Theological differences between the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church
''Filioque''
*Filioque*
----------

Differences over this doctrine and the question of [papal primacy](/wiki/Primacy_of_the_Bishop_of_Rome "Primacy of the Bishop of Rome") have been and remain primary causes of schism between the Eastern Orthodox and Western churches. The term has been an ongoing source of conflict between Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity, contributing, in major part, to the [East–West Schism](/wiki/East%E2%80%93West_Schism "East–West Schism") of 1054 and proving to be an obstacle to attempts to reunify the two sides. Also archived as  from *scoba.us*. New York: Standing Conference of Canonical Orthodox Bishops in the Americas.

### The *Filioque* clause

 (literally "and  the Son") is a Latin term added to the [Niceno\-Constantinopolitan Creed](/wiki/Niceno-Constantinopolitan_Creed "Niceno-Constantinopolitan Creed") (commonly known as the [Nicene Creed](/wiki/Nicene_Creed "Nicene Creed")), which is absent in the original Greek version. The Latin term ** is translated into the English clause "and the Son" in that creed:

who proceeds from the Father .

or in Latin:

qui ex Patre 

### Inclusion and rejection

The ** is not included in the form of the Niceno\-Constantinopolitan Creed used in most Western Christian churches, first appearing in the 6th century. It was accepted by the [popes](/wiki/Pope "Pope") only in 1014 and is rejected by the [Eastern Orthodox Church](/wiki/Eastern_Orthodox_Church "Eastern Orthodox Church"), [Oriental Orthodox Churches](/wiki/Oriental_Orthodox_Churches "Oriental Orthodox Churches") and [Church of the East](/wiki/Church_of_the_East "Church of the East").

### Consequences

Whether that term ** is included, as well as how it is translated and understood, can have important implications for how one understands the central Christian doctrine of the [Holy Trinity](/wiki/Holy_Trinity "Holy Trinity"). For some, the term implies a serious underestimation of [the Father](/wiki/God_the_Father "God the Father")'s role in the Trinity; for others, denial of what it expresses implies a serious underestimation of the role of [the Son](/wiki/God_the_Son "God the Son") in the Trinity. Over time, the term became a symbol of conflict between Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity, although there have been attempts at resolving the conflict. Among the early attempts at harmonization are the works of [Maximus the Confessor](/wiki/Maximus_the_Confessor "Maximus the Confessor"), who notably was canonised independently by both Eastern and Western churches.

### Possible linguistic resolution

In 1995, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (PCPU) pointed out that the ** conundrum may be a problem of language, rather than a problem of theology. The word  in Greek indicates a primary cause or an ultimate cause; while the Latin word ** indicates a procession but not from an ultimate cause. The Latin version may be more accurately retranslated into Greek as , rather than . Metropolitan [John Zizioulas](/wiki/John_Zizioulas "John Zizioulas") declared that PCPCU position shows positive signs of reconciliation for the ** issue between the Eastern and Western churches. Transcribed in 


Can the conflict over the 'Filioque' clause be resolved through theological compromise?