a. Gelasius. How does Gelasius outline the relationship between earthly and spiritual power?

In the letter to Emperor Anastasius I, Pope Gelasius I expresses a clear distinction of the relationship between earthly and spiritual power, specifically mentioning that these two aspects of power should operate within separate spheres of influence. Pope Gelasius I suggests that priests are meant to rule over matters of the divine, whereas Emperors are meant to rule over matters of the State. This idea contradicted earlier beliefs that both Church and State should be interconnected and dealt with as being mutually inclusive of each other. In accordance with the beliefs of Gelasius, it was expected that Emperors respect and be humbled before the authority of the papacy. Additionally, these separate spheres of power introduced by Gelasius were said to be predetermined by religious doctrine so that the political and spiritual influence of individuals wouldn’t overlap, preventing the creation of a conflict of interest for either Emperors or priests.

b. Leo the Great. How does Leo defend the idea of papal supremacy? What relationship does the pope have to Peter (what is a “vicar”?) what is his role in the world?

Pope Leo the Great suggests that papal supremacy is important because the foundation of the church was enacted by St. Peter in Rome, under the divine power of the Lord Jesus Christ. In Rome, St. Peter established the church to be a pillar of the Christian faith and missions were sent out to introduce Christianity to the expanding states. Pope Leo the Great believed that he was bestowed with great religious authority by the grace of St. Peter and as such was a representative of the bishop (vicar) and was charged with passing along the ideals and beliefs of Christianity.

c. Gregory the Great. Gregory focuses on the importance of the papal “see” (sedes = chair), the “seat” occupied by the ruler of