Pope Pius XII

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. It has been argued that the pope did this as a result of a series of localized political moves rather his reason being a…

The material that made up this story was charred, meaning it burned in the fire. A coin of Antoninus Pius was discovered in the rubble, and can also help give this stratum a date, as well as Stratum 500 an end date that is the mid 2nd century because Pius ruled from 138-161. The start and end date for this layer is the same because it did not take long for the story to collapse and…

So now, let us walk over to the three dimensional artworks of Rome. A Greek Hellenistic type of Aphrodite with Eros was adapted by the Romans to represent imperial women with their infants. As you can see here, we have the “Bust of a Woman”. This fine sculpture echoes the taste that the Romans inspired to have when making portraits of women. Can anyone tell me, what it is that the Romans inspired to create in their sculptures? “They wanted to create realism.” Yes, that is correct, in fact if you…

An Irish priest named Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty was a patron of Rome’s high life, a well-respected Vatican diplomat and a regular attendee of all the most prestigious parties in the capital. O’Flaherty grew up in an Ireland under British control at the turn of the 20th century. Irish citizens fighting for their own freedom faced the wrath of harsh British army forces, including the infamous ‘Black and Tans’. As a young clerical student he witnessed first-hand atrocities committed by the Black…

towards the lack of involvement and action towards the persecution and pogrom of the Jews and how the fear of the Nazis turning on them caused this passivity or complicity to the actions committed. The reluctance to react is supported by the soon-to-be Pope at the time, Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, who stated that ‘the fight against the Jews would also become a fight against the Catholics’ and said that on behalf of the Catholics, they will not intervene. This fear is supported by the evidence of…

Peter C. Herman who has a PHD in English and comparative literature, starts off his essay by explaining the transition of the power from Henry VII to Henry VIII. Herman, as described throughout his essay to the readers, describes Henry VIII implementation of chivalric imagery to be a successful king over his father’s idea of leaving the court the same. I agree with Herman’s suggestion, that Henry VIII implementing of Chivalric Imagery is what made him a better king than his father as ill discuss…

what start wars and shape nations as well as the history of nations. One piece of history which has brought such controversy even into modern times is the story of Rodrigo Borgia more famously known as Pope Alexander VI. Pope Alexander IV has been written into history as one of the most scandalous popes of the Renaissance era. His legacy is tarnished with alleged murders, incestuous relationships, and nepotism. Many biographies have been written about Rodrigo chiming in on the scandal involved…

As the 226th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis has established his views and ideologies of the church since before he became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998. Known for his humility, dialogue, openness, and inclusivity, Pope Francis has been under the radar to be a Pope that will take the church in a new direction that best suits the way the world is today. Pope Francis’ vision of the church parallels the meaning of the church’s catholicity and the movement towards World…

the way preachers were emphasized giving money to the church rather than focusing on emphasizing faith. Martin Luther wrote a complaint to Pope Leo about this abuse and challenged all of the preachers to a debate over the theology of indulgences. This dispute was a contest between the two strong willed men and it largely ignored the theological objections. Pope Leo regarded the letter as a challenge…

is actually even concurrent with the rise in universities in Europe This can be seen in the Western Schism of the 14th Century, when Urban VI is elected to Pope in Rome, but is eventually disliked for poor ruling and with support of the King of France and government officials Clermont VII is elected to Antipope in Avignon, France. However Pope Urban VI does…