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062 - 31 The Divided Papacy · Short History of the Christian Church

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  Speaker 1: Part two, chapter thirty one of Short History of the
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  Speaker 1: Christian Church by John Fletcher Hurst. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter thirty one. The Divided Papacy.
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  Speaker 1: The first great blow against the solidarity of the papacy
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  Speaker 1: was struck by France. Germany was now submissive to Rome.
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  Speaker 1: England was likewise brought into a docile attitude. Of all
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  Speaker 1: the great powers, France alone remained independent and continued disobedient.
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  Speaker 1: The traditional independence of the Gallican Church was a rich
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  Speaker 1: inheritance of the kings, and while some were less exacting,
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  Speaker 1: others brought it into a prominence, at once troublesome and
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  Speaker 1: threatening to Rome. Philip the Fourth of France twelve eighty
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  Speaker 1: five to thirteen fourteen was of the latter class. He
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  Speaker 1: claimed to be head of the French Church and rejected
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  Speaker 1: all interference with his royal prerogatives. Pope Boniface the Eighth,
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  Speaker 1: who ruled twelve ninety four to thirteen o three, resolved
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  Speaker 1: on a vigorous policy towards France. He determined to humble
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  Speaker 1: that country and make it fall into line with all
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  Speaker 1: the other nations of Europe. He found his match in
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  Speaker 1: Philip the Fourth, the two were not unlike. Each was ambitious, selfish,
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  Speaker 1: and intent on perfect independence. France was at war with England,
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  Speaker 1: then under the rule of Edward the First. Each of
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  Speaker 1: those countries had its strong and interested allies. On the
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  Speaker 1: side of England were the German King Adolf of Nassau
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  Speaker 1: and the Count of Flanders. On the side of France
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  Speaker 1: was the King of Scotland. Boniface saw in this great
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  Speaker 1: conflict an opportunity to follow in the Great Gregory's footsteps
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  Speaker 1: and play the role of umpire. Edward, in order to
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  Speaker 1: carry on the war, had burdened his people with heavy taxes.
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  Speaker 1: Boniface Bold issued in twelve ninety six a special bull,
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  Speaker 1: the Claricus Lycos, in which he threatened Philip with excommunication
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  Speaker 1: if he levied such taxes. Philip replied indignantly with the words,
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  Speaker 1: the church does not consist alone of the clergy, but
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  Speaker 1: also of laymen. The freedom of the church is divided
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  Speaker 1: between the clergy and the laity. The Pope saw that
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  Speaker 1: the subjects of Philip were in sympathy with their king.
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  Speaker 1: He was therefore powerless in his threats. He found himself
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  Speaker 1: deprived of his revenues from France and feared most serious consequences,
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  Speaker 1: He accordingly resolved on mild measures. He hoped to conquer
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  Speaker 1: Philip by flattery. He even canonized Louis the ninth, the
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  Speaker 1: grandfather of Philip. A truce was patched up between the two,
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  Speaker 1: each making concessions. Philip accepted the arbitration of Boniface, but
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  Speaker 1: as a friend and not as pope. Boniface decided against
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  Speaker 1: Philip and in favor of Edward. This was the final
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  Speaker 1: blow to peace. France was defiant. Boniface, already advanced in years,
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  Speaker 1: now died. He was succeeded by an Italian pope, who
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  Speaker 1: reigned but a short time. He in turn was succeeded
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  Speaker 1: by Bertrand de Gote, who ruled as Clement the Fifth.
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  Speaker 1: This man, though he had been a favorite of Boniface,
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  Speaker 1: was already in secret relations with Philip and had made
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  Speaker 1: pledges to support his policy against that of Rome. Clement,
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  Speaker 1: of his own choice, removed the papal c to Avignon
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  Speaker 1: in France thirteen o nine. This papacy remained in France
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  Speaker 1: until thirteen seventy seven, or a period of nearly seventy years.
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  Speaker 1: In Roman literature, it is called the Babylonian captivity. Gregory
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  Speaker 1: the eleventh restored the papacy to Rome. The papacy during
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  Speaker 1: its French residence was frivolous and corrupt. It was the
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  Speaker 1: mere tool of the French court. Gregory, dying Urban the sixth,
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  Speaker 1: was elected in his place thirteen seventy eight. He was
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  Speaker 1: in the Roman interest. The French electors declared the election
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  Speaker 1: illegal and chose an anti pope, Clement the seventh, who
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  Speaker 1: ruled in Avignon. This singular picture was now presented two popes,
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  Speaker 1: each independent of the other, one ruling in France and
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  Speaker 1: the other in Rome, each hurling anathemas at the other,
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  Speaker 1: and each surrounded by a court, a full quota of cardinals,
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  Speaker 1: and an obedient clergy. It was a disgrace to all Europe.
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  Speaker 1: The quarrel was violent, immorality increased. The only hope lay
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  Speaker 1: in general councils, But the popes wanted no general councils.
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  Speaker 1: Their hope to restore peace and prestige to the papacy
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  Speaker 1: lay in a personal government. But the the formatory spirit
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  Speaker 1: in the laity and a large part of the clergy,
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  Speaker 1: demanded the general voice of the church as it might
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  Speaker 1: express itself in a council. A council was accordingly ordered
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  Speaker 1: to meet in Pavia in fourteen twenty three. The place
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  Speaker 1: of meeting was changed on account of a pestilence to Siena,
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  Speaker 1: but there were only a few sessions. The representation was
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  Speaker 1: ridiculously small, and on account of the plea that so
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  Speaker 1: small a number of delegates could not represent Christendom, the
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  Speaker 1: Pope dissolved it. Seven years later, another council was called
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  Speaker 1: to meet in Basel. It was of a highly reformatory character.
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  Speaker 1: The Pope dissolved it by direct order, but enough delegates
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  Speaker 1: remained to carry on its work. The Pope afterwards recognized it,
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  Speaker 1: but removed it, first to Ferrara and later to Florence.
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  Speaker 1: The delegates, however, acknowledged no removal. On the contrary, they
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  Speaker 1: continued their work, for which the Pope excommunicated them. The
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  Speaker 1: council in return deposed the Pope and chose another in
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  Speaker 1: his stead, Felix the Fifth. This measure was fatal to
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  Speaker 1: the council. The delegates grew tired and disbanded. The outcome
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  Speaker 1: of all these troubles was the triumph of the papacy
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  Speaker 1: and the restoration of the old solidarity. The immorality continued
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  Speaker 1: the same as before. The last popes before the Reformation
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  Speaker 1: were no improvement upon their predecessors. The degrees of the
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  Speaker 1: Reformatory councils were condemned. Superstition was the order of the day.
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  Speaker 1: Clerical offices were at the option of the highest bidder.
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  Speaker 1: Indulgences were sold throughout Germany. The people were neglected. The
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  Speaker 1: clergy seemed to think the Church existed for their use
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  Speaker 1: and convenience. But the clock now struck for a new life.
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  Speaker 1: A strong voice from Wittenberg was heard. The old issues
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  Speaker 1: were dead, A new order was now established, and Europe
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  Speaker 1: had something else to think about besides the wrangles of
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  Speaker 1: schoolmen and the counter blasts of rival popes. End of
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  Speaker 1: Chapter thirty one.