The 13th Century

1
The 13th Century

• The Papacy
• Gregory VII begins reform (11th century)
• Innocent III pinnacle of power - 13th century
• Boniface VIII beginning of decline

2
The 13th CenturyThe High Middle Ages

• Strength of Total Society
• A number of religious orders created (178ff)
• Crusades show power of religious vision (184ff)
• Theology in a proto-renaissance (162ff)
• Semi-orthodox/heretical groups (180ff)
• Papacy is at its peak (179ff)

3
Trajectory of Papal Power
Innocent III 1198-1215
Gregory VII 1073-1085
Boniface VIII 1294-1303
4
Setting the Stage The Investiture Crisis
Gregory VII 1073-1085 / Henry IV 1056-1105
5
Entrance Arches(Ruins of Abbey of Cluny)
6
THE INVESTITURE CRISIS

• Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV
• Ambiguity of the Church-State relationship
• Who has the power to invest a bishop? Is it a
  state or church office?
• Centuries of tradition favored Henry Total
  Society vision favored Gregory
• Pendulum swing of support from German nobility
  (Poland problem for Gregory)
• from Canossa to exile, not resolved until 1122
  Not resolved then, either

7
Henry IV at Canossa (1077)
8
Gregory VII and Henry IV Who is hero?Regal
Pontiff or Pontifical King?
9
Papacy at its Peak Innocent III (1198-1216)
10
Innocent III

• New crusade diverted to Constantinople
• Anti-Cathar crusade
• Support of new orders (Francis, Dominic)
• Efforts to control France (Philip II)
• More effective efforts to control England (John)
• Efforts to control Holy Roman Empire
• Crowning achievement? Fourth Lateran Council

11
(Catholic Encyclopedia)

• There was scarcely a country in Europe over which
  Innocent III did not in some way or other assert
  the supremacy which he claimed for the papacy. He
  excommunicated Alfonso IX of Leon, for marrying a
  near relative, Berengaria, a daughter of Alfonso
  VIII, contrary to the laws of the Church, and
  effected their separation in 1204. For similar
  reasons he annulled, in 1208, the marriage of the
  crown-prince, Alfonso of Portugal, with Urraca,
  daughter of Alfonso of Castile. From Pedro II of
  Aragon he received that kingdom in vassalage and
  crowned him king at Rome in 1204. He prepared a
  crusade against the Moors and lived to see their
  power broken in Spain at the battle of Navas de
  Tolosa, in 1212.

12
(Catholic Encyclopedia)

• He protected the people of Norway against their
  tyrannical king, Sverri, and after the king's
  death arbitrated between the two claimants to the
  Norwegian throne. He mediated between King Emeric
  of Hungary and his rebellious brother Andrew,
  sent royal crown and sceptre to King Johannitius
  of Bulgaria and had his legate crown him king at
  Tirnovo, in 1204 he restored ecclesiastical
  discipline in Poland arbitrated between the two
  claimants to the royal crown of Sweden made
  partly successful attempts to reunite the Greek
  with the Latin Church and extended his beneficent
  influence practically over the whole Christian
  world. Like many preceding popes, Innocent had at
  heart the recovery of the Holy Land, and for this
  end undertook the Fourth Crusade.

13
(Catholic Encyclopedia)

• The Venetians had pledged themselves to transport
  the entire Christian army and to furnish the
  fleet with provisions for nine months, for 85,000
  marks. When the crusaders were unable to pay the
  sum, the Venetians proposed to bear the financial
  expenses themselves on condition that the
  crusaders would first assist them in the conquest
  of the city of Zara. The crusaders yielded to
  their demands and the fleet started down the
  Adriatic on 8 October, 1202. Zara had scarcely
  been reduced when Alexius Comnenus arrived at the
  camp of the crusaders and pleaded for their help
  to replace his father, Isaac Angelus, on the
  throne of Constantinople from which he had been
  deposed by his cruel brother Alexius. In return
  he promised to reunite the Greek with the Latin
  Church, to add 10,000 soldiers to the ranks of
  the crusaders, and to contribute money and
  provisions to the crusade. The Venetians, who saw
  their own commercial advantage in the taking of
  Constantinople, induced the crusaders to yield to
  the prayers of Alexius, and Constantinople was
  taken by them in 1204.

14
(Catholic Encyclopedia)

• Isaac Angelus was restored to his throne but soon
  replaced by a usurper. The crusaders took
  Constantinople a second time on 12 April, 1204,
  and after a horrible pillage, Baldwin, Count of
  Flanders, was proclaimed emperor and the Greek
  Church was united with the Latin. The reunion, as
  well as the Latin empire in the East, did not
  last longer than two generations. When Pope
  Innocent learned that the Venetians had diverted
  the crusaders from their purpose of conquering
  the Holy Land he expressed his great
  dissatisfaction first at their conquest of Zara,
  and when they proceeded towards Constantinople he
  solemnly protested and finally excommunicated the
  Venetians who had caused the digression of the
  crusaders from their original purpose. Since,
  however, he could not undo what had been
  accomplished he did his utmost to destroy the
  Greek schism and latinize the Eastern Empire.

15
Boniface VIII (1294-1303) The Decline of the
Papacy
16
Boniface VIII (1294-1303) Decline

• Papal claims no longer fit reality
• Unam Sanctam some of loftiest claims
• Conflict with Philip the Fair (Capetian dynasty)
  - reprimanded on taxing clergy
• - captures pope, who soon dies
• - Outrage at Anagni

17
Boniface VIII

• Avignon papacy soon begins after that (Clement V
  French pope to Avignon)
• Dante corruption of papacy shows of decline in
  power, prestige, sanctity (complex politics here)

18
UNAM SANCTAM

• Therefore whoever resists this power thus
  ordained by God, resists the ordinance of God
  Rom 132, unless he invent like Manicheus two
  beginnings, which is false and judged by us
  heretical, since according to the testimony of
  Moses, it is not in the beginnings but in the
  beginning that God created heaven and earth Gen
  11. Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we
  define that it is absolutely necessary for
  salvation that every human creature be subject to
  the Roman Pontiff. (Boniface VIII)

19
Boniface VIII Catholic Encyclopedia

• Thoroughly imbued with the principles of his
  great and heroic predecessors, Gregory VII and
  Innocent III, the successor of Celestine V
  entertained most exalted notions on the subject
  of papal supremacy in ecclesiastical as well as
  in civil matters, and was ever most pronounced in
  the assertion of his claims. By his profound
  knowledge of the canons of the Church, his keen
  political instincts, great practical experience
  of life, and high talent for the conduct of
  affairs, Boniface VIII seemed exceptionally well
  qualified to maintain inviolate the rights and
  privileges of the papacy as they had been handed
  down to him..

20
Boniface VIII Catholic Encyclopedia

• But he failed either to recognize the altered
  temper of the times, or to gauge accurately the
  strength of the forces arrayed against him and
  when he attempted to exercise his supreme
  authority in temporal affairs as in spiritual,
  over princes and people, he met almost everywhere
  with a determined resistance.

21
Boniface VIII Catholic Encyclopedia

• His aims of universal peace and Christian
  coalition against the Turks were not realized
  and during the nine years of his troubled reign
  he scarcely ever achieved a decisive triumph.
  Though certainly one of the most remarkable
  pontiffs that have ever occupied the papal
  throne, Boniface VIII was also one of the most
  unfortunate. His pontificate marks in history the
  decline of the medieval power and glory of the
  papacy

22

• 13th Century Papacy