During the early Christian era, before the Great Schism, the Roman Catholic Church and the Greek Orthodox Church did not exist as separate entities - there was only a Church that is now called the Catholic-Orthodox Church. Nevertheless, there were differences between the two sections of the one Church:
- The western Church, which was later to become the Roman Catholic Church, used Latin, while the eastern Churches used Greek;
- The western Church celebrated Easter at a different time of year than the eastern Churches.
- The bishop of Rome regarded himself as of higher standing in the Church than the other Metropolitans of the Church;
- The eastern primates generally had more autonomy from decision of the emperor than did the bishop of Rome.