Final answer:
The Great Schism of 1054 officially divided the Christian Church into the Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, establishing a lasting religious separation that wasn't reconciled by a formal ending of the schism.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Schism of 1054 signaled the formal separation of the Christian Church into two branches: the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church. Disputes arose between the Pope in Rome and the Patriarch of Constantinople, leading to mutual excommunications. Although the schism occurred in 1054, the division had been growing over time due to various theological and political disagreements. Unfortunately, the schism did not truly 'end' in the sense that the two branches reunited; instead, it continued as the two churches developed separately, with each considering itself the true continuation of the Christian tradition.
The later Great Western Schism (1378–1417) further complicated leadership within the Roman Catholic Church, as three men claimed the papacy simultaneously. This was eventually resolved in 1417 during the Council of Constance, which helped to restore unity within the Western Church but also signaled a decline in the papacy's reputation and power.