Era 5: The Church in the Renaissance

Time Line 1300 ADUnam Sanctum Avignon Papacy - Black Death - Hundred Years’ War 1400 ADGreat Western Schism Renaissance Popes

I. French Kings Dominate Papacy As the 1200s end, a new Pope, Boniface VIII, found himself in an argument with the King of France. The Pope issued an encyclical (teaching letter) called Unam Sanctum, which contained one of the most sweeping claims of papal power ever written. It said that outside the Roman Catholic Church, there is no salvation, and if a person disobeys the Pope, that person goes to hell. Soon after, the French king sent thugs to beat up Pope Boniface, who died shortly thereafter. So much for the Pope’s absolute power!

II. Avignon Papacy In 1309, a French cardinal is elected Pope and moves the papacy from Rome to Avignon, a city on the border with France. Popes will remain in Avignon until 1377, and are heavily influenced by the King of France. The Avignon Papacy sometimes is called the “Babylonian Captivity,” a reference to a time in the Old Testament of the Bible when Jews were expelled from the Holy Land and sent to live in Babylon. The Avignon Papacy finally ended when a brave Italian nun, St. Catherine of Siena, traveled from Italy to Avignon; chastised the Pope for shirking his duty; and convinced him to return to Rome. Another nun, St. Bridget of Sweden, also traveled to Avignon to convince the Pope to return to Rome.

Also during this time period… During the Avignon Papacy, the Black Death – bubonic plague – hit Europe, killing nearly a third of all people. The Pope was powerless to stop the plague. Many people lost faith in the Church, or blamed it for the Plague because of church immorality and corruption. During this time of the Avignon Papacy, the Pope suppressed the Knights Templars, at the instigation of the French King, who wanted to steal the wealthy of the Templars. The French king accused the Templars of heresy, witchcraft, and sexual depravity. Many Templars were tortured and killed. From 1337 to 1453, France and England fought each other in the Hundred Years’ War. A Frenchwoman, St. Joan of Arc, helped defeat the English and became a French heroine, even though she was captured by the English and burned at the stake as a witch.

Black Death of Bubonic Plague killed a third of Europe’s population; The Pope in Avignon sat safely in his palace, but tried to protect Jews from being blamed for the Plague. The Pope also sent priests and nuns to help the sick. Many of them caught the Plague and died, too.

French King and French Pope persecute Knights Templars as heretics to steal their money

Hundred Years’ War between England and France; French heroine St. Joan of Arc is captured by English and burned as a witch

III. The Great Western Schism In 1377, the Pope left Avignon and returned to Rome, but he died soon after. Roman mob forced the cardinals (who were mostly French) to elect an Italian Pope. This Italian Pope was mentally unstable. He feared that the cardinals were trying to kill him, so he arrested, jailed and tortured some of them. But the other cardinals escaped back to Avignon, where they elected a French Pope. Now there were 2 Popes. The Roman church was split. This became known as the Great Western Schism, which is NOT to be confused with the East- West Schism. The Great Schism lasted from 1378 to The Great Western Schism caused a huge amount of confusion and anxiety. Nobody knew which Pope to follow – but people believed that if they followed the wrong Pope, they would go to hell! Some monasteries chose two abbots – one for each Pope, just to be on the safe side!

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IV. Conciliarism After nearly 40 years of the Great Western Schism, a group of cardinals convened a council at Pisa, which elected a new Pope and ordered that the other two Popes step down. But these first two Popes refused to resign – so now, there were three Popes! The Holy Roman Emperor intervened next. He convened yet another church council. This time, it successfully deposed all three Popes and elected a new Pope. The Great Western Schism finally came to an end! To prevent similar problems in the future, this Council of Constance (1417) came up with a new idea, called Conciliarism, which mandated that church councils would meet every 10 years or so, and that church councils had power even over Popes. Conciliarism never worked because later Popes refused to give up their power. They simply refused to convene a council every 10 years.

