Lost Opportunity yet Seed Bed for Later Discussion - The Council of Ferarra-Florence as a Springboard for Encounters between Western and Eastern Chris

The East-West split of Christianity officially dates to the 11th century and persists to this day. Actually, the two halves of the Church experienced tensions prior to the Great Schism of 1054. Poor communication, conflicting personalities, a lack of theologians conversant in both Latin and Greek as well as East-Westpolitical tensions not only contributed to the division butthwarted reconciliation attempts.The Filioque, use of azymes, papalsupremacy, and purgatory were the most contentious issues. An imperiled Byzantine Empire struggled to secure Western militaryassistance and preserve the Eastern theological practices. Failedecclesiastical unions at Lyons in 1274 and after Ferrara-Florencein 1439 led to the 1453 demise of the empire. Only a few participants at Ferrara-Florence could comprehend the differing theological traditions. Western attempts at reductio, not reunio,were rejected in the East despite increasing Western presence andpressure. Luther and Melanchthon viewed Orthodoxy as a non-papaland purer form of Christianity. In the 16th century, Lutheran theologians and academicians in Tübingen, Germany, initiatedcontact with Patriarch Jeremias II of Constantinople. The Orthodoxwere eager to establish ties with the West, especially with anon-papal movement. From 1578 to 1578, correspondence betweenTübingen and Constantinople addressed the four issues inheritedfrom Ferrara-Florence and more.