Historically speaking what was the first split from the Catholic Church?

Answer 1

The first large scale split was when the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholics separated from one another in 1054.

There are very few theological differences. The main difference is that the Eastern Orthodox Churches (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11329a.htm) use the Byzantine Rite (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04312d.htm) and the Roman Catholic Church use the Roman or Latin Rite.

Pope John Paul II said of the Eastern Orthodox Churches in Orientale Lumen, "A particularly close link already binds us. We have almost everything in common." (see http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_letters/documents/hf_jp-ii_apl_02051995_orientale-lumen_en.html )

With love in Christ.

Answer 2

In actuality, the first major schism from the Catholic Church (and by this we mean the pre-schismal, single Church) was in the 5th century (though it became official circa 518), when the Miaphysite (sometimes called Monophysite, to their dismay) Churches rejected the Council of Chalcedon; today, we refer to these churches as "Oriental Orthodox". The focus of this council was the relationship between Jesus' humanity and his divinity- and ultimately, it seems that minor language differences caused the schism more than actual disagreements of belief (as the word used in Greek and the word used in Syriac to describe the natures of Jesus don't exactly translate perfectly).

The second major schism, which often overshadows the first (to the point where almost all the other answerers didn't even mention the above event), is the "Great Schism"- the point at which the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church became divided into two separate bodies. One important thing to remember is that even though 1054 is cited as the date of occurrence (as this is when the mutual excommunication occurred), the schism was actually a drawn-out process which became permanent with the Sack of Constantinople by the Latins during the Fourth Crusade.

Another answerer was rather incorrect concerning the differences between the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox Churches. There are deep doctrinal differences concerning the Trinity (as expressed in the extrapolated "filioque" clause added by the Roman Church), definite concerns over Papal Supremacy (as this was a later development, as opposed to the Primacy of the Bishop of Rome, which the Orthodox Church did acknowledge when these churches were in communion, and beliefs concerning Mary, Original Sin, and the nature and specifics of the Liturgy (although this was of lesser concern). Politics, of course, played a part as well, especially due to language differences.

The third schism, the Reformation, the first major schism within the Roman Church alone, and is the one that many are most familiar with. Of course, it was from this Protestant Reformation that all the myriad of denominations and mini-denominations arose, thus giving rise to the entrepreneurial, complicated mix that is modern Evangelicalism (where new communities and denominations are practically founded daily).

Answer 3

The first split is the Eastern Orthodox in 1054. The Pope are trying to reunite them into Catholic Church. Eastern Orthodox s are against the infability of the Pope, even if that only applies when the Pope talks about doctrine.

Well the first heresy i remember is the one of the gnostics at circa 200 AC who negate the double nature of Christ, full human and full God. That is why the gnostics gospels are not included in the Bible gathered at 378 AC in Council of Cartage. But the gnostics are never inside the Church so it is no sense.

There are Catholics such as the ones of the Armenian or Copt ritual, with difference in rituals as founded directly by one of apostles of Christ.

Answer 4

The Catholic Church actually split in two, before any religion "split off" from it, into the Roman Catholics and the Byzantine (Eastern) Catholics.
I assume you are talking about the Roman Catholic Church.
Historically, by common beliefs, it was when Martin Luther (a Catholic monk) nailed his list of greivances against the Catholic church to the cathedral door.
http://www.luther.de/en/95thesen.html
Some say there was also the Gnostics, but if I remember right, there were Gnostics from as far back as there were Catholics, so they didn't actually "Split off".
There is another group called the Albigensians from southern France that you might find interesting...

Answer 5

There were split offs the day after the Catholic church was started in 325ad by Constantine. There were some that went along with the state created church system but left soon after it's formation. The many other Christian churches that already existed were actively trying to dissuade people from joining the Roman church.

Answer 6

There were regular splits from the Catholic Church throughout history. The Catholic Church itself split into two pieces and there were two popes for a while -- one based in Avignon, France. The Greek Orthodox and the Catholics split officially in 1054. Actually according to the Orthodox Church they are the original Church and the Catholics split off from them.

There were dozens of "heresies" -- Gnosticism, Catharism, etc. -- in the early church most of which did not survive or were persecuted out of existence.

Answer 7

From a scholarly point of view, the first historical split from the Catholic Church was Martin Luther, the Lutherans.

Answer 8

Gnostic's in the second century who taught that Jesus only appeared to be a man , but actually he was totally divine (Docetism). The Bishops of the second century also had to meet the challenge of false teaching, such as the belief that God was only one person and censequently Jesus Christ was only a man (an "adopted son" but not God); or the opposite belief that Christains worshiped three gods instead of one.

The Bishops corrected groups that split off from the Chruch for other reasons. Montanists, followers of a priest named Montanus, believed Jesus' second coming was going to be immediate. When the Bishops disagreed with this, the Montanists started thier own church, Tertullian in 220 AD.

Answer 9

Isn't it ovious. Luther is the one who took the "extra" books out of the Catholic Bible. It was him who turned everyone against the Catholic church/bible. Probally the Luthern Church.

Answer 10

Martin Luther