Popes Essay -- Religion Catholicism Christian Church Essays

Popes The Protestant Reformation marked a time of great religious, social and political upheaval. For the first time in history the Christian church was permanently shattered. The Reformation originated from a trend in returning to the biblical days of Christianity and a renewal of morality. Unfortunately the Catholic religious leaders didn't share in the renewal of morality. The Renaissance popes were partially responsible for the decline of the church;however, it was the Church's past history and changing social, political and economic factors that lead to the Reformation's sucess. Commercialization of the Holy See was common for most popes, but , according to Barbra Tuchman, three of these men took particular advantage of the practice. Innocent VII is the earliest acknowledged pope during the Renaissance to have taken liberties with the church's finances. Although he engaged in the practices of simony and the selling of indulgences, his most noted mistake was raising donations for a Crusade that never took place. In 1486 Innocent announced a crusade, as well as at the same time declaring a tithe on all churches, benefices and ecclesiastical persons of all ranks. Military plans were drawn up but, in the end, no great army ever assembled or departed from Europe's shores. Instead, in a twist of irony, the Vatican wound up hosting an infidel in the form of Prince Djem, the sultan's brother. This arrangement confused the general public and the papal status fell in the eyes of the public. Papal status was further weakened by Innocent's successor Alexander VI. Alexander thrived on simony. He acquired the office of pope by buying out his chief rivals and openly boasted about this feat. Alexander went on to sell a total of 43 cardinalships, including to his own family. After the murder of his eldest son, Alexander was inspired in a proposed Bull to try to reform the church by reducing the incomes of the cardinals as well as mend other wicked ways; however, provisions caused Alexander to return to normal and he never issued the Bull. Perhaps if the Church had reformed during Alexander's reign, Leo X would never have taken office. Leo is most noted for writing to his brother "God has given us the papacy-let us enjoy it". Leo took this credo to heart and was considered the most extravagant pope and one of the great spenders o... ...tionalism and strong anti-Roman sentiment. This inspired Frederick of Saxony to welcome Luther into Saxony and inspired other princes, such as Phillip of Hesse, to tolerate Protestant reformers. Luther urged princes to seize the Church's property and bring about moral reform in the church. The Church owned large tracts of land in Germany and German princes realized the opportunity to gain wealth by breaking from the church. A steady stream of duchies, margravites, free cities and bishoprics became followers of Luther. The Protestant princes allied with one another to form the Schmalkaldic League in order to fight the efforts of the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V, to return the princes to Catholicism. The French king, Francis I, supported the Schmalkaldic League in their resistance against Charles. Although Charles won every battle he couldn't get rid of Protestantism in Germany. The Church's past history and Europe's changing political, social and economic climate contributed more to the Reformation's success than the Renaissance popes did. Had Luther lived in a different time and a different area his Reformation would have been cut down like its predecessors.