...The Rise of Roman Papacy By Brian D. Jenkins Liberty University CHHI301-C01 LUO 201220 Spring 2012 One of the most peculiar phenomenon in all of history is the rise of the papacy. During the events of the Middle Ages in Rome arose the need for a central figure. The Roman bishop happened to fill that role to provide much needed stability and leadership. The focus of this particular paper will address the reasons for Rome, significant factors to dominance, and the implications of the papacy. Reasons for Rome Throughout the first centuries of Christian history, five cities emerged as epicenters for the church; Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople. The Edict of Milan in 313 AD recognized Christianity as a legitimate religious entity. “The proclamation …assured Christians of legal rights (including the right to organize churches),” It was in this early stage of formation as an organization that the church took a similar structure to the government. The key leaders of the regional churches rose to power. The five bishops of the previous listed churches were looked to as geographical region leaders. Those five attempted to establish a stable structure upon which to build. However, the bishops would often disagree. From the time of the Edict of Milan until Constantine moved the capital of the empire away from Rome, the Roman bishop was a natural thought for the leader of the young church. Being at the center of the political, social, and economical...
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...The Rise of the Papacy The rise to power of the Papacy in the Roman Empire during the 6-9th centuries is crucial to the history of the church. There were many theories as to why the Papacy earned such central power. Included in these were the rise of the early church, and also the negative and positive effects of individuals related tot he government of the Roman Empire. Altogether it took many steps in a long process for the Papacy to gain such control. What is clear though is that the Papacy held firm control until the reformation. This paper will expand on the reasons for the rise of the Papacy in power, what allowed for it to thrive, and also negative and positive impacts on the empire and even the world. Fall of the Roman Empire There were many factors, and theories that are included when one is speaking of the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the first theories centers around disease and plagues. Some historians maintain that the Empire was crippled, as many diseases and plagues circled the Empire. They crippled families, workers and even members who were involved with the government. Another small factor may have been the decay of the army. The army say an increase in more German peoples, which may have altered the morale of the army, and even the size of the army itself. One large theory also centers around the government of the Empire. Many historians also believe that the Roman Empire set itself up for failure.(1) In the way that the...
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...The Rise of Roman Papacy Hayden Wyrick Liberty University 201520 Spring 2015 CHHI 301-D13 LUO One of the most peculiar events in all of history is the rise of the papacy. During the time of the Middle Age Rome arose the need for a central figure. The Roman bishop filled that role to provide much needed stability and leadership. The focus of this particular paper will address the reasons for Rome, significant factors to dominance, and the implications of the papacy. Reasons for Rome Throughout the first centuries of Christian history, five cities emerged as epicenters for the church: Jerusalem, Antioch, Alexandria, Rome, and Constantinople. The Edict of Milan in 313 AD recognized Christianity as a legitimate religious entity. It was in this early stage of formation as an organization that the church took a similar structure to the government. The key leaders of the regional churches rose to power. The five bishops of the previous listed churches were looked to as geographical region leaders. Those five attempted to establish a stable structure upon which to build. However, the bishops would often disagree. From the time of the Edict of Milan until Constantine moved the capital of the empire away from Rome, the Roman bishop was a natural thought for the leader of the young church. Being at the center of the political, social, and economical scene allowed the Roman bishop the level of influence needed. After the political powers moved from Rome to Constantinople, the only...
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...CHHI-301-D10 LUO FALL2013 PAPER 2 The Rise of the Papacy INTRO In the void left by the collapse of the Roman Empire, the bishop of Rome grew even more in both power and prestige beginning in the sixth century and continuing to the reformation in the ninth century. It is the aim of this paper to explain how and why the papacy in Rome became the center of power of the medieval world, the factors contributing to this dominance over Western Europe, and the positive and negative ramifications of the position becoming so powerful. Through this paper you will discover how papacy was able to fill the vacuum of power left by the fall of an empire. THE HOW AND WHY When the Roman Empire fell services that it previously provided were left untended. Additionally the political structures and authority of the government were left in ruins. This created a massive void in the culture of the empire. While the government collapsed, the Church survived and even thrived, remaining strong throughout the known world, but especially in Rome. Services previously provided by the government were now being delivered at the hands of the Church under the direction of the Bishop of Rome, which would become the position of Pope. Society turned to the Church for education, monasteries took in war-orphans, and peace and mercy were encouraged in matters involving the former empire and its conquerors. While the Roman Empire was falling, the Church was rising and society churned on both...
