Popes Essay -- Religion Catholicism Christian Church Essays

PopesThe Protestant Reformation marked a time of great religious, friendly andpolitical upheaval. For the first time in history the Christian church waspermanently shattered. The Reformation originated from a trend in returning tothe scriptural days of Christianity and a renewal of morality. Unfortunately theCatholic religious contracters didnt share in the renewal of morality. TheRenaissance popes were partially responsible for the descent of thechurchhowever, it was the Churchs past history and changing social, politicaland economic factors that lead to the Reformations sucess. Commercialization of the sanctified See was common for much or less popes, but , concord to Barbra Tuchman, three of these men took particular advantage ofthe practice. Innocent VII is the earliest acknowledged pope during theRenaissance to have taken liberties with the churchs finances. Although he engaged in the practices of simony and the selling of indulgences, his mostnoted mistake was ri se donations for a Crusade that never took place. In1486 Innocent announced a crusade, as well as at the same time declaring a titheon all churches, benefices and ecclesiastical persons of all ranks. Militaryplans were wasted up but, in the end, no great army ever assembled or departedfrom Europes shores. Instead, in a twist of irony, the Vatican wound up hostingan deist in the form of Prince Djem, the sultans brother. This arrangementconfused the general public and the overblown status fell in the eyes of the public.Papal status was yet weakened by Innocents successor Alexander VI.Alexander thrived on simony. He acquired the office of pope by buying out hischief rivals and openly boasted about this feat. Alexander went on to sell atotal of 43 cardinalships, including to his own family. After the murder of hiseldest son, Alexander was inspired in a proposed Bull to try to regenerate thechurch by minify the incomes of the cardinals as well as mend other wickedship canal however , provisions caused Alexander to return to normal and he neverissued the Bull. perchance if the Church had reformed during Alexanders reign,Leo X would never have taken office. Leo is most noted for writing to hisbrother God has granted us the papacy-let us enjoy it. Leo took this credo toheart and was considered the most extravagant pope and unrivaled of the great spenderso... ...tionalism and strong anti-Roman sentiment. This inspired Frederick ofcomte de Saxe to welcome Luther into Saxony and inspired other princes, such as Phillipof Hesse, to resist Protestant reformers. Luther urged princes to seize theChurchs property and bring about moral reform in the church. The Church ownedlarge tracts of land in Germany and German princes realized the opportunity togain wealth by breaking from the church. A steady stream of duchies, margravites,free cities and bishoprics became followers of Luther. The Protestant princesallied with one another to form the Schmalkaldic League in order to fight theefforts of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to return the princes toCatholicism. The French king, Francis I, supported the Schmalkaldic League intheir electrical resistance against Charles. Although Charles won every battle he couldntget rid of Protestantism in Germany. The Churchs past history and Europes changing political, social andeconomic climate contributed more to the Reformations success than theRenaissance popes did. Had Luther lived in a different time and a differentarea his Reformation would have been cut down alike(p) its predecessors.