HIS109Y1 Lecture : The Church.pdf
Document Summary
Until reformation, there was only the catholic church. Secular rulers inherited authority from the roman emperor. 700 - 850 - constantine gave the rule of the western empire control to the pope - donation of. Pope believed that he had the authority to role in sovereign powers and spiritual power. People ruled in the name of the emperor and the pope. The dual sovereignty - lead to friction in society. 13th century - debate and division broke out into warfare. Popes began to make greater claims of sovereignty. Were able to do this because the empire was broken. Greatest claim - pope had fullness of power to do anything on earth or on heaven. However, this pope wasn"t able to do anything b/c he didnt put the systems in place. Church grew in wealth and power due to it"s ability to collect taxes better than anyone else. The church had all claims on oaths, wills, marriages etc
