (Matthew 16:18-19).

After Jesus’ death and Resurrection, the Apostles traveled the ancient world, bringing the Gospel to cities including Rome, Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, and Constantinople. These five cities came to be known as patriarchies, led by bishops of a special dignity.

St. Peter had traveled to Rome. He became Rome’s first bishop — and his authority passed down to the successors of his office.

At first, the five patriarchs were equal in authority and influence. In time, however, the bishop of Rome — the successor of St. Peter — exerted greater authority than the other patriarchs.

In the fourth century, Emperor Constantine divided the Roman Empire into East and West, with a new capital at Constantinople. Constantinople became the seat of the empire’s wealth and power. By the year 500, the Western Roman Empire — based in Rome — had collapsed, while the Eastern Roman Empire continued its legacy. The emperor of Constantinople saw himself as successor to the Romans, and his city as the most important one. Further, the emperor did not think he should have to submit to the pope’s authority.

1. What major event in Church history happened in 1054? ______________________________________

2. What is a schism? _______________________________________________________________________________

3. What are some reasons for the Eastern Schism? ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

4. When Pope St. John Paul II said the Church should “breathe with her two lungs,” what did he mean?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Church History AD 1000-1500

Directions: Read the essay, then use the information you learn to complete the chart that follows.

The second millennium of Christianity began with division. The next five

centuries saw war, plague, and much suffering, yet also brought forth great learning with the dawn of the university, new religious orders dedicated to spreading the Gospel, and the beauty and culture of the Renaissance.

The Great SchismIn 1054, Eastern Christians separated from the Roman Catholic Church. This event is often called the Great Schism or Eastern Schism. A schism is a split or division over differences of opinion or belief. The faith of the Eastern Christians came to be called Orthodox Christianity. As we have been learning, the schism did not happen suddenly; its causes had been building for centuries. For example:

ӹ Language differences led to misunderstandings and suspicion. Most in the East, including the clergy, spoke only Greek, and almost everyone in the West, including the clergy, spoke only Latin.

ӹ The early Church had patriarchs, who were bishops of special dignity, of Rome, Antioch, Jerusalem, Alexandria, and Constantinople. Eastern Catholics believed that the pope was first among equals, but did not believe the pope had authority over them.

ӹ Although there are theological differences between Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy, there is no doctrinal reason for the schism. It is not a heresy. The Catholic Church considers the Sacraments of the Orthodox Church valid.

ӹ Through the years, many popes and patriarchs have engaged in dialogue, praying for the Holy Spirit to help reestablish the unity of the first 1,000 years of Christianity. Pope St. John Paul II urged that the Church should “breathe with her two lungs” — the East and West.

The Eastern and Western Churches split over long brewing circumstances and remain separated today, despite efforts from both.

Pope Urban II at the Council of Clermont, where he called for the First Crusade.

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

In the wake of the schism, the Roman Catholic Church faced a need for reform. Pope Gregory VII took up this task, aggressively working to end bad practices within the Church and extending the pope’s authority over secular rulers. Born in 1020 in Italy, he took the name Gregory in honor of Pope St. Gregory the Great. He worked to end simony (the selling of religious offices, and a violation of the First Commandment). He excommunicated the Holy Roman Emperor Henry IV and demonstrated the pope’s independence from and supremacy over the secular government.

The CrusadesThough East and West had formally split, the bonds of brotherhood among Christians remained. In 1094, the emperor in Constantinople asked the West for aid against Muslim armies. Pope Urban II wanted to restore the right of Christians to visit the Holy Land (Christians were then barred by the Islamic government) and called for a Crusade. Thousands answered the call and Christians captured Jerusalem, but only temporarily. It was soon recaptured by Muslims.

As a result of the reconquering of the region by Muslim armies, French and German Kings promoted the Second and Third Crusades to retake Jerusalem. Under the Treaty of Jaffa, a three-year truce guaranteed safe passage for Muslim and Christian pilgrims through the Holy Land, but the Muslims kept control of Jerusalem.

In I202 the Fourth Crusade was launched to try to capture Egypt from the Muslims. But in 1204, crusaders from the West instead sacked Constantinople to collect money they had

been promised. East and West became even more divided from each other.

Though the Crusades were called in order to liberate the Holy Land from Muslim invaders and rule, many of the crusaders were sinful and sought only personal gain. Since the Crusades, the Church has never again gone to war over territory, even the Holy Land.

The InquisitionSince the beginning of the Church it had been important to stop the spread of false teachings (heresies). To combat superstition and heresy, the Church established a permanent Church court, called the Inquisition, in 1229. Torture and the death penalty were common in the Middle Ages for major and even some minor crimes; executions were often carried out publicly. The attempts of the Inquisition to reform heretical ideas and practices led to unjust punishments — although these punishments were similar to or even lighter than penalties given at the time by government courts for secular crimes. Approximately 3,000 to 5,000 people were killed in the Inquisition over 300 years.

