Italian popes

nuns affiliated with the Church taught reading and writing and ran hospitals for the needy. Pope Gregory I used Benedictine monks as diplomats/missionaries. He sent them to England to convert the Anglo-Saxons. The Byzantine Empire had a very strong military. He used his military and his best commander Belisarius to reconquer Northern Africa circa 533 CE. Most of Belisarius’ success was because of his superior tactics in battle. The Byzantines used the kantos, an overhand thrusting spear, before…

The Council of Trent spanned a lengthy 18 years (1545-1563) and proved to be one of the most significant of the 21 ecumenical councils convened in Church history. Despite the import of an historical event which influenced Catholic teaching for years to come, little work has been written on this particular council. However, Fr. John O’Malley, S.J., has presented a detailed recounting of this remarkable event in his book, Trent: What Happened at the Council, published by the Belknap Press of…

years, while still claiming to be bishops of Rome, the popes would generally remain in Avignon”. This contributed to the Great Western Schism, which was a political fight between Italy and France. Both of these countries wanted the pope to live in their own country to skew the power of the papacy in favor of their country and its goals. The election of Urban the VI was the tipping point, he seemed at first a good choice but soon neither the Italian nor the French cardinals wanted him to be in…

There were many significant events that played out during the Late Medieval Time Period, and although there were several occasions when there was failure, there were several occasions of victory as well. The general atmosphere of the Late Medieval Times was as complex as present day, and was full of development. There was constant development in every aspect, including the social, political, religious, intellectual, technological, and economic aspects. The social aspect of the Late Medieval…

founder of the Society of Jesus 4. Counter Reformation The reaction of the Catholic Church to the Protestant Reformation. It began in 1517, and lasted until the Peace of Westphalia (1648) 5. Piazza A public square or marketplace, typically in an Italian town. 6. Baroque A term used to describe the style of architecture, music, and art of the 17th and 18th centuries.…

independant Benedictine monasteries prior to this time. Sixty-seven Cluny daughter houses, called Cluniac priories, were established by 1049. The papacy began to reform as well around 1046. Beginning with Leo IX who reigned as pope from 1049-54). He was appointed pope by his relative Henry III, the German Emperor. “Leo and his supporters took control of the papal court and…

clerical student he witnessed first-hand atrocities committed by the Black and Tans and a number of his friends were killed. All of this made a deep impression on the young O’Flaherty. On Monday 10 June 1940, Il Duce, Benito Mussolini announced to the Italian people that their country would enter the War on the following day as partners of Germany. Until then, the career of Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, working in the Vatican, had been relatively routine. He fulfilled various roles in the Church…

of Jesus’s twelve disciples and being the first Pope. It is the center of the Catholic faith. Bernini created his masterpiece to be both Tuscan and Baroque style. He used the Doric order for the columns. The Piazza is made up of 284 columns and runs four rows deep. The columns are…

The Council of Trent finally began, in the northern Italian city of Trent. The Council held a number of meetings, with the three main sessions occurring in 1545–7, 1551–2, and 1562–3 by Pope Paul III. It was the most important movement of the Catholic Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church’s first significant reply to the growing Protestant Reformation. The primary purpose of the Council was to condemn and refute the beliefs of the Protestants, such as Martin Luther, and also to make the set…

about 456–472. The last Germanic people on the European continent to be converted to Christianity were the Old Saxons. Christianity was spread to the Anglo-Saxons by the Gregorian Mission, which was a mission by Pope Gregory in the late 6th and early 7th century, he sent a group of Italian monks and priests to convert and Christianize the Anglos from their Pagan beliefs. At first, the Anglo's were unappreciative of Christian values and didn't approve of them, however as time went on Christianity…