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Roman Catholicism and the role of the Pope during medieval times
Essay on church history
Roman Catholicism and the role of the Pope during medieval times
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The Papacy A lot happened with the papacy between the times of 500 and 1500 CE. It gained its significance as time went on, starting out as virtually nothing and ending up as a major power, ups and downs in between. These changes were due to both events and people, both outside and inside the Church. Essentially, it all began with Pope Leo the Great and the legacy that he left behind. This is where the popes' prestige all began. Before him, the power wielded to the pope was questionable and many times overlooked. But once he took on the title of Supreme Pontiff, it was clear how things were to be. Another thing that was born by him was the pope regulating ecumenical councils. Leo started this when it came time for the Council of Chalcedon. It was just another way he found to exercise his power as the ultimate bishop, the bishop of Rome. Not only did he show that the pope was to be a strong religious leader, he proved that politics were important, too. He intervened in several attacks against Rome and ended up safeguarding the city through simple discussions. Leo the Great set new standards for the bishop of Rome and left poeple to really revere those who took on the role. There were things that hindered the strength of the papacy, such as Caesero Papism. Justinian was a prime example of this and as an emperor practicing it, he gave himself rights and powers in the Church which were really not his to have. He established things like the Justinian Code, which in some ways benefited the Church as a whole but at the same time, did not. It led to rampant persecutions of other religions which is anything but Christian like. Subjectively, it did help to strengthen the Church. Christianity was given opportunities it did not have before. It was given the ability to be the dominant religion. However, it did give the emperor the opportunity to impede on the powers of the papacy, leaving things open to trouble. By the end of the Sixth century, another strong pope came along. Gregory the Great developed the papacy further in the aspects of service to his poeple. He was known for starting and running a monastery, as well as taking on the many duties of being pope. He strengthened the papacy by staying true when the bishop of Constantinople was being pushy and by challenging other leaders in the Church to
The Catholic Church made its own laws and possessed land. The Roman Catholic Church collected taxes, service fees, and even accepted gifts from people who wanted a guaranteed "spot" in Heaven. The Church also had the power to influence kings and rulers. The Church helped by publicly supporting the kings and in return, the Church was given reasonable amounts of land and the clergy were given essential positions inside of the King's Court, which gave the Church the ability to manipulate policy and laws. The Church made many laws that include the involuntary conversions of heretics and the stifling of anti-church influences that could persuade other people to leave the Church and become heretics. This showed the immense authority that the Roman Catholic Church had over the people. Blasphemy (the speaking against God or anything that was considered sacred) was deemed as a capital crime (meaning it was punished by death).
Pope Urban II was sought by Alexius Comnenus, a Byzantine Emperor who wanted the papacy to help his army hold off the advancing Seljuk Turks in Asia Minor. The reason for Alexius Comnenus contacting the pope rather than another emperor or monarch wasn’t just the fact they were secular, but because the pope would have more power to persuade the people. The Gregorian movement in 1050-80 was ultimately was responsible for the new instilled power of the papacy’s position over nonreligious rulers. The pope agreed to aid the Byzantine emperor, but he also had his own agenda when it came to the military advances and the new power of his position. The papacy did not intend to only help the Byzantine Empire but to further save all of Christendom from being overrun.
through the ranks of the church and had the utmost respect of the people of
Pope Leo X’s sale of indulgences kick-started the Protestant Reformation and split in Church, causing rapid cultural change.
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...
...ian religion, including Protestantism. His actions actually made it simpler to create faith and purpose. What the people were exposed to was highly contradictory. They were being taught in holy halls the teachings of humility and obedience; however, the actions of the clergy were neither of humility nor of obedience. Protestantism and this continued divineness strengthened Christianity and enabled people to transition to a religion to which people could actually witness the humbleness.
and the Holy Roman Emperor considered it his mandate to protect the Roman Catholic Church and
Due to the "new Pope" of the east, the pope in the west was fighting for respect and began to look for ways of reform to restore the reputation of the church. Pope Leo I began some of this reform by giving direction on how the church should care for the poor and needy, and Gregory I reorganize the financial aspects of the church to insure the church's money was going to support the missions of the church.
leader in the Roman Empire. He made Rome what think of it as and what we study today.
