The Kidnapping Of Edgardo Mortara Analysis

Improved Essays
?? Joshua Waldoch Professor Laid Boswell
History 120
9 October 2017
Public Opinion and the Papacy The Catholic Church has had a lasting impression on the European Landscape throughout history, and for the most part, the general public went along with the Catholic Church and the Pope because, that was all the people of Europe knew. However, that began to change, as the thoughts and ideals that were formed during the Enlightenment came to prominence. In David Kertzer’s book The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, Kertzer argues that the Pope is losing the battle of public opinion due to his opposition to the Italian Unification, the push to modernize, and the push to secularize the governments of Europe. Kertzer argues that the Pope lost the
…show more content…
Among the ideas that the Enlightenment brought was the idea of a secular government. The hierarchy of the Church was not in favor of this at all, the Austria was one of the first countries to push secularization. It happened when “Joseph II denounced the existing concordat and moved energetically to restrict the rights of the church, seeking to build a modern, secular state … similar attacks on Church authority put the hierarchy on the defensive, and the prestige of the papacy suffered” (130). Because of Europe’s social changes, and its changing ideals of the role of the Church in government, from an overarching, imposing role, to a nonexistent role, the Church found itself under attack, and Pius IX saw his power diminished. The idea that the Church was to lose its power did not bode well with those at the highest levels within the Catholic Church. They thoroughly enjoyed the influence they yielded, and thought that “it was the Church’s responsibility to block these moves toward secularization” (76). Because of the tendencies of the more liberal thinkers to move toward a more secular government, the church was left behind, longing for the days where it had large influence over the governments of Europe. Europeans as a whole demographic were leaving the Church due to a mix of the Enlightenment as Industrial revolution, and the idea that the government would not be a way for the Church to continue to have say in people’s lives was not good in their eyes. MORE STUFF

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    The Reformation Dbq Essay

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Although the Reformation is often viewed as a religious movement, it also significantly affected the political and social spheres of Europe. Obviously, this statement is true. The Reformation was a time where a multitude of denominations of Christianity. This movement resulted into an expanded literary way and religious freedom granted by the government. At the time, the Church owned almost one third of Europe’s land, which already gives us information on who controlled the economy and political force.…

    • 837 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Great Essays

    1. What was the context of the Protestant Reformation? (3) At this point of history there was only one church in the West- Catholic church which was controlled by the pope. The church was corrupted and the pope and cardinal were living like kings.…

    • 1009 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Superior Essays

    A World Lit Only by Fire: The Medieval Mind and the Renaissance Portrait of An Age, was written in 1993 by William Manchester (1922-2004) who was an American author, historian, and biographer. He wrote over a dozen books and was given the National Humanities Medal, and the Abraham Lincoln Literary Award. Manchester’s work, A World Lit by Fire discusses the era known as the Dark Ages with its Medieval mindset throughout Europe, the development of the Renaissance, and the rise of humanism. Manchester argues that the mindset of Medieval Europe was a simple one where the notion of “Self-identity” did not exist, and where life was centrally controlled by the Roman Catholic Church. People gravitated to the Church’s congregations to become a part…

    • 1460 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction Historian Mr. Philip Schaff mentioned that Protestant Reformation marked the end of the middle ages and the beginning of the modern world (Dr. Jack L. Arnold, 1999). Protestant Reformation was the chief force in the history of the modern civilization. It contributed to the capitalism, the growth of secularism, democracy, and new social structure. The historian Ms. ÁoDài mentioned that Protestant Reformation witnessed the formation of the modern nation-state which from the feudal system to the capitalist system.…

    • 1403 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    The Roman Catholic Church, being the only universal European institution of the Middle Ages, practically governed every aspect of society. Medieval Europeans viewed the Church as a blessing from God; a humble order which was sent to protect them from the numerous raids and invasions which consequently led to chaos and disorder in society. Europeans that lived during the medieval times were pious and devout Christians. They believed that the road to eternal happiness was to fear their almighty father in the Heavens, to obey His commandments, and to apply bible principles in their everyday lives. With hopes to be favored in God’s eyes, medieval Christians turned to religious authorities for guidance on not only spiritual, but also worldly matters.…

