Ecclesiastical reform and Papal power Flashcards
(38 cards)
Significance of papacy’s descent from Peter, how did it elevate their status?
Peter - foremost of Christ’s disciples
symbolised by crossed keys, asserting heirship to Peter’s authority and elevating themselves in status
During the Speculum Obscurum/Pornocracy, what characterised the papal leadership, and how did they maintain power despite accusations of moral corruption?
saw popes, often Roman aristocrats accused of moral corruption like taking mistresses.
despite this, they retained power due to the lack of external intervention in Rome during this period.
how did the papacy navigate its perceived weakness while maintaining an appearance of authority during the reform period?
despite being viewed as weak, the papacy relied on reputation and alliances with secular and ecclesiastical figures.
they used powers like excommunication and legates reactively to enforce their will.
What were the main goals of the Gregorian reform, and who were some key figures associated with it?
aimed to combat clerical corruption, including simony and clerical marriage, asserting papal authority over secular rulers
key figures included Pope Gregory VII and influential supporters like Hugh of Die and Lanfranc.
What concerns about clerical purity drove the Gregorin Reform, and how were they addressed?
influenced by monastic ideals, the reform targeted clerical marriage and sexual activity
figures like Peter Remain advocated for celibacy and condemned practices like homosexuality among clergy
What was investiture
the appointment of bishops
Why was investiture a point of contention between the papacy and secular rulers during the reform period?
highlighted tensions over authority and control within the church
secular rulers often sought to influence these appointments, leading to conflicts with papal authority
How did reform movements like the Patria challenge clerical corruption and resist secular interference?
Pataria in Northern Italy sought to ensure clerical purity and resist secular interference by uprisings against corrupt bishops and asserting the autonomy of the church.
What was the significance of Dictatus Papa and how did it reflect the aims of the Gregorian Reform?
Dictatus Papae, decreed by Gregory VII, asserted papal supremacy in church and state matters, challenging the authority of secular rulers and elevating the papacy to unparalleled power, reflecting the aims of the Gregorian Reform.
What was the lasting legacy of the Gregorian Reform on the papacy and the church as a whole?
despite friction with secular powers, the Gregorian Reform marked a significant period of asserting papal authority, combatting clerical corruption, and shaping the future trajectory of the church, establishing precedents for papal power and influence.
were the contested elections to the see of Canterbury reflective of a broader anxiety about who got to choose bishops, or the product of specific contingent circumstances?
reflected broader anxieties
King John’s political difficulties and Anselm’s struggle for primacy were at play, these instances were also part of a larger historical tension between secular rulers and the church over the right to appoint bishops.
was the reform movement being advanced by the papacy influential in patters of investiture in England?
yes
reform advanced by papacy influenced investiture
papacy sought to assert authority over the appointment of bishops, leading to a shift away from traditional practices where secular rulers had dominant roles in these appointments.
why were kings so interested in selecting who got to be bishop?
bishops wielded significant power and influence, not just in religious matters but also in secular affairs due to their control over vast territories and wealth
by appointing loyal bishops, kings could maintain control over both the church and its resources, thus consolidating their political power.
what does Anselm represent as his motive for seeking papal support?
maintain his allegiance to God rather than submitting to the demands of the King.
chose to leave the realm rather than consent to actions that he deemed abominable, emphasising his commitment to religious principles over secular authority.
to what extent is Anselm interested in advancing a reform agenda, above all else?
his actions and refusal to compromise on matters of conscience, indicate a strong commitment to advancing a reform agenda within the church
he prioritised ecclesiastical autonomy from secular interference, aligning with broader movements for religious reform.
is there a distinct policing of the divide between secular and religious in these texts?
Anselms language underscores his concern about appearing to prioritise the king over God, highlighting a clear distinction between secular and religious authority
emphasised importance of maintaining the integrity of religious principles and autonomy from secular control
What were the Gregorian Reforms?
a series of reforms initiated by Pope Gregory VII and the c pic le he formed in the papal curia 1050-1080 which dealt with moral integrity and independence of the clergy
What were the Gregorian reforms focused on?
church-state conflict, the reforms main concerns were the moral integrity and independence of the clergy
canonical elections, simony, and clerical celibacy
What was the investiture controversy?
universally prohibited for lay rulers to appoint bishops by Gregory VII November 1078
rooted in determination to reform the troublesome state of Christendom
insisted on canonically elected bishops
C.N.L Brooke on Gregorian Reform
Reformers of the 11th century set to destroy intimate and powerful foundations of clerical society: abolish simony and destroy the family life of the clergy
enforce established law, social revolution, 12th century age of growing sophistication, world of love and marriage included, romantic ideal was born.
CNL Brooke on Pope Leo IX:
more troubled by Simony than marriage
marriage had been banned since the 5th century
‘for centuries the attempt to keep the clergy in higher orders away from the weaker sex had been a favourite activity with all kinds of reformers’
CNL Brooke on Peter Damien:
leading revolutionary
took his own stand on his sacramental theology and on the law of the church
cited a chain of texts to show that clerical marriage was forbidden
Jesus born of a virgin, re-birth blessed sacrament must be solomnised by a priest sworn to chastity
clerical marriage heretical
CNL Brookes on the attack of married priests:
law forbidding the ordination of the sons of priests
definitive by Urban II at the end of the century
shows the power of the papacy in enforcing their power
Augustin Fliche on Gregory VII:
saw Gregory as ‘the centre of a vast movement of ideas whose origins are to be found deep in the tenth century and whose manifestations continue up on to the middle of the 12th’
