Pope Abuse Of Power

Superior Essays
The papacy has stretched over the course of 1982 years from the first pope Peter the Apostle to the current pope Francis I. There have been popes who have wielded great amounts of power like Innocent III and those who did not wield much power like the modern day popes. There were those who were immoral like Alexander VI and those who were kind hearted with a servant attitude like John Paul II. Throughout the reigns of the 256 popes from Peter to Francis, they were seen as spiritual leaders. For most of them, they were also seen as temporal leaders. Most of the popes held great power over the rulers of Europe and used that for their advantage. The corruption of church leaders and the growing confidence of secular leaders led to a decline of …show more content…
Rulers began to recognize that the pope had no actual power in their land and did not control the affairs of their countries. Previously, rulers in Europe had to pay tributes to the pope and he had a say in the affairs of their respected countries. After Protestant Reformers showed that God does not give the pope the power to rule over the earth in His place, European leaders began to split from the Roman Catholic Church. The real power that the pope had came from the actual rulers themselves. Their obedience to the pope and the obedience of their citizens gave the pope and the Roman Catholic Church their …show more content…
"This was a last gasp from the pope screaming at the European rulers, 'Hey, I'm still relevant! I speak for God!!'" The dogma of papal infallibility states that when the pope speaks ex cathedra , then nothing that he says is flawed or incorrect and is directly from God. The Vatican Council stated:
We teach and define that it is a dogma Divinely revealed that the Roman pontiff when he speaks ex cathedra, that is when in discharge of the office of pastor and doctor of all Christians, by virtue of his supreme Apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine regarding faith or morals to be held by the universal Church, by the Divine assistance promised to him in Blessed Peter, is possessed of that infallibility with which the Divine Redeemer willed that his Church should be endowed in defining doctrine regarding faith or morals, and that therefore such definitions of the Roman pontiff are of themselves and not from the consent of the Church irreformable. So then, should anyone, which God forbid, have the temerity to reject this definition of ours: let him be

Related Documents

  • 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
  • Improved Essays

    Ap Euro Dbq Essay

    • 628 Words
    • 3 Pages

    1. Charlemagne was known as the King of the Franks, as he is known for establishing the Carolingian Empire through a series of conquests. He also believed in a knowledgeable revitalization, even though he was illiterate. 2. The term used by historians for the middle age of Europe was called medieval.…

    • 628 Words
    • 3 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

    Italy in the year 1620 is a very trying time for individuals who go against the Roman-Catholic doctrine. From the beginning of the first century when Christianity was introduced to the Italian peninsula, it rose to a powerhouse status as a social and religious leviathan (Kirsch). During this time period, the Church had the power to mandate, shape and enforce laws, giving harsh repercussions such as imprisonment or in exceptional cases, death for those who publically spoke against it (Wolfgang). The leader of the Catholic Church is the pope, who during this period was Pope Paul V.…

    • 867 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Corruption and division within the Papacy, poor economic conditions, persecution, and scientific advances all contributed to growing pressure for reform within the Church. Martin Luther, Ulrich Zwingli, and John…

    • 808 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Jack Vs Ralph

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Even after the hardships of the mid 14th century that lasted well into the 15th century, including the 100 years war and the black plague, the people still looked to the Catholic Church for help. The Catholic Church was basically keeping them from further chaos. Then, the Pope, Gregory XI, died, and it was a matter of deciding who the next pope should be.…

    • 639 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther was born in a lower class family on November 10th, 1483 in Eisleben in the Roman Empire (eastern Germany today). His father was a miner and smelter, and because his father knew the instability of his own occupation, he wanted his son to receive proper education, and eventually become a lawyer – which was known for being a secure career. After studying at the University of Erfurt in 1505, his father’s career plan for Luther was about to become a reality, until the July of 1505, when he was caught in a dreadful thunderstorm. Petrified during the storm, Luther yelled, “Save me, St. Anna, and I shall become a monk.” Although letting his parents down, he kept the vow he had made to God and entered the Augustinian Monastery.…

    • 482 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Under God Perry Analysis

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In chapter 5 of Under God, Perry claims that a Roman Catholic, under the condition that they engage in a conversation with the teaching of the Church, may disagree with Church teaching without being a faithful Catholic and make a political choice based on this position of disagreement. Essentially, a Catholic who undermines the teaching of his faith can still be a good Catholic. This is inherently wrong, although Perry’s point that one should attempt to arrive at one’s own moral position with the help of the Roman Catholic Church is correct. Perry notes that, for Catholics, it is “not the Bible that is supremely authoritative but the “magisterium” of the Church: the bishops and, ultimately the Pope” (86).…

    • 661 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In the New York Catholic Catechism, under pope says, “The pope takes the place of Jesus Christ on earth.” Is this not what God warning us concerning what the antichrist will say and do? If, this is not enough to convince you, listen to this… The Catholic book, “My Catholic Faith” which is held in Baltimore Catechism, on page 251 says, “The pope can make and unmake laws for the entire Catholic church; his authority is supreme and unquestioned.…

    • 117 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Cardinal Thomas Cajetan

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages

    I was born on November 10, 1483 in Eisleben, Germany, to Hans and Margaretta Luther. My father saw a somewhat successful miner, and he wanted me to have a better life than him, so at early on I was enrolled in school. When I turned thirteen I moved to Magdeburg to continue my studies to become a lawyer. In 1498 I was transferred again to Eisenach where studied grammar, rhetoric, and logic. In 1501 I enrolled in the University of Erfurt, the best university in Germany at the time.…

    • 1074 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Additionally, because papal leadership failed, some Catholic “philosophers” began developing the theories, which only added to the dissension caused by the lack of authority. The separate political situations of the east and west made the Church take on different outward forms. This led to the people thinking of the Church order in ways which conflicted with each other. From the start there had been a certain difference of significance between the eastern and western sides. In the east, there were Churches that had their foundation tracing back to the Apostles; there was a strong sense of the equality and community of all bishops, of the collegial nature of the Church.…

    • 943 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Introduction: The Crusades were military expeditions undertaken by Western European Christians, whose purpose was to wrest the domain Muslims of the Holy Land. As Holy Land Christian pilgrimage sites such as Jerusalem and parts of Palestine are known. These expeditions were carried out at the request of the Pope, who granted indulgences to the participants.…

    • 518 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” seemed to affect not only the members of Wittenberg, Germany, but also the entirety of the Holy Roman Empire. This document, which led to Pope Leo X’s “Exsurge Domine,” caused quite an uproar in the Catholic church. One reason Luther’s theses evoked a concerned reaction from church officials was made clear in Luther’s eighty-sixth point specifically.…

    • 221 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Martin Luther was a priest.(5) Luther was also a commentaries on scripture.(6) Also, Martin Luther was a professor.(2) Luther proposed an academic discussion of the practice and efficacy of indulgences in his 95 Theses.(5) Luther taught that salvation and consequently, and eternal life are not earned.(2) Martin joined a monastic order becoming an Augustinian friar.(5) Martin Luther was a composer.(2) Luther was a German reformer.(6) Martin Martin came up with the 95 Theses.(2)…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 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