Clericis laicos

with King Edward I of England. Refuting this, Boniface asserted that no cleric was to pay taxes to a king without proper papal consent. If the clergy went against his commands, Boniface threatened excommunication to all who ignored him. Though on the surface it appeared as if the quarrel was over taxation, in reality it represented who had the ultimate control and power over the French Clergy. This conflict over influence between Philip and Boniface is commonly referred to as a “Crisis in the Late Medieval Church,” as it would later prove to have a huge impact on the future of the Papacy. To understand each side’s stance, it is useful to look at historical primary sources. Boniface’s position regarding the matter can be understood in Clericis laicos (source 7.18, RMA) and Unam sanctam (source 7.19, RMA). Philip’s stance is highlighted in Charges of Heresy against Boniface VIII (Source 7.20, RMA). Though certain aspects appeared to remain intact, a new relationship between the papacy and worldly rulers emerged as those of secular powers gained greater control. Being threatened by King Philip IV, the Papacy along with Pope Boniface VIII found themselves reiterating and reconfirming the values of the church to those belonging to the French clergy. The source Unam Sanctam, authored by Boniface, seeks to remind the clergy where their loyalties truly lie. In this source, the enduring idea that the Holy Roman Catholic Church is the only means for salvation is highlighted. Outside…

From humble beginnings to an oppressive doctrine, the Holy Catholic Church truly underwent change throughout the course of Medieval history. Seen in these two letters, Clericis Laicos and Unam Sanctam, are what would seem to be the culmination of all this history: the responses of Pope Boniface VIII to the continued pressures of secular rule and its jurisdiction in relation to the Church and its functioning. With the Church’s rapid increase in size and influence over the past several centuries,…

In summary, Dante experienced the issues coming from the battle between Philip IV's nationalist power (King from 1285-1314, who, during the war of the so-called Sicilian Vespers helped the Anjou against the Aragonese) and the papacy's universal power that in the while had degenerated more and more until the French King decided to tax the income of the ecclesiastics, provoking Pope Boniface VIII's ire, who, in contrast, published some important bulls trying to limit Philip's powers. In fact, one…

transforming the papacy into a secular power when papal power reached its limit. This weakened the church spiritually and strengthened politically, differentiating the church into two separate ideals: the church as a “body of the faithful” and the church as a “papal monarchy.” Changes that led to trouble for the Church in later centuries were internal religious disunity and the papacy of the Church no longer being the head of the anti-imperial sentiment in Italy since the Church was granted…