Orthodox clergy preferred Ottoman rule over Latin rule during the fall of Constantinople.

Evidence

In the course of the discussion, we described how careful one should be when describing the dynamics of Christianity. As seen during the fall of Constantinople, despite a “common enemy” being on the verge of conquering a major Christian city, the Orthodox and Latins refused to compromise on their doctrines or send aid. The tension was so severe many Orthodox clergy even preferred a takeover by the Ottomans to that of the Latins for at least theological autonomy would be guaranteed by the former. — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 60

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to modern discussions of co-religious vs foreign enemies and to intra-faith schism dynamics like the Reformation. — connects to: The schism within Christianity was perceived as a greater threat than that of a foreign invasion; the Orthodox were relatively receptive towards having the Ottomans as material rulers in contrast to the Latins.; Orthodox authorities perceived an invasion by the Latins as worse, for they would not afford them autonomy which might be hoped under Muslims. The land might remain under Christian rule, but the Orthodox churches would have to yield to papal supremacy. While the Muslim conquest might lead to a change of the head of state, the churches would not be forced to make any doctrinal changes or alter their church hierarchy.; In an effort to oppose the Ottomans, Enea Silvio Bartolomeo Piccolomini (the future Pope Pius II) tried to exhort all Christians to mount an offensive against the Ottomans. Like the crusades, some hoped Christian polities would look past their differences and come to the aid of the Orthodox Byzantine Christians in this dire hour. Another figure was King George of Kunštát and Poděbrady of Bohemia who—seeing the Ottomans surround Constantinople—also tried to promote the idea of a Pan-Christian resistance to the onslaught of the Muslim forces. (+16 more)

Broader Connections

• Christians preferred Ottoman tolerance over Catholic persecution #corroborates (0.85) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 75
• Intra-Christian schism outweighed the foreign threat for Orthodox Byzantines. #expands (0.80) — Ali Qureshi, The Fall of Constantinople, 61
• Ottomans were seen as a political threat rather than a religious one #qualifies (0.60) — Deepa Kumar, Islamophobia and the Politics of Empire, 76