Azymites
AZYMITES, a-zim´aits (Gk. azymitai, from
a-privative and zymē, ” leaven” ): An epithet given
by the Greek Church to the Latin Church from the
eleventh century, because the latter uses
unleavened bread in the Lord’s Supper. Michael
Cærularius, Patriarch of Constantinople (q.v.), in 1053
attacked the practise of the Western Church,
declaring their Eucharist worthless because
unleavened bread was lifeless and powerless. A hot
contest ensued in which the Latins maintained that
either leavened or unleavened bread could be used;
they retaliated upon their opponents with the
epithets fermentarii or
fermentacei (from Lat.
fermentum, ” leaven” ) and prozymitai (from Gk.
pro, ” for,” and zymē). The Council of Florence (1439)
decreed that each Church must follow its own
custom, and for the Latin Church to change would be
grievous sin. See
Lord’s Supper.