Pope Clement XII

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Introduction:

Although the beginning of Church history began around 30 A.D., many events have taken part in the ushering of our faith and the history within it. Practicing my religion daily, I take part in the common aspects of religion, such as prayer, receiving the sacraments, and attending Church. Catholicism has been a part of my life since I was born, starting with my baptism, yet I truly never understood the history behind it. Learning about Church history, I was significantly interested in papal Bull’s over any other topic. I wanted to learn more about their issuing, and the impacts that they had on the religion that I have been practicing daily since Kindergarten.

When I learned about Pope Clement XII’s issuing of the papal bull in Eminenti, I was intrigued from the start. Having prior knowledge of Pope Clement XI and Pope Clement XII, I knew that tolerance was not a popular aspect of their lives, and I knew that the Bull in Eminenti significantly would have an impact on the Catholic culture and Church History. As I read more in depth about the bull, I realized the strength within it. I wondered:

Did Pope Clement XII let his emotions affect the issuing of the papal bull in Eminenti?

The purpose of this question is to quench the personal interest that I have in Church history. As we began more dive more and more into Church history, my interest skyrocketed. I hope to learn more about the struggles that were overcome in Catholicism. The turmoil that stood as a result of the “church vs state” tension also gave me a purpose to learn more about how the present separation of Church and State began. Making the right decisions has not always been my best quality, and knowing that I am not alone, I evaluated Pope Clement X...

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... a level of peace in Freemasonry. Did they try to achieve peace? It seems that within religion, they did not try very hard to achieve peace, instead, they legally were forced to follow Pope Clement’s, Bull in Eminenti.

Not only did the interest between Freemasonry and Christianity create questions, but my emerging uncertainty from the beginning towards Pope Clement XII’s decision created several questions. Was he a good Pope in general? Professor Burshe tells us that “His experience in the Papal government made him shrewder than his predecessor, but his age and health greatly handicapped him.” Seventy-nine at his election, Clement soon went completely blind. Did his handicaps and age affect his position as Pope? My questions were not answer about his judgements politically, but his judgements toward religion were evident as “he did much to beautify Rome”

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