Show J e. i 1 o Communications ZOO lOt e n 92 EARL r POPES By May Merrill At the time of the most eventful period of the history of the world that of the birth of Christ every country had its own peculiar religion though in fact nearly all worshiped Go Gods s of Nature When a country was captured its religion reli reli- gion changed to that of its conquerors After Christ Christs s death Peter one of his disciples organized a church at Rome and was its first bi bishop bop so claims the theRoman theRoman theRoman Roman church For two centuries this this' church was vigorously vigorously vig vig- opposed It at last gained a footing footing footing foot foot- ing and from then on spread widely throughout the empire and thence to the barbarians This was through the influence influence influence ence of Constantine kings emperors of Rome the zealous work of the members of the church too together with other advantages advantages Mohammedanism rose suddenly to its greatest power and for a time seemed as though it would rule the world it as quickly declined while the Papal authority was more mOl e than five centuries in assuming its full growth and has declined but little At the time of Constantine there were four lour patriarchs who governed several provinces ruled over bishops and pastors of churches These were centered in the great centers of Rome Constantinople Alexandria and Antioch There was also an honorary one at Jerusalem It is said at first these patriarchs held equal and coordinate coordinate coordinate co- co ordinate powers no one claiming supreme authority over another Others that the bishops of Rome had superior authority k from the first However at a very early date the bishops at Rome claimed the right of pre Some of their reasons for these claims were as follows They maintained that their authority was of divine appointment That in appealing appealing appealing ap ap- pealing to the language of the New Testament Testament Testament Test Test- ament where Jesus says to St. St Peter Feed My lambs and I give unto you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven Peter was superior in spiritual things to the other apostles and therefore should have divine authority over them and that this authority conferred upon Peter by Christ was handed down to them his successors Paul also preached and taught at Rome A rivalry was carried on between between between be be- tween the two apostles The Roman church favored Peter because of the named above-named causes Commerce was carried on to a large at Rome but we do donot donot donot extent by the Jews not hear much of the them the for the first two careful not to be bevery bevery bevery centuries They were very well known because of persecutions It was near the close of the second and third centuries that the bishops of Rome put forth their claims of superiority a between them rivalry at once sprang up and the eastern bishops of Because of the historic importance Rome and that it was the sc scene ne of th the martyrdom of the apostles Peter and Paul Pauland Pauland and nd many followers its importance as the enhanced seat of the Papal power was Originally Christianity separated that which was Gods from that which was C sars sar's sars sar's although the of Rome gradually assumed the right to dictate dictate dictate dic dic- tate in temporal matters as well as the spiritual affairs of the church T The e Roman bishopric increased perpetually perpetually perpetually in opulence and power assuming the highest rank and triumphed over paganism S J J The world had been accustomed to receive receive receive re re- commands from Rome in the temporal temporal temporal tem tem- matters so when the emperor removed removed removed re re- moved the imperial seat to Constantinople the far East it was an easy matter to in induce induce induce in- in duce the barbarians to look to the power of Rome which was the Pope for spiritual spiritual spiritual spir spir- guidance The ambitious Pope took advantage of the absence of the emperor and lost no notime notime notime time in appropriating the right of temporal temporal temporal tem tem- dictation as well and ignored entirely entirely entirely en en- the efforts of Constantine to make the bishops of the east as powerful as they This contest was carried on between between between be be- tween the two capitals for some time finally in the year A. A D. D Constantinople Constantinople Constantinople Constanti Constanti- nople gave way and acknowledged Rome Romeas as the head of spiritual matters The bishops of Rome did not attend or recognize councils held in other parts of the e. e These removed councils of bishops when failing t to settle their their disputes disputes dis dis- would look to Rome a disinterested party to decide the question This question question question ques ques- tion gradually established Rome as a permanent permanent per per- permanent manent Court of Appeal A bishop of Gaul was misplaced and Hilary of Aries Arles put himself in his stead The former went to Rome to appeal against the sentence the latter followed and protested against the power of the Pope to interfere The Pope published letters against Hilary and from this followed followed followed fol fol- lowed an Im Imperial rial Edict which was that all bishops and members of the church