<previous The division between Western Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox was a gradual process. There were numerous disputes over the status of the Pope, the Bishop of Rome and technical theological points between Rome and Constantinople. In 1274, Thomas Aquinas wrote a treatise "Against the Errors of the Greeks" which brought the final blow.

Later in 1378 another crisis will divide the western christendom until 1417. Conflicting views of the nature of the papacy lay at the heart of the crisis with also national and internecine power struggles. The independence and the huge sums in papal revenues are at stake. The curia in Avignon was perceived as a tool of French power. The resolution of the conflict returned power to Rome and weakened the papacy.
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