Before, most people in Europe placed great importance on God and religion, but during the Renaissance, some people began to think about the importance of individuals as well. These thinkers were called humanists. In spite of this, people have twisted this idea for the advantage to themselves. Such words to describe them are egoistic and self-centred. The already corrupt Papacy reached its crucial depths during the rule of Pope Alexander VI, who abused his power within the church. He was a pope bent on political and material triumph. It was no secret that Cesare, his son, was a murderer and killed many of his political opponents. As pope, they are granted outstanding privileges. Pope Leo X utilized nepotism to guarantee his position as pope. He also used up the papal treasury with his extravagant lifestyle and projects. To free himself from debt, Leo granted indulgences to those who pay the church (to forgive their sins, thus saving them from the punishment from God). In addition to that, not only was the papacy corrupt but also the rulers. Rulers used many different methods, such as diplomatic marriages and Machiavellian acts to secure their rule of the area. To response whether it is better to be lo...
After serving in several parishes and becoming a well-known religious face in Poland, St. John Paul II became the bishop of Ombi. During the six year time period that his holiness was the Bishop of Ombi, he achieved one of his life’s major accomplishments: he became one of the leading thinkers on the Vatican II council. While he was on the Vatican II council, John Paul contributed to two very important documents: The Decree on Religious Freedom and The Pastoral Constitution on the Church.... ... middle of paper ...
... X spent heavily; he spent most on helping his fellow friends, relatives. He would hold banquets and dinners every night and amuse himself through watching opera and etc. This slowly led Leo in financial debt. Pope Leo X then wanted the help keeping Italy, in particular Florence to stay independent so his family could rule it, as it had been doing before. However to keep it independent it forced him to empty the church’s coffers. After this event, Pope Leo X wanted to rebuild the St. Basilica however after being heavily involved in the political affairs, it required him to sell indulgences, which were a big hit. However it was the indulgences that put him as a corrupter of society in the eyes of people, and fully exposed the cause of his extravagance. All this than made the people realize that it was Pope Leo X that allowed for the need for there to be a reform.
Constantine the Great, first Christian Emperor, originator of Constantinople, creator of the Byzantine Empire, military conqueror, and honored saint, has been labeled by many the most instrumental emperor of the Roman Empire. Constantine played a crucial role in the development of Europe during the Middle Ages, and founded Christianity as the formal religion of the Roman Empire. His dynamic yet effective predominance laid the infrastructure of European development. From his humble beginnings, to his command of the Roman Empire, to his final days, Constantine’s impact on world history and Christianity has left behind an unforgettable legacy. He was described by Eusebius as “such an emperor as all history records not.” Ware compared him to, “a watershed in the history of the Church.” Additionally, Meyendorff states, “No single human being in history has contributed to the conversion of so many to the Christian faith.” Norwich declared that “No ruler in all of history has ever more fully merited his title of ‘the Great’…Constantine has serious claim to be considered the most influential man in all of history.” Some of Constantine’s notable acts in the history of Christianity was his calling of the first Ecumenical Council at Nicaea, his institution of freedom for Christianity with the Edict of Milan, and the relocation of the capital of empire from Rome to Constantinople.
First, there were the ordinary believers, the citizens of the kingdom who followed the Christian faith. Then there was the clergy, the members who devoted their lives to the church. Each group of the clergy was assigned specific functions by the clergy nobles to help run the Church competently. Amongst all the clergy associates, the Pope was at the top, he had the equivalent if not more power than the ruling monarch and was in charge of all political affairs and administered the clergy. He was able to dictate political laws and even comment on the monarch’s decisions.
Perhaps no other event was as influential to the rise of papacy in Rome as the decline of the Roman empire. With the decline of the empire, the church became the last refuge of stability. Without the protection of the empire, Rome was subject to poverty, disrepair, and attack from enemies.1 The rise of the papacy was a response to this situation. It was further cemented by the leadership of such men as Leo I and Gregory I, the latter sometimes referred to as the father of the medieval papacy.2 Finally, the granting of lands and authority to the bishop of Rome greatly increased the power of the Roman church.3