The Council of Constance is famous for one other event:  A priest in Bohemia (modern-day Czechoslovakia), John Hus, was declared a heretic for allowing people to receive both the Body and Blood of Christ when they went to communion.  Hus traveled to the Council of Constance to defend himself. The Holy Roman Emperor promised him safe passage.  The Emperor reneged on his promise and John Hus was burned at the stake.  Bohemia broke off from the Catholic Church because of this, and John Hus became a Bohemian national hero.  At a later council, the Pope made peace with the Bohemians by granting them special concessions and privileges. This council also was the first to define the Catholic belief in purgatory.

The Council of Florence soon followed after the Council of Constance and almost ended the East-West Schism.  This Council was hosted in Florence by the powerful and wealthy Medici family of bankers.  The Patriarch of the Eastern Church attended.  The Patriarch agreed with the Pope on three key issues: 1. The Filioque 2. Papal primacy (not first among equals) 3. Purgatory  The Patriarch wanted the Pope’s help to fend off Ottoman Turkish Muslims, who threatened to conquer the city.  The people of Constantinople rebelled against the agreements made between the Patriarch and the Pope.  Soon after, Constantinople fell to the Muslims..

V. The Fall of the East to Islam In 1453, Muslims finally conquer Constantinople. They rename the city Istanbul. The Byzantine Empire ends. After this, the center of Eastern Orthodox Christianity shifts north to the Russian Orthodox Church, where Moscow is seen as the “new Rome” that replaces Constantinople.

VI. The Renaissance Church The Renaissance was a period in European history from about 1300 to “Renaissance” means “rebirth.” It began in Italy as an explosion of interest in learning and art, especially recapturing ideas and styles from ancient Greece and Rome. The Renaissance depended on rich patrons, including the famous Medici banking family in Florence, but also, the Popes in Rome. The city of Rome had fallen into disrepair, especially during the Avignon Papacy. The Renaissance Popes were rich, because the Church owned lots of land. They spent lavishly on themselves, living luxurious lives, but they also used the church’s wealth to rebuild Rome into a city of marble, art and learning. They hired the best artists and architects, such as Michelangelo, Raphael and Leonardo da Vinci. During the Renaissance, Popes built the Vatican Library. They began construction of a new St. Peter’s Basilica Church overtop the grave of St. Peter. The old church, built by Constantine, was starting to fall apart. And they painted the ceilings and walls of the Pope’s personal chapel in the Vatican, the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo painted the ceiling and walls of the Sistine Chapel, and also designed the dome of the new St. Peter’s Basilica.

Many of the Renaissance Popes were corrupt, worldy and immoral. For example:  Pope Alexander VI He was part of the Borgia family of Spain He “bought” the Papacy by bribing other cardinals, and chose the name “Alexander” out of admiration for Alexander the Great When he was still a cardinal, he fathered 6 children. He put his son Cesare Borgia as his chief general, making Cesare a cardinal at age 18. Cesare eliminated his father’s enemies and expanded the power of the Papacy Alexander arranged political marriages for his daughter Lucrezia in order to further the family’s interests He and Cesare organized drunken parties with prostitutes in the Vatican for themselves and their friends, including some of the other cardinals.

 Pope Julius II He was known as the “warrior Pope,” actually leading soldiers into battle on behalf of the Papacy He took the name “Julius” after “Julius Caesar” He despised his predecessor, Pope Alexander VI He hired Michelangelo to paint ceiling of Sistine Chapel  Pope Leo X He was considered the last “Renaissance Pope.” He was from the rich Medici family of Florence. Martin Luther started the Protestant Reformation in 1517, while Leo was Pope. Leo liked hunting and had little interest in spiritual matters. He allegedly said, “Since God has given us the papacy, let us enjoy it!”

KEY TERMS: Renaissance Unam Sanctum Avignon Papacy Black Death Hundred Years’ War St. Joan of Arc St. Catherine of Sienna Great Western Schism Conciliarism Pope Alexander VI (Borgia Family) Pope Julius II Pope Leo X Michelangelo Sistine Chapel Leonardo Da Vinci Council of Constance Council of Florence Medici Family of Florence Purgatory Cesare Borgia/ Lucrezia Borgia Vatican Library St. Peter’s Basilica Fall of Constantinople (Istanbul)