Pope

:This entry is about the Catholic Pontiff. For other uses of the word, see Pope (disambiguation).

Political role

Though the progressive Christianisation of the Roman Empire in the fourth century did not confer upon bishops civil authority within the state, the gradual withdrawal of imperial authority during the 5th century left the Pope the senior Imperial civilian official in Rome, as bishops were increasingly directing civil affairs in other cities of the Western Empire. This status as a secular and civil leader was vividly displayed by Pope Leo I's confrontation with Attila in 452 and was substantially increased in 754, when the Frankish ruler Pippin the Younger donated to the Pope a strip of territory which formed the core of the so-called Papal States (properly the Patrimony of St. Peter). In 800, Pope Leo III crowned the Frankish ruler Charlemagne as Roman Emperor, a major step toward establishing what later became known as the Holy Roman Empire; from that date it became the Pope's prerogative to crown the Emperor or any monarch with affiliations with the church until the crowning of Napoleon. As has been hitherto mentioned, the pope's sovereignty over the Papal States ended in 1870 with their annexation by Italy.

Related Topics:
Christianisation - Roman Empire - Fourth century - 5th century - Pope Leo I - Attila - 452 - 754 - Frankish - Pippin the Younger - Papal States - 800 - Pope Leo III - Charlemagne - Holy Roman Empire - 1870 - Italy

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In addition to the pope's position as a territorial ruler and foremost prince bishop of Christianity (especially prominent with the Renaissance popes like Pope Alexander VI, an ambitious if spectacularly corrupt politico, and Pope Julius II, a formidable general and statesman) and as the spiritual head of the Holy Roman Empire (especially prominent during periods of contention with the Emperors, such as during the Pontificates of Pope Gregory VII and Pope Alexander III), the pope also possessed a degree of political and temporal authority in his capacity as Supreme Pontiff. Some of the most striking examples of Papal political authority are the Bull Laudabiliter in 1155 (authorising Henry II of England to invade Ireland), the Bull Inter Caeteras in 1493 (leading to the Treaty of Tordesillas in 1494, which divided the world into areas of Spanish and Portuguese rule) the Bull Regnans in Excelsis in 1570 (excommunicating Elizabeth I of England and purporting to release all her subjects from their allegiance to her), the Bull Inter Gravissimas in 1582 (establishing the Gregorian Calendar).

Related Topics:
Prince bishop - Renaissance - Pope Alexander VI - Pope Julius II - Pope Gregory VII - Pope Alexander III - Laudabiliter - 1155 - Henry II of England - Ireland - Inter Caeteras - 1493 - Treaty of Tordesillas - 1494 - Spanish - Portuguese - Regnans in Excelsis - 1570 - Excommunicating - Elizabeth I of England - Inter Gravissimas - 1582 - Gregorian Calendar

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