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...The Rise of Papacy The rise of the papacy came at a time when the Roman Empire collapsed and there was chaos as it related to the bishops who held office in Rome and what religion would be at the forefront of the representation of the west or east of Rome since its demise. The term “papacy” (papatus), meant to distinguish the Roman bishop’s office from all bishoprics (episcopatus), and The Head of the Roman Catholic Church the pope is considered the successor of Peter and the vicar of Christ (Elwell, p. 888). The “pope” is a terms of endearment which means “father” and this was the title of the most important and influential bishops in the early church. The church at Rome nevertheless enjoyed and wanted to preserve the original apostolic faith and the prominence, and they as bishops also owned its apostolic “founders” and to its political setting, and this led to the inspiration of these bishops to exercise greater leadership in Rome and abroad (Elwell, p. 888). Most emperors and patriarchs of Constantinople, challenged the bishops and their beliefs by saying that the church in Rome is new and improved but that they are still believe in the old Roman church. The popes or bishops were not moved by their words and they knew that they were not living up to the apostolic ways of the founding fathers who came before them and that their primacy was derived from Peter and not from their political setting which in turn made their claim to fame to be truly based upon the “apostolic”(Elwell...
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...RESEARCH PAPER 2 THE PAPACY Jonathan Waters February 18, 2013 CHHI 301-B12 During the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Bishop of Rome became a very influential and powerful figure in the church. Many different men held this position and were very successful. Although many of the effects of the papacy were positive, the overwhelming power they held, combined with the age of obscurantism, superstition, and credulity in which they lived, allowed many false claims and doctrines to come about. Some of these doctrines are still existence today. They have caused many dissentions throughout the centuries following the rise of the Papacy. The historical beginnings of the Papacy are somewhat hard to uncover. Due to the decline in power of the Western Emperor, the Bishop of Rome, or Pope, became the primary political leader of Italy. The word “pope” is derived from the term pappa, which originated in the ancient colloquial Greek as an endearing term for “father.” It was a common title applied to most of the Eastern clergy. However, in the West the term was only common in Rome and in the later eleventh century was made the official title for the Bishop of Rome by Gregory VII. The term “papacy” (papatus), meant to distinguish the Roman bishop’s office from all other bishoprics (episcopates), also originated in the later eleventh century. However, this position was more than just a political position. The papacy was a unique sort of monarchy in that it claimed jurisdiction...
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...THE RISE OF THE PAPACY Presented to Professor G. Johnson For CHHI 301-D06 LUO By Dana Peebles August 2, 2015 Introduction During the 6th century, the rise of the Roman Catholic Church increased in power. With the leadership of the papacy, this endured up until the 9th century. While there were both positive and negative ramifications of this reality, the biggest is the influence of papal authority and the effect that it had over Christianity. The collapse of the Roman Empire brought order to not only orthodoxy, but also the government. Throughout this essay, it is my desire to touch on these areas. In addition, I will also discuss some of the contributing factors to the dominion of Western Europe and what happened up until the Reformation. The effect of the barbarian invasion and the continuation of Western Civilization during the Middle Ages, is truly a time within history that impacts the church and its association with supremacy. The How And Why Of The Papacy And The Power It Had In understanding the significance of the papacy and the power it had, it only makes sense to begin with a good solid definition of it. “The term pappa, from which the word “pope” is derived, originated in ancient colloquial Greek as an endearing term for “father,’ and was then applied, beginning in the third century, to Eastern patriarchs, bishops, abbots, and eventually parish priests.” [1]. Throughout Rome and the Western part of the Empire, this term “became...
