The Great Schism: Pope Leo IX (r. 1049-1054) and Patriarch Michael Cerularius, of the (Eastern} Roman/Byzantine Empire, excommunicate one another from the “universal, catholic church.”  This irreparably splits the eastern and western halves of the Church over the question of final authority over spiritual matters in the Christian realm.

       NOTES:

• Leo, who had died the previous April, took this action “posthumously,” with his subordinates acting on his behalf. The Papal Crown would not be worn for the next year.
• Shortly thereafter, both factions establish themselves as the Roman Catholic Church, seated in Rome, and the Eastern Orthodox Church, seated in Constantinople.
• Both churches claim to be the legitimate head of the Church: Rome’s claim is that St. Peter’s Basilica is built upon the traditional site where the Apostle Peter is said to have been crucified; Constantinople’s claim is that Emperor Constantine I moved the seat of political and religious authority from Rome to Constantinople (now Istanbul) in A.D. 330.
• Twelve days previous, the light of supernova GPN-2000-000895, over six thousand light-years from the earth, became visible.  Six times brighter than the light from the planet Venus, the star could easily be seen during the daylight hours for the first three weeks, and in the nighttime sky for 21 months after that.  Today the remnants of this explosion are known as M1, or “The Crab Nebula.”  Although Chinese, Japanese, and various indi(genous Americ)an astronomers recorded this event,  There is no record of its being seen in Catholic or Orthodox Europe, which was far more concerned with:
  • whether leavened or unleavened bread should be used in Holy Communion;
  • in the Procession of the Trinity, whether God the Father, or God the Holy Ghost should have precedence;
  • whether or not a prayer invoking the Holy Ghost should be made when asking for the blessing of the Host at Holy Communion.

       [restored 5/22/2021]

       What a shame the God [who] told Noah to build an ark, and not a space telescope, when it was God’s fault that there was a flood in the first case.  The pix from Hubble are stunning. —- JL