should come at the summons of Rome and were expected to abide by their decision They also settled disputes between Italian cities states and kingdoms and the barbarian barbarian barbarian barba barba- rian chiefs The Popes claimed the right light to judge men but asserted that they should be judged by God alone Almost everything everything everything every every- thing favored their ambitious presumptions presumptions presumptions still they did not gain entire sway without a fierce struggle on the part of the bishops of other great cities who regarded re regarded regarded re- re their claims as novel and The church power in the East diminished diminished dimin dimin- continually while that in the West arose to an amazing greatness This was due very much to the fact that the bishops of the East were intellectually weak men while men of the West Vest possessed great ability and genius Rome also had the advantage in being the political and geographical geographical geographical geo geo- graphical center r of the world Then the the- people had an idea that the gods were were- nearer some places than others and favored certain cities Rome was believed elie Ted to be bein bein bein in closer communion communion n with God than any any- other part of Christendom The people at this time were just verging verging verging verg verg- ing from barbarism and incapable of f a any y fine sen sense e of religion but were vere attracted awed and converted to Christianity by the the- glitter pomp and show forms rights and and- ceremonies of the Papal See Through their ignorance and superstition tion they were easily brought to look upon upon- these able leaders as superior beings and even gods The election of a new Pope Pope- agitated the city and caused more excitement excitement excitement excite excite- ment than any other event The king claimed the right to veto the election to the papal chair Boniface II in the year A. A D. D succeeded at last to appoint his successor This right light for a time reverted to the kings J The kings of the West Vest promoted the the- 1 I cause of patriarchal authority until the i latter became so grasping powerful and aspiring that they were compelled to oppose oppose oppose op op- pose them in order Older to maintain their own rights the Great told his subjects to follow the faith of St. St Paul Valentine III forbade the people to depart from church customs without the sanction of the Pope Thus step by step they gained power vcr and sway m Innocent I said There can be two political political political po- po capitals but not a division of Church He Ie appointed bishops over different different different dif dif- ferent portions of country while he was head over all Often when the temporal protectors of Rome were unable to defend the city the unarmed pastor with the awe and reverence reverence reverence rever rever- ence inspired by his holy office accomplished accomplished accomplished this end and thus gained for the Church the honor and good will of the people It is given by some writers that the Papacy was founded in the fifth century by Leo the Great a man possessed of uncommon uncommon uncommon un un- common genius and eloquence and an in indefatigable indefatigable indefatigable in- in worker for the interests of the church The Gothic rule in Italy from the year to tolerated the policy policy policy pol pol- icy of the Popes who became wealthy from the land and riches bequeathed to them It was universally believed that the world would come to an end in the tenth century so the people in their ignorance ignorance ignorance igno igno- rance looked to the advice of the Popes and pi paid pid d them large su sums s of money for forthe forthe forthe the absolution of their sins This gave the Popes the power to rule as they chose Some used their influence for good while others took advantage of the opportunities of the age to further their inglorious s schemes hemes As we have said before this was an age of ignorance and superstition Books were unknown among the laity and few could read The bishops possessed all the I learning and claimed that the common I people did not need it That it was only meant for the holy men The cause of the Papacy was strengthened forcibly by bythe bythe II the large missionary work they f e The Gospel spread rapidly throughout all western Europe embracing II I ing England Hundreds of of monasteries sprang up and were filled with men who swore allegiance and devotion to the Pope Ppe and Church These were called monks Schools were founded in ill the monasteries and this class became an educated people You can well imagine the strength and power embodied in these masses of de devoted devoted voted supporters Such an age was was' favorable to artful daring of ambitious men So when pretentious pre pre- to authority ity were made superstition tion forbade the laity to oppose those so so- holy and learned even ven should they possess possess pos pcs sess the ability to do so which they did not Gregory the Great who occupied the papal chair from to was perhaps the first to deserve the title of Pope in the modern sense of the word He sowed a a. a veneration in Germany and Britain for forthe forthe forthe the Papal See People from these countries countries countries coun coun- tries made pilgrimages to