INTRODUCTION
The Papacy throughout the early years saw its share of ups and downs, both the negative
and the positive. Ultimately, it became the center of power for a time. The fact that the papacy
had a complete hold on Eastern Europe is undeniable. The rise of the papacy in Rome is a
possible result of not only the influence of The Crusades, but also the power vacuum left behind
by the crumbling Roman Empire.
THE CRUSADES-WHEELS SET IN MOTION
As the Crusades started to unfold and take place in different phases, the papal curia
seemed to have an impact on the local bishops in that it grew into a political and powerful body
of the church itself. As a result, the bishops ended up giving up some their local authority, not
just in Rome, but anywhere the body of the church could be found. They were now subject to the
will of this ruling body and no longer their own leadership. What had taken place was a
bureaucracy that had some lasting affects. One of which was the implementation of taxes payable
directly to Rome on all clergy. This was used to fund the undertakings of the papacy. Ultimately,
Roman control over doctrinal orthodoxy grew. It was not uncommon for those in power to assert
that disagreeing with the Pope is automatically heresy. This was not widespread to begin with but
trickled down over the years based on slow acceptance by those that were subject to the Ruling
Class.
THE NEGATIVE AFTERMATH
The Curia was now a viable, authoritative institution with real and long reaching power.
The church was now subject to this ruling body. Like many of today’s governments, decisions
were often made from those not always directly involved in or affected by those decisions. As a
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direct result of the growing power of the papacy, the complexity of theology and law required
experts, because Popes couldn't realistically run things on their own. What was now in full effect
was the unbridled hunger for the power that came with the position of acting pope. One such
example of a bishop of Rome, Miltiades, is a crystalizing example of this misguided use of
power. “Miltiades’ relative weakness was to Constantine’s political advantage, especially since it
made him eager to receive the vast ocean of generosity, which Constantine began to pour into the
Roman Church. The particular and immediate beneficiary of this generosity was the bishop, who
gained a vast and lavishly appointed cathedral, and a palace to go with it.”1
THE RATIONAL FOR THE EXISTENCE OF THE PAPACY
“The purpose of rule or authority is to create the social conditions that promote human
excellence, both individual and collective (Aristotle: 1108-12).” 2 Human excellence could cover
a multitude of things. The pope could advocate for the violence that Christians face and the
persecution in other countries, and often does. He could also remain a voice the unborn. With an
emphasis on reflection with us as individuals, the pope could be a beacon for personal
submission and humility. This would be a great way to lead by example and show the world how
to live as Christ lived. However, this would require that the person in such a position was fully,
and unconditionally submissive to the high office to which he was called.
THE POPE AND THE GOSPEL
1 Leadbetter, Bill. Constantine and the Bishop: The Roman Church in the Early Fourth Century Journal
of Religious History, 26 no 1. F 2002. P. 1
2 Mansueto, Anthony. The Political Significance of the Papacy, Historically and in the Present Period.
Journal of Religion & Society. Volume 7 (2005)
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The world looks at the pope as an absolute authority when it comes to the gospel. This is
a skewed view because the world is not able to tell the difference between men that claim to be a
direct link to the savior. Not only that, the pope is an advocate in the place of the Savior that I
hold dear as a Christian. There is no other “middleman” than the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
The problem that we see today is that the papacy is only as good or bad as the condition
of the man that fills the role. To have a man that has the authority of speaking something into
church law can be very disconcerting. What if he does not carry a strong conviction for
homosexuality? What if he says that you can go to heaven based on how clear your conscience
is? What if you lack the conviction provided by the Holy Spirit to know when you should be
convicted about things? Spiritually, it is the lost leading the lost in that case. You cannot have
conviction without the Holy Spirit and every decision or mandate cannot be subject to tickling
the ears of those that are listening to what you say. There has to be an objective reality and we
would have to base everything we do on it.
Reversely, someone that is dedicated to being totally submissive to The Spirit and
sensitive to what God would have him to do would be amazingly successful and furthering the
Kingdom of God. The result would be something so radical by today’s standards that it would
change the world. There would be no question as to the motives, other than to spread the gospel
and to accomplish God’s plans, whatever they may be.
THE POPE AND THE LOSS OF POWER
There were many things that led to the decline of the papacy and the pope losing his
authority over its subjects. Not the least of which was the rise of national monarchies. Where
there used to be an absolute power in the word of the pope, there was now a different voice in
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some opposition to what the arch diesis. There was a struggle for power. As a result, Pope
Boniface VIII’s struggle with the king of France resulted in the pope’s humiliation and untimely
death in 1303.
Lord Acton was right when he said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts
absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Unbridled corruption ran rampant in the
church. The priesthood was guilty of several abuses of privilege and responsibility. This included
simony, pluralism, and absenteeism. The practice of celibacy was often completely ignored.
Once the carnal practices took hold of the lower level clergy, it finally spread to the very top,
including the papacy.
There were also doctrinal issues that began to rise. One of which was the doctrine of
indulgences. This was associated with the sacrament of penance and the doctrine of purgatory. In
this specific “doctrine,” you could basically buy your way out of certain sins. It then spread into
buying the souls of lost loved ones for a certain price so that they can go to heaven. What a
hideous practice! Now that is corrupt!
God could not bless such abuses of responsibility and higher calling. He then allowed a
movement, The Reformation, to undo the wrong that had been done for so long. This led to a
decreased faith in the authority of the papacy. Two Anglican priests stated “On the issue of
authority in the church, the bishops asserted that the present Roman Catholic understand- ing of
the primacy of the bishop of Rome creates "serious obstacles"to church unity: "The claim [of the
First Vatican Council in 1869-70] that the Bishop of Rome has by divine institu- tion ordinary,
immediate and univer- sal jurisdiction over the whole church is seen by some as a threat to the
in- tegrity of the episcopal college and to the apostolic authority of the bish- ops." 3
3 Christian Century, 115 no 7 Mr 4 1998, p 228. Article 7
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THE CONCLUSION
Because of the location of the Roman Empire and the roads and systems put into place, it
was easy for The Crusades to have reached all areas of that region, starting into motion a
machine that was far reaching beyond what anyone may have imagined. Another contributing
factor could have been the fact that Peter was a part of the history of that region. Many feel that
when Jesus said to him “Feed my sheep” that he was personally commissioned to be the head of
the church. When you take all of the factors put forth, it is easy to read into the supremacy that
some may have been assumed to be there for the taking.
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Christian Century, 115 no 7 Mr 4 1998, p 228. Article 7
Leadbetter, Bill. Constantine and the Bishop: The Roman Church in the Early Fourth Century
Mansueto, Anthony. The Political Significance of the Papacy, Historically and in the Present Period.
Journal of Religion & Society. Volume 7 (2005)
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