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...It’s Good to be the King, Better to be the Emperor At the end of the year 1918, Europe witnessed incredible change to its political and social institutions across the board. Alliances between the countries of Europe plunged the continent into a world war that caused these massive changes to the European status quo of government. Over one thousand years earlier, the continent of Europe’s political and social institutions similarly endured a dramatic change due to an alliance. On Christmas Day 800 CE, King Charles the Great of the Franks (Charlemagne) and the pope of Rome, Pope Leo III, formed this monumental alliance when Pope Leo crowned Charlemagne Imperator Romanorum (emperor of the Romans). However, unlike the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance of the 1900s, the union of Pope Leo and Charlemagne was no formal treaty designed for the means of bailing the other out in some war to come, but simply two men seizing an opportunity to stand by each other for their own ambitions and for a chance at peace. Starting with the accomplishments of their predecessors and ending with the Christmas Day coronation, Charlemagne and Pope Leo created an alliance that brought some disadvantages to the two main protagonists involved, but still yielded more significant political profit for both men, and though Pope Leo stood more to gain from this pact, both men emerged as winners. To have a proper hold on the significance of Charlemagne’s coronation, one must understand the background...
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...RAMIFICATIONS OF THE PAPACY’S POWER IN ROME Church History 301 April 20, 2014 Ramifications of the Papacy’s Power in Rome The papacy – the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church - gained great power from the sixth through eighth centuries, and there are several reasons for this surge in influence. Starting around 590, Pope Gregory I sought to convert Teutonic invaders to Christianity. Islam was also in play, as it had taken over most of Asia and Africa. According to Earl Cairns, by trying to win Teutonic tribes to Christianity, the medieval church “…further centralized its organization under papal supremacy and developed the sacramental-hierarchical system characteristic of the Roman Catholic Church.” In addition, the church had started with Christ, who made Peter the first Pope in Rome. Hence, it was evident that this would be fitting for the location of the papacy. Jesus had given Peter the keys to the kingdom, asserting that Peter was the rock on which he would build his church (Matthew 16:18-19). Basing the Church in Rome enabled close coordination of political and ecclesiastical leadership, especially since it was still under Roman rule. Another factor, which gave the Roman church its authority, was Damascus I (366-384), who called the church in Rome the apostolic see and named himself pontifex maximus, a name once held by the emperor of Rome. This elevated the authority of the church in the minds of Christians, and it elevated the political...
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...Initially the Italian Peninsula had three main groups on it, the Romans, the Greeks and the Etruscans. Rome itself was founded in 753 B.C.E. An Etruscan led monarchy was overthrown in 509 B.C.E. The Roman Republic consisted of two Consuls who were chosen annually and led the army into battle. The Roman praetor ruled in the consul’s absence but was responsible for civil justice. New praetors were put in place to rule over conquered provinces. During emergencies a temporary dictator was voted in who had unlimited power to handle the threat to Rome. Quaestor's assisted in financial matters, while aediles supervised the public games and grain supply. The Roman Senate consisted of 300 men who served for life and advised the consuls. The centuriate assembly was the political assembly of the Roman army, and the tribunes of the plebs were to protect plebeians against patrician magistrates. The council of the plebs, 471 B.C.E., passed laws for the plebeians. The Twelve Tables of Law had the laws and policies written down for all to see. The Roman confederation, 338 B.C.E., allowed for conquered nations to become citizens, it allowed for provinces to maintain their own autonomy in exchange for soldiers for the Roman Army. After the Italian Peninsula, Romans faced off with Carthage located by Tyre. Three Punic Wars followed with Carthage ultimately defeated. The First Triumvirate was a coalition between Pompey, Crassus and Caesar, who felt that the senate was continuously trying to...
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...family which gradually developed structures to the identity of real society. 2. Achievements: In the 2nd & 3rd cen, Christianity succeeded in penetrating the dominant Roman-Hellenistic culture. Although, the Church is subjected to persecutions, she nevertheless became the greatest creative force in the culture of the Roman world. Important figures & events: 1. The blood of the Martyrs – Ignatius of Antioch, Polycarp of Smyrna & Justin Martyr. 2. The great teachers – Irenaeus, Tertullian, Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Cyprian (research on this…) who defended the faith against heresies, e.g., Gnosticism. 3. Development of an alternative form of discipleship thru life of renunciation & contemplation (monks of the desert in Egypt). 4. Retreat: the phase of cultural retreat & disintegration hardly exists in the first age. However, Emperor Diocletian (d 305) started a general persecution but it ended up in the Church’s triumph. 1. The Second Age: The Christian Empire (325-640) 1. Growth: The “conversion” of Emperor Constantine (312) and the foundation of the new capital of the Christian Empire, Constantinople (now, the Turkish city of Istanbul). Constantine gathered the bishops in a first general council (Nicea 325). The bishop of Rome assumed more and more control over the West, which explains the development of the papacy. Towards the end of the century, Emperor Theodosius made Christianity the “official” religion of the empire (380). This marked the beginning of...
