Ecclesiastical Breakdown and Revival

13th Century Papacy Pope Innocent II (1198-1216): papal power reached its height He declared the “Plenitude of Power”: popes could declare saints and a papal monarchy It weakened the church spiritually

Urban IV (1261-1264) Papacy est. its own law court (Rota Romana) Continued clerical taxation that started to raise funds for the Crusades Rome’s interests came to control church appointments and discipline Bishops protested this undercutting of their power

Political Fragmentation Popes now and the defensive against old allies Rulers with interests in Italian politics found their way to the popes Ex. French king of Naples created a French faction within the college Pope Gregory X (1271-1276) est. the practice of sequestering the cardinals immediately after the death of a pope to min. political influence on election of new popes Didn’t work

Pope Celestine V Died under suspicious circumstances His successor’s critics later argued that powers behind the papal throne murdered him Cardinals elected Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303) a nobleman and skilled politician

Boniface VIII and Philip the Fair Came into power when England and France where fighting Phillip of France was determine to end England’s control of continental holdings Statue of Pope Boniface VIII at The Museum of the Opera del Duomo in Florence

Royal Challenge to Papal Authority Pope Innocent III (1215) decreed that the clergy not to pay taxes to rulers without papal consent Viewed taxation as an assault on traditional clerical rights Boniface took a strong stand against taxation on the clergy (Clericis laicos) England (Edward I) denied clergy the right to be heard in royal court and had no protection from the king

Cont. Philip the Fair (France): forbid exportation of money from France to Rome Now papacy didn’t have the funds to operate Boniface had to come to terms with Philip Gave Philip the right to tax the French clergy Boniface’s rivals seeking to invalidate his election as pope and even the murder of Celestine

Cont. To restore his popularity: Boniface gave all Catholics who visited Rome sins remitted Tens of thousands of pilgrims flocked to Rome He also supported the Scottish resistance from England Outraged Edward I and Parliament

Boniface and Philip Part II Philip arrested Boniface’s friend (Bernard Saisset) Accused of heresy and treason, Saisset was tried and convicted in the king’s court Philip demanded that Boniface recognize the process against Saisset Boniface could only do that if he would surrender his jurisdiction over the French church He demaned Saisset’s unconditional release and revoke all agreements with Philip French bishops had to convene in Rome within a year

Cont. Letter was sent to Philip stating that God has set popes over kings and kingdoms (1301) 1302: Philip issued an antipapal campaign Refuted papal claims to the right to interfere with French matters

Unam Sanctam Boniface declared the temporal authority was subject to the spiritual power of the church French moved against Boniface with force Philip’s chief minister, Guillaume de Nogaret, denounced to the French clergy that Boniface was a heretic and common criminal French army surprised the pope and beat him up Boniface died in 1303

Cont. Benedict XI 1303-1304: Boniface’s successor excommunicated Nogaret Benedict’s successor Clement (1305-1314) released Nogaret from excommunication and condemned the Knights Templars (treasure Philip would take) Clement moved papal court to Avignon in southeastern France on land that belonged to the pope wanted to escape both French and Rome pressure

Knights Templar seize upon the Templar rumors for his own financial needs. He was deeply in debt to the Templars as a result of his war with the English, and he began pressuring the church to take action against the Order in order to free himself from his debts. Papal Military (Crusades) When the Holy Land was lost and the Templars suffered crushing defeats, support for the Order's existence faded. Rumors about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created mistrust, and King Philip IV of France, deeply in debt to the Order, began pressuring Pope Clement V to take action. On Friday, October 13, 1307, King Philip had many of the Order's members in France arrested, tortured into "confessions", and burned at the stake