▁the ▁Northern ▁Cr us ades ▁and ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁the ▁Ice ). ▁The ▁s ack ing ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁and ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Holy ▁Wis dom ▁and ▁establishment ▁of ▁the ▁Latin ▁Empire ▁as ▁a ▁seem ing ▁attempt ▁to ▁supp lant ▁the ▁Orth odox ▁By z antine ▁Empire ▁in ▁ 1 2 0 4 ▁is ▁viewed ▁with ▁some ▁r anc our ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day . ▁Many ▁in ▁the ▁East ▁saw ▁the ▁actions ▁of ▁the ▁West ▁as ▁a ▁prime ▁determ ining ▁factor ▁in ▁the ▁weak ening ▁of ▁By z ant ium . ▁This ▁led ▁to ▁the ▁emp ire ' s ▁event ual ▁con quest ▁and ▁fall ▁to ▁Islam . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁Pope ▁John ▁Paul ▁II ▁extended ▁a ▁formal ▁ap ology ▁for ▁the ▁s ack ing ▁of ▁Constantin ople ▁in ▁ 1 2 0 4 ; ▁the ▁ap ology ▁was ▁formally ▁accepted ▁by ▁Patri arch ▁Bar th ol ome w ▁of ▁Constantin ople . ▁Many ▁things ▁that ▁were ▁st olen ▁during ▁this ▁time : ▁holy ▁re lic s , ▁rich es , ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁items , ▁are ▁still ▁held ▁in ▁various ▁Western ▁European ▁cities , ▁particularly ▁Ven ice . ▁ ▁The ▁cr us ades ▁in ▁southern ▁Spain , ▁southern ▁Italy , ▁and ▁Sic ily ▁eventually ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁dem ise ▁of ▁Islam ic ▁power ▁in ▁the ▁regions ; ▁the ▁Te ut onic ▁Kn ights ▁expanded ▁Christian ▁domains ▁in ▁Eastern ▁Europe ; ▁and ▁the ▁much ▁less ▁frequent ▁cr us ades ▁within ▁Christ end om , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Al big