THE EASTERN CHURCH HAD BEEN FIGHTING THE ARIAN HERESY & islam FOR CENTURIES. The papal european hordes had already sacked and destroyed Constantinople during the Crusades, Remember?
At one point more eastern Christians belonged to Arian churches than the EOC.
Imagine if I was to tell you that the fish hat "dagon" wearing Pope was the leader of the ancient mystery religion Babylon, he's satan's man on earth; or something that egregious? Then I sent an army to sack and destroy Rome. That's how the EOC fells about Rome; you poured gasoline on top of St. Sophia's in a sincere effort to destroy our church.
When this issue of "The Great Schism" comes up at interfaith dialogues, it's always explained as simple playful political tit for tat by RCC apologists. Trust me it was a poisoned and fatal dart aimed right at the heart of the Eastern church intended to destroy it. Rome eventually got her wish when islam completely destroyed the city of Constantinople in the 1500's. With a small amount of Christian charity and military assistance it could have been easily saved. The papacy could have directed the forces of several european nations to come to her aid, but alas it was all about the primacy of Rome, so millions of Christians died. It's no different today.
It seems to me that there is, generally, an unspoken understanding here that threads and side-issues between Catholics and Orthodox are conducted with a little more decorum and palpable mutual respect. This comes from the fact that we have much more in common with each other than found in any Catholic/Protestant or Orthodox/Protestant scenarios. In short, there's much less to get hot under the collar about and, relatively speaking, the issues that do divide us are on a second tier compared with some of the docrtinal debates here between us and the Protestants. It also derives, I believe, from an understanding that we have at least some real chance at reunification during our natural lifetimes.
Let's not muck things up between us with such harsh language and cheap-shot attacks. Believe it or not, there ARE comparable things that Catholics could bring up. I know for a fact that I and several others here try to act with respect and restraint here on the Catholic side, and nearly everyone on the Orthodox side of the ledger seems to be equally respectful and disinclined to use invective. Couldn't you do the same?