The Papacy and the Struggle for Church Authority in the 12th–13th Centuries

Abstract

The Catholic Church is currently the largest Christian denomination in the world in terms of followers. However, in modern times, its sphere of influence is significantly limited; the Pope can no longer be considered a serious political figure. In the Middle Ages, the Church was a significant socio-political figure in Europe. For a long time, the Popes claimed not only spiritual but also secular dominance in the region. At the beginning of the 13th century, the papacy came as close as possible to realizing these aspirations and created a unique situation in which a religious organization, being an independent participant in the international politics of the region, played a huge role in it. However, the reasons for which such a situation arose are rarely considered, as is the question of the stability of the papacy during its heyday. The main factor that allowed the Popes to compare with the most powerful secular rulers in terms of their influence on European politics was the presence of their own state with all the institutions necessary for it at that time. Since the 8th century, the head of the Catholic Church had in his possession a fairly vast territory by Italian standards, called the Papal States. To govern this territory, the church administration alone was not enough, and therefore secular feudalism developed in the Papal States and urban self-government was preserved. This naturally led to both an increase in the resources of the papacy and the emergence in its lands of a class of warriors and people capable of forming a city militia. Thanks to this, unlike the heads of other Christian denominations, the Pope could defend his political interests not only with the help of exhortations, but also by military means. Incidentally, the pontiffs used this opportunity not only for defense, but also for attack.