Page "History of the term Catholic" Paragraph 7

After the East-West Schism, conventionally dated to 1054, a brief reunification was agreed to between the Pope and a number of Eastern Orthodox bishops at the Council of Florence.

However, this agreement was denied by one of the Orthodox bishops present, namely Mark of Ephesus, and the common people of the Orthodox churches generally rejected the agreement as well.

The present pope, Benedict XVI, has stated his wish to restore full unity with the Orthodox.

The Roman Catholic Church considers that almost all of the ancient theological differences have been satisfactorily addressed ( the Filioque clause, the nature of purgatory, etc.

), and has declared that differences in traditional customs, observances and discipline are no obstacle to unity.