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...The middle ages is a period that most certainly cannot be addressed as a period that no events occurred and all was so called "dark". Many Tragic events did happen, but during this period many events happened that weren't so dark. Such things as the rise of new Universities, the division of Christianity and the Renaissance. Let's begin to think of the middle ages as the birth of Western Civilization, instead of the images we have in our heads due to movies and high school history. During the High Middle Ages(1000CE-1300), ideas were changing, society became more interested in art, sports, education, and literature. Occupations and preoccupations differed from the feudal nobility and labouring peasants(McKay,Hill, Buckler,Crowston,Wiesner-Hanks, & Perry, 2012, p.298). Cities were now crowed and polluted and caused improvement in legal status. The sumptuary laws were laws that social groups needed to wear certain items clothing to distinguish from one another. The high social group wore velvet , silk, pearls while peasants wore dark clothing made of linen and wood blending(McKay,2012., p.300). So the interaction between the wealthy and peasants was common. Games and sports were a popular form of entertainment that united society. With that, Primary schooling was most of the time in monasteries, convents and cathedrals. By the 12th century the demand for trained officials increased, trade and feudalism were the cause of this development(History of Western Civilization...
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...Should Pope Benedict XVI have resigned? For the first time in over 600 years, the Pope has stepped down from his holy position and abandoned his role in the Roman Catholic Church. In history, only four other Popes have resigned. Every Pope for the past 600 years has lived through their issues, personal matters, and problems to serve the Roman Catholic community and has died in their position. The Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, which values tradition, should have kept with the tradition of dying in his seat of holy power. However, in his resignation statement, Benedict states; “In today’s world … both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.” The Pope argues that, with his deteriorating strength, he can no longer carry out the responsibilities of the papacy. It is also true that Pope Benedict XVI is leaving the church in a more troubled state than when he first received the grand position. For years, controversy has plagued Catholicism. The controversy has only intensified since his coronation. The Pope no longer signifies true morality, especially after sex scandal controversies appeared in recent years . An increase in religious disregard and apathy has brought a societal shift in perspective of the church. The position of The Pope, and the church in general, promotes backwards moral values from a...
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...the English Reformation, and the Catholic Reformation. The events that lead to these reformations during the 16th century are quite lengthy. During the 14th century, salvation outside of the church was not possible. Thus, religion played a prominent role in the daily lives of people. However, many issues began to rise amongst all things religion. In 1309, internal conflict within the Catholic Church caused for its capital to be moved from Rome to Avignon. This shift of power started a war between France and England that lasted for nearly a century. To add to the turmoil, in 1347 the Black Death took the lives of more than 25 million Europeans within four years. Due to the plague, the church saw that a second pope was needed and established one in Rome. Then again in 1409, a third pope was elected. As three popes were battling for power, ordinary Christians became confused on who to believe. By the time the church resolved its problems, simple teachings of Christ were abandoned, and people saw the need to reform (HistoryTubeTV). Also known as The Reformation, the Protestant Reformation’s main goal was to reform the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church. During the 15th century, the Christian church was the most powerful institute in medieval Europe, but the debauchery within the church eventually lead to its declining power and influence. Between 1450 and 1520, a series of popes – called the Renaissance popes – failed to meet the church’s spiritual needs...
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...Throughout the 11th, 12th, and beginning of 13th centuries, the Roman Catholic Church had a keen interest in the religious groups ruling the Holy Land, “ it must have been taken for granted in western Christendom that another major campaign to recover the Holy place would be attempted”. The Holy Land represented a critical historical point for the Christian Orthodox, and Islam on account of its religious monuments and the power that accompanied the control of the city. To both religions, the significance of the city was essential, since Jesus and Muhammad were viewed as higher beings in Jerusalem, so pressures increased all through the Crusades' two-hundred-year permanence. With the Muslim religion on the rise in the Middle East and Asia Minor...
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