Alexandrine schism

The Alexandrine schism, also known as the Meletian schism, was a division within early Christianity that began in the 4th century AD. It stemmed from a dispute over how to readmit Christians who had renounced their faith during periods of persecution, particularly under Emperor Diocletian.1

Meletius, a bishop of Lycopolis in Egypt, formed a schismatic church with a stricter stance on readmitting apostates than the bishop of Alexandria, Peter. Meletius was deposed by Peter around 306 AD for ordaining clergy in areas where pastors had been lost due to persecution and for criticizing Peter's leniency towards the "lapsed".1

Despite condemnations and excommunications, Meletius and his followers, who called themselves the "church of the martyrs," continued their schism, which likely persisted until the 8th century. This event is distinct from the later, more significant East-West Schism of 1054, which formally divided the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches due to theological, political, and cultural differences. The Western Schism (1378-1417) was another period of division within the Roman Catholic Church, with multiple rival popes.123