(Exam 3) The Crisis of Authority in the Church

Simony

Sale of church office, understood as corruption in the church.

Nepotism

Widespread practice of Popes appointing their nephews as cardinals.

Pietro Morrone (Pope Celestine V)

Medieval hermit who became a monk and founded the Celestine order before being unexpectedly elected Pope in 1294.

Libertas ecclesiae

Freedom from lay control.

Pamiers

City in France, known for being a political and religious center during the Albigensian Crusade.

Clergy (First Estate)

Religious leaders with both spiritual and significant secular power, holding a hierarchical structure topped by the Pope, including bishops, priests, and deacons.

Nobility (Second Estate)

A hierarchical social class that held land, power, and military obligations within the feudal system.

Third Estate

The commoners of France, including peasants, artisans, urban workers, and the bourgeoisie.

Ausculta Fili

A papal bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII in 1301 to King Philip IV of France.

Philip IV (The Fair) 1285-1314

Strengthened French Monarchy with the creation of the Parliament of Paris Institution, punished the Knights Templar and expelled Jews from France, and paved the way for the Avignon Papacy after conflicting with Pope Boniface VIII.

The Great Refusal

Pope Celestine V’s abdication from the papacy, which Dante condemned as a cowardly surrender of papal responsibility.

Pope Boniface VIII, 1294-1303

Asserted papal supremacy (Unam Sanctam), clashed violently with Philip IV, attacked at Anagni, died 1303; his papacy set the stage for the Avignon Papacy.

Guillaume de Nogaret

French Jurist/statesmen and keeper of the seal for Philip IV; led the Anagni raid (1303) against Boniface VIII and helped suppress the Knights Templar.

Anagni raid (1303)

Philip IV’s forces, led by Guillaume de Nogaret, captured and humiliated Pope Boniface VIII, showing kings could challenge papal authority; Boniface died shortly after.

Clement V, 1305-1314

French pope who allied with Philip IV and moved the papacy from Rome to Avignon, France in 1309, and suppressed the Knights Templar, starting the Avignon Papacy.

Babylonian Captivity of the Church (1309–1377)

Papacy moved to Avignon under French influence, weakening papal authority and centralizing church finances; started with Clement V.

Avignon

French city where popes lived during the Avignon Papacy (1309–1377) under Clement V, heavily influenced by Philip IV, weakening papal authority.

Urban VI, 1378-1389

Italian pope whose election triggered the Great Western Schism, opposed by the Avignon pope Clement VII, marking the start of decades of divided papal authority.

Clement VII, 1378-1394

The first antipope (1378–94) of the Great Western Schism that troubled the Roman Catholic church for 40 years.

Great Western Schism, 1378-1417

Church split between Rome & Avignon popes (later Pisa), weakened papal authority; resolved at the Council of Constance with the election of Pope Martin V.

3 proposed solutions of the Great Western Schism

Way of Fact, Cession, and Council.

Way of Fact (via Facti)

Remove one pope by force or persuasion.

Way of Cession (via Cessionis)

All rival popes voluntarily resign.

Way of Council (via Concilii)

An ecumenical council decides which pope is legitimate.

Jean Gerson

French scholar, Philosopher, and Theologian who led the Council of Constance and supported conciliarism to end the Great Western Schism.

Council of Pisa, 1409

Attempted to end the Great Western Schism by deposing both rival popes, Gregory XII and Benedict XIII, but ended up creating 3 rival popes with Alexander V’s election.

Alexander V, 1409-1410

Antipope elected by the Council of Pisa, a third pope that worsened the Great Western Schism.

Emperor Sigismund

Holy Roman Emperor who called the Council of Constance, helped end the Great Western Schism, and oversaw the election of Martin V.

Council of Constance, 1414-1418

Ended the Great Western Schism by deposing rival popes and electing Martin V.

Haec Sancta (1415)

Council of Constance decree asserting that an ecumenical council’s authority comes directly from Christ and that its decrees are binding on everyone, including the pope.

Frequens (1417)

Council of Constance decree requiring regular general councils to maintain Church reform and oversight.

Martin V (1417–1431)

Elected by the Council of Constance, ended the Great Western Schism, and restored papal authority.

Eugenius IV (1431–1447)

Faced the Council of Basel, defended papal supremacy, and weakened the Conciliar Movement.

Council of Basel, 1431-1449

Tried to assert conciliar authority, clashed with Eugenius IV, and ultimately failed, marking the decline of the Conciliar Movement.

Council of Ferrara-Florence (1438–1445)

Tried to reunite Eastern Orthodox and Roman Catholic Churches, which was temporarily successful but ultimately failed.

Execrabilis (1460)

Papal bull issued by Pope Pius II on 18 January 1460 condemning conciliarism.

Petrarch

The father of Humanism and a pivotal figure in the Renaissance.

Pope Innocent III

Significantly expanded papal authority spiritually and politically, led crusades, and reformed the Church through the Fourt Lateran Council.

Louis IX, 1226-1270

Makes peace with his enemies in 1250 by surrendering, declared a saint in 1297.

ROMA

Stands for Radixm Omnia, Malorum, and Avaritia, which refers to the root of all evil and greed.

Pluralism

refers to the coexistence of multiple legal, religious, and cultural systems within the same territory.

Catherine of Siena (1347-1380)

Mystical and political figure that played a key role in bringing the papacy back to Rome from Avignon and advocating for church reform.