Part 2/9:
In the earliest days of Christianity, the church was largely unified across Europe and the Near East, even amidst theological disagreements and power struggles. The turning point came during the reign of Emperor Constantine, who converted to Christianity and subsequently issued the Edict of Milan in 313 AD, which legalized the faith across the Roman Empire.
Constantine's establishment of Constantinople as a new capital marked a significant moment in Christian history. It fostered the development of two distinct branches of the church: the Western Roman Church based in Rome and the Eastern Orthodox Church operating from Constantinople. The language of governance and worship further emphasized the divide; Latin predominated in the West while Greek was used in the East.