 From the middle of the 5th century onward , increasingly arduous tasks confronted the emperors of the East in ecclesiastical matters . Justinian entered the arena of ecclesiastical statecraft shortly after his uncle 's accession in 518 , and put an end to the Acacian schism . Previous Emperors had tried to alleviate theological conflicts by declarations that deemphasized the Council of Chalcedon , which had condemned Monophysitism , which had strongholds in Egypt and Syria , and by tolerating the appointment of Monophysites to church offices . The Popes reacted by severing ties with the Patriarch of Constantinople who supported these policies . Emperors Justin I ( and later Justinian himself ) rescinded these policies and reestablished the union between Constantinople and Rome . After this , Justinian also felt entitled to settle disputes in papal elections , as he did when he favoured Vigilius and had his rival <unk> deported . 
