Clashes Between Monarch and Papal Authority

Medieval secular and papal rulers often crossed paths. Through the many clashes between monarch and papal authority, an overreaching struggle between ecclesiastical and secular powers is present. In fact, not since the earliest days of Christianity had the pope been a mere religious ruler. Some historians, such as Klaus Schatz and Brian Tierney, argue that the primacy of papal authority, when the papacy actively began extending its influence, is relegated to a specific era from 1050 to 1300. Gregory VII, Innocent III, Innocent IV, and Boniface VIII played important roles in promulgating the power of the papacy in many ways as well as the so-called lesser churches of Rome. Gregory VII created the active basis of this movement and subsequent popes followed suit, each building on the one previous. A more politicized and centralized religious power began to emerge.

Gregory VII seems to be the beginning of hierocracy thought that infiltrated Italy in the 11th to 14th centuries. In most cases, the pope attempted to extend power through the seizure of territory or the disposal of secular rule. In his book Papal Primacy from its Origins to the Present, Klaus Schatz argues that, “From the time of Gregory VII, who not only laid claim to dispose of secular rulers but had successfully exercised it, that same authority had revealed a tendency to hierocracy- that is, the rule of spiritual over temporal power.”#

Rebellion against the church was commonly seen as a threat and lead to the pontificate reasserting its power over the secular rule. For example, Henry IV ignored the wishes of Gregory VII by refusing to, “…banish excommunicates from his presence and compel them to do penance…”# which in turn led to a breach between the two men. Fur...

... middle of paper ...

...The Roman Catholic Church was the head of all other churches as well as monarchic rule. This idea was created by Pope Gregory VII and theologized/recorded by canon law writers under Innocent III. The papal monarchic theory played an integral role in asserting papal primacy over secular monarchs. This created a trickle down affect of authoritarian rule with judicial decisions moving from top to bottom. The pope, under this theory became superior to all men as well as responsible for the state of their souls.# The papacy became the true head of the church within the catholic religion. This idea made the Church one governing body in which all decrees came from the pope. Klaus writes that “the active, and not merely passive role of Rome, and thus also the concentration of activity in the person of the pope, who must continually decide matters anew, was a natural result.”#