Rome and contributed contributed con- con t Peters Pence for the education and of the clergy The Saxons also were very zealous and won over large numbers of their kinsmen kinsmen kinsmen kins kins- men the barbarians In the seventh century century century cen cen- tury Emperor conferred upon Boniface Boniface Bon Bon- on- on III Ill a bishop of Ro Rome e the tide title of of- ofU U Universal Bishop This was done in order to increase the power of Rome and and- decrease that of Constantinople No former earthly potentate ever held such power Some say that the Grant of established the Papal period A very energetic and excellent apostle was was Boniface who preached submission and allegiance to the Pope throughout Germany If a a person practiced rites bought i 1 or paid sums bums of money they were assured of Heaven even though a thief or a mur mur- mur derer Some were compelled to acknowledge acknowledge acknowledge edge the dominion of the Pope The Pomeranians and were forced to submission atthe atthe at atthe the point of the spear Pope Gregory II another earne earnest t worker who dictated in the eighth cen- cen tury was the firs' firs to bring the province of Franklin to obedience He distinguished distinguished distinguished distin distin- himself in a contest with tha Bishop of Constantinople and refused to obey the eastern emperor during the war of the Iconoclasts made an effort to have havea a new emperor elected and banished the officials of the East from Rome This war was carried on between the Italian church of the West and the Greek church of the East and was pertaining to the worship of images A vener veneration tion for J pictures of saints apostles and martyrs existed among the East and West for they believed these images had power to ward wadi off all evils Almost every church had its saintly image Such a custom showed the decline of Christianity back to paganism pagan pagan- ism The people of the East were much surprised when their images fell powerless before the Moslems and no displeasure of the gods fell upon the Pagans This caused the people of the East to lose their faith in the virtue of images and they desired to abolish them altogether Those not in favor of images wei were e called Iconoclasts meaning image breakers When the emperor of the East cleared the churches around him of their images he concluded to treat those of the West in a alike alike like manner He therefore issued a decree decree decree de de- cree to that effect The West opposed this decree and still continued as of yore It was most likely because of their veneration vener vener veneration veneration for these images that the Roman Catholic church omitted the second commandment com- com and to make up they d divided vided the lost one into two In Constantinople was vas an image of Christ on the cross The Emperor Leo seeing it was an object of sent an sin n officer in the year A. A D. D to pull Some women women remonstrated The officer disregarded their wishes mounted a ladder and cut th the face r to pieces with three blows of a hatchet The women threw down the ladder and killed the officer Emperor Leo put the women to death They are 1 1 honored as martyrs When the West heard of this they threw down the statues of the emperor and trod them under foot In the year A. A D. D a Bishops' Bishops Council at Nice confirmed the worship of images and the custom afterwards became universal uni versal again This quarrel caused a marked division in the church One branch was known as the R Roman man Catholic Catholic Cath Catl olic and the other the Greek The Popes in this struggle made an al alliance alliance ale liance with the Frankish potentates and they worked in each others interests in building up their their power at home The Popes exercised their authority in crowning crowning crowning crown crown- ing the descendants of Pepin while they in return afforded protection to these holy men from their enemies and made them grants of cities and large tracts of land enabling the Pap Papacy cy to become the seat of wealth and magnificence To show that these immense donations were no new thing also to justify themselves in their and jurisdictions and make believe this authority existed from the first they forged some documents known as the False They were claimed by the Popes to have been written by the early Roman Pontiffs and brought forth in this age The genuineness genuine genuine- ness of these documents was not questioned questioned questioned ques- ques s by the people and later Popes innocently innocently in in- appealed to them to justify some some of their most presumptions claims 1 The kings of France now stepped in to 1 1 aid the power of the Popes St. St Bon Bon- Bon 1 j if aces ace's labors were carried on under the special protection of Charles Martel and Pepin the Short When Pepin longed to 1 rule the kingdom he felt the need of a a higher sanction This his the Pope afforded Pepin said I will defend the holy church and Gods God's commonwealth against the Lorn Lombards bards In the year 7 55 A. A D. D he took d from the Lombards their territory and gave grave it to the church as he said H Wholly out Dut of veneration for St. St Peter and to receive forgiveness for his sins The he keys of the conquered towns were laid on St. St Peters Peter's altar This gift |