THE DECLINE OF THE CHURCH

BONIFACE VIII &KING PHILLIP IV

• King Phillip claimed the right to tax the French clergy
• Boniface responds that the clergy couldn't pay taxes to their ruler without the pope's consent

BONIFACE'S INSECURTY

• He wanted to assert his position by writing papal bulls or letters
• It said, "the temporal authority ought to be subject to the spiritual power. If the early power errs it shall be judged by the spiritual power"

KING PHILLIP'S RESPONSE

• King Phillip made the French clergy summon Boniface VII for heresy
• He was captured, and soon died from the shock of the experience
• He pressured the cardinals to choose a Frenchman as a pope, Clement V

CLEMENT V

• Ran away to Avignon, he and his successors remained there for 72 years

PAPACY AT AVIGNON

• People believed that the popes at Avignon were captives of the French monarchy
• Because during 72 years of papacy, 113 of cardinals were French

THE POPE'S BUREAUCRACY

• The pope centralized the administration
• The papal bureaucracy (1300s) was the most sophisticated system in medieval world
• Four major units: papal penitentiary, the chancery, the Roman rota, and the papal chamber

THE GREAT SCHISM

• After Pope Gregory XI died, Pope Urban VI was elected
• Clement VII was elected when the French cardinals declared Urban's election null
• In 1409, Council of Pisa deposed the two popes (who didn't want to step down) and elected Alexander V - and now there are 3 popes
• The Schism lasted 40 years

THE DECLINE

• Decline in prestige and respect for the church
• Church failed to provide spiritual comfort during Black Death
• Christians responded in different ways to the adversities of 1500s
• Loss of faith in the hierarchical or instructional church, but interest in Christianity did not decline