Revivals of learning, religious orders, and cultureThrough all the strife, Europe saw a revival and flourishing of scholarship and religious orders from 1000-1300, a period known as the High Middle Ages. The first universities were founded in the late eleventh century: in Bologna (Italy, 1088), Paris (France, 1096), and Oxford (England, 1096). The twelfth century saw the first Gothic cathedrals completed. Medieval architects developed techniques that made it possible to build much taller buildings

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

with flying buttresses, vaulted ceilings, pointed arches, and other beautiful features. They were meant to create a holy space and to remind the faithful that the Mass is our participation in one Holy Mass in Heaven.

Religious Orders also saw a revival. Spanish priest St. Dominic de Guzman founded the Dominican Order in 1216. Called the Order of Preachers, St. Dominic and his followers blended intellectual life with spiritual life. Many saints who were also great thinkers were Dominicans, including St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Catherine of Siena. Dominican religious men and women today preach the gospel throughout the world. The Franciscan Order was founded by St. Francis of Assisi in 1209. The largest religious order in the world today, its members are committed to St. Francis’s ideals of preaching, penance, and poverty.

A period of cultural flourishing based on a rediscovery of classical philosophy began in Italy around 1300. This movement spread throughout Western Europe. Centuries later, historians would look back on this period and call it the Renaissance, which means “rebirth” in French. Great works completed during this time include Dante’s Inferno (1314) Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales (1395), Da Vinci’s Last Supper fresco (1495), and many others.

The bubonic plagueBeginning in 1347, the Black Death killed a third of Europe’s population. Also called the

plague, or bubonic plague, the disease arrived in Europe in 1347; it had previously struck China, India, and Egypt. It was spread by fleas on rodents, although this was not known at the time. In fact, no one knew how to prevent or treat it. The bubonic plague killed 20 million people, or one-third of the population of Europe. In many cities, the death toll was 50 percent. The disease especially affected the clergy and religious who cared for the sick. It challenged families’ ability to bury the dead. It was a factor in the Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438-1445) which had to be moved to Florence when plague struck Ferrara. This council, attended by 700 Greek bishops including the Patriarch of Constantinople and the Emperor of Byzantium, was an attempt to reunite the Latin and Greek Churches. The bishops present discussed purgatory as well as the doctrine of Fliioque, (that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son). Sadly, the council was not successful in reuniting East and West.

While the Holy Spirit always guides the Church, the Church is made up of human beings who can make mistakes and are capable of sinning. Therefore, conflicts, controversies, corruption, and even wars are found throughout the history of the Church. This period in history teaches us that religious belief cannot be forced, and it may be easier to break a people apart than it is to reunite them. This final lesson is one the Church was about to confront in a brand new and tragic way.

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Individual/thingList key information about this individual/thing

Write a summary statement explaining the significance of this individual/thing

Eastern Schism

Pope St. Gregory VI

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Individual/thingList key information about this individual/thing

Write a summary statement explaining the significance of this individual/thing

Crusades

Gothic cathedral

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Individual/thingList key information about this individual/thing

Write a summary statement explaining the significance of this individual/thing

Dominican Order

Franciscan Order

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Individual/thingList key information about this individual/thing

Write a summary statement explaining the significance of this individual/thing

Bubonic plague

The Inquisition

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Gothic Cathedrals

Directions: Look at the images, then think about the questions that follow.

Saint Vitus Cathedral, Prague, Czech Republic. Built from 1344-1929. TTstudio / Shutterstock.com.

Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris, France. Built from 1163-1345. TTstudio / Shutterstock.com.

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

Interior of Matthias Church, Budapest, Hungary. Built from the mid- to late-13th century. Frog Dares / Shutterstock.com.

Questions to Ponder

1. What do you think it would feel like to go to Mass every Sunday — or even every day — in a place like this?

2. Cathedrals sometimes took more than 100 years to build. The architects who designed them would sometimes not live to see the structures finished. What do these buildings tell us about how important religion was to Christians in the Middle Ages?

3. What can you tell about what is important to people today by looking at the structures we build?

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

East and West

Directions: Look at the photo, then answer the questions that follow.

Pope St. John Paul II and Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew I in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, November 27, 2004. The ecumenical patriarch of Constantinople is the “first among equals” of the patriarchs of the Orthodox Christians.

1. Who are the people in this photograph? _______________________________________________________

2. Where was this picture taken? _________________________________________________________________

3. In what year was it taken? ______________________________________________________________________

Getty Images, PATRICK HERTZOG / Staff.

UNIT 2, LESSON 8

4. Around the time this photograph was taken, Pope St John Paul II asked, “How can we not share, at a distance of eight centuries, the pain and disgust?” How long is eight centuries? What event eight centuries before was Pope St. John Paul II referring to?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

5. Three years before this meeting, Pope St. John Paul II wrote to the archbishop of Athens, saying, “It is tragic that the assailants, who set out to secure free access for Christians to the Holy Land, turned against their brothers in the faith.” Why did he call Orthodox Christians “their brothers in the faith”?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. Bartholomew I said in 2004, “The spirit of reconciliation of the Resurrection...incites us toward reconciliation of our churches.” What hope is he expressing? In what does he base this hope?

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________________

UNIT 2, LESSON 8