Americans need a Catholic Church of its own and should remove the boot of Rome off of its neck. As the latest election interference rolls down from this liberal Pope in Rome, it is time for American Catholics to start a Church of their own and make a break from the Vatican. Pope Francis has shown many that his vision of how the Church should operate is antithetical to Americans and our way of life.

Telling Americans that it is a sin if we don’t take in every illegal immigrant from the third world is the straw that broke the camel’s back. Let the Vatican take in the detritus of mankind and pay for it. The Church in Rome is a corrupt mess that has no connection to modern American Conservatives and yes even many Liberal Catholics here in the United States.

Breaking away from Rome is not a new idea. American Catholics have long since desired a Church of their own here in America. Rome has done such irreversible damage to the attendance of Mass in America. When Rome played musical chairs with pedophile priests and left a trail of destruction in its path, millions of American Catholics left the Church forever. Rome’s ban on married priests and its prohibition of female priests is detestable to most Americans.

America needs its own Church and its own Vicar. Americans will not be the first ones to break away from Rome, the first ones did so in 1054 AD and it was called “The Great Schism”, also known as the East-West Schism. It was a major event in the history of Christianity that resulted in the formal split between the Roman Catholic Church in the West and the Eastern Orthodox Church in the East. This division, which took place in 1054 AD, was the culmination of centuries of theological, political, and cultural differences between the Christian communities centered in Rome and Constantinople.

By the early Middle Ages, Christianity had spread across much of the Roman Empire, but the church’s unity was already under strain. The western part of the empire, centered in Rome, and the eastern part, centered in Constantinople (modern-day Istanbul), developed distinct political, cultural, and ecclesiastical identities. In the West, Latin was the dominant language, while Greek dominated the East. This linguistic divide led to misunderstandings and differing interpretations of theological doctrines.

In addition to the language barrier, there were also significant cultural differences. The Eastern Church was more influenced by Greek philosophy and had a tradition of intellectual theology, while the Western Church was more legalistic and practical. These differing approaches to Christianity created tension between the two halves of the church.

Several theological disputes contributed to the Great Schism. One of the most significant was the Filioque controversy. The original Nicene Creed, formulated in 325 AD, stated that the Holy Spirit proceeds “From the Father.” However, in the West, a phrase was added to the creed, stating that the Holy Spirit proceeds “From the Father and the Son” (Latin: “Filioque”). This change was made without consulting the Eastern Church, and the Eastern bishops strongly objected, arguing that the Western addition altered the original creed and violated the decisions of the early ecumenical councils.

Another major theological issue was the question of papal supremacy. The bishop of Rome, or the pope, claimed to have authority over all of Christendom, based on the belief that he was the successor to Saint Peter, whom Christ had appointed as the leader of his apostles. However, the Eastern Church did not accept the pope’s authority over the entire church. Instead, they believed in a more decentralized form of church governance, where the patriarchs of major cities like Constantinople, Alexandria, and Antioch were considered equal in status to the pope.

Differences in liturgical practices also contributed to the growing divide. For example, the Western Church used unleavened bread in the Eucharist, while the Eastern Church used leavened bread. Although this might seem like a minor issue, it was emblematic of deeper disagreements over church traditions and rituals.

The tensions between these Eastern and Western churches came to a head in 1054. In that year, Pope Leo IX sent a delegation to Constantinople, led by Cardinal Humbert, to resolve ongoing disputes with the Byzantine Church. However, the talks quickly broke down, and in July 1054, Cardinal Humbert placed a bull of excommunication on the altar of Hagia Sophia, the main church in Constantinople. In response, Patriarch Michael Cerularius of Constantinople excommunicated the papal legates.

While the excommunications were technically directed at individuals, they symbolized a deeper and more permanent rupture between the two churches. Over time, these excommunications came to represent the official split between the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches, a division that persists to this day.

The Great Schism had profound effects on both the Western and Eastern Christian worlds. In the West, the Roman Catholic Church solidified its centralized structure, with the pope as its undisputed leader. In the East, the Orthodox Church continued to emphasize its decentralized governance, with the patriarchs of various regions holding significant autonomy.

Efforts at reconciliation have occurred periodically over the centuries, most notably during the Council of Florence in the 15th century, but the division remains largely intact. Today, the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches maintain distinct theological, liturgical, and ecclesiastical traditions, though there has been a growing movement toward dialogue and mutual understanding in recent decades.

The Great Schism remains one of the most important events in Christian history, shaping the religious and political landscape of Europe and the wider Christian world for centuries to come. If America makes its break it will go down in history as yet another group of believers who want more or a localized ministry tailored to them and not being some ideological slave to Rome.

I have studied Religion since my days in CCD (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) as a child. As an adult, I studied World Religions for ten straight years and became an Ordained Christian Minister. With all of my experience and education, I still struggle with today’s Catholic Church. What has become of Rome does not touch me anymore.

A new Church here in America, run by Americans, and headed by a leader who has more understanding of life in 21st Century America just might reach me and millions of others. I cannot think of a better way to bring back the American flock and bring the spiritually lost back to Christ. We’re talking about millions of souls just sitting out there waiting.

C. Rich

CRich@AmericaSpeaksInk.com

C. Rich

C. Rich is the voice behind America Speaks Ink, home to the America First Movement. As an author, poet, freelance ghostwriter, and blogger, C. Rich brings a “baked-in” perspective shaped by growing up on the streets and beaches of South Florida in the 1970s-1980s and brings a quintessential Generation-X point of view.

Rich’s writing journey began in 2008 with coverage of the Casey Anthony trial and has since evolved into a wide-ranging exploration of politics, culture, and the issues that define our times. Follow C. Rich’s writing odyssey here at America Speaks Ink and on Amazon with a four-book series on Donald Trump called “Trump Era: The MAGA Files” and many other books and subjects C. Rich is known to cover.

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