    • 1749 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Black Death (also called the plague) hit Europe, almost all things, mostly the daily elements of life, were under the influence of the Roman Catholic Church. During this time, almost every action one would make would require prayer. The church had always told the people right from wrong. The church and followers believed that the afterlife was more important than ones present life. It was a must to be given the last rights and to confess ones sins before dying to be sure of a peaceful afterlife.…

    • 1433 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Politics and the Wars of Religion By: Phillip Ableidinger, Jin Johnson, and Matthew Kellen “Discuss the relationship between politics and religion by examining the wars of religion. Choose three specific examples from the following: the Dutch Revolt, the French wars of religion, the English Civil war, and the Thirty Years’ war.” Politics and religion have for long been two sides of the same coin. Although it’s easy to dismiss their relationship as desultory or ineffectual, it has jointly wielded considerable power on the geopolitical stage; perhaps even single handedly changing the course of modern European history. The partnership between church and state cannot be understated, having been the main cause of power-struggles, societal collapse and power shifts throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.…

    • 903 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Crusades Dbq

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Power balance had begun to swing towards the west (Kedar 61). Thereupon, the popes were able to effectively unite European popular support…

    • 810 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Reformation Dbq

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The Reformation is a crucial time period, as the events that occurred during were essential elements in the shaping of European society thereafter. Through the protests of people like Martin Luther, the Roman Catholic Church’s power was significantly weakened, and monarchies rose to be the center of government. With the church moved aside, kings and queens made decisions based on their will for their city-state, rather than the church’s ideas regarding the well-being of society. Previous to the Reformation, priests and preachers sold indulgences, that at one point had a more purposeful meaning, but had become based on collecting profit for the church, and namely, the pope.…

    • 381 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Inquisition Vs Reformation

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages

    If you look back on the History of the Catholic Church, two major events that happened at around the same time, will pop out at you. These are the Reformation and the Inquisition. The reformation was a movement to break off from the Church. Lead by the hot-headed Luther, the Reformation is seen to many as a break away from the old, outdated, and corrupt Catholic Church. If you look closer, you can see it was a rejecting of the Church, with flawed Philosophy and distorted logic that was filled with much bloodshed.…

    • 1076 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Jesuits Controversy

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages

    For as long as the Roman Catholic Church has been around, it has tried to solidify its control by strengthening its orthodoxy. One way the Church did this was through persecuting the populace for heresy. It is then ironic to find out that one of the churches most influential organizations, the Jesuits, were disbanded by the pope on rumors of heresy. The pope, Clement XIV, did not suppress the Jesuits for heresy but for more political reasons. After losing the support of Portugal, he dispersed the Order to appease the French and Spanish rulers in order to save face and keep their support.…

    • 1258 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    During the Reformation, Catholics and Protestants were opposed on several fundamental issues regarding the Christian faith. These disagreements led to one of the most sweeping changes to occur within Christianity since Constantine. The two sides differed significantly in their understanding and interpretation of the Scripture, and of the Christian life. The main points of contention were regarding the understanding of the concepts of Sola Gratia (grace alone), Sola Fide (faith alone), and Sola Scriptura (Scripture alone). The struggle between the Protestant and Catholic understandings of these matters split the church and redirected Christianity forever.…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Reformation movement in the fifteen-hundreds changed the way Europeans looked at their world. They began to question if the church had the right motives in mind. This led to European’s turning to Protestant…

    • 958 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    The Renaissance and Reformation championed the cause of an individual’s freedom and independence. However, the two periods did not seek the same resolutions to the Church’s corruption. The Renaissance…

    • 980 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Gregory VII was one of the most profound popes of the medieval church, whose name entitles the 11th century movement known as the Gregorian Reform. During this time, he was the reform, changing the very foundation of the papacy, fighting for a more aggressive and proactive papacy. “Gregory VII identified three issues as key to the Church’s corruption: the sale of sacred office, the marriage of priests and, above all, the interference of powerful laymen in clerical appointments.” As pope, Gregory VII positioned took the positioned based on the fact that if the church remains unable to choose its own leaders, free from interference, then it will always remain entangled in the politics and money, never fully capable to encourage priests to preach and spread the Gospel to a forever sinful…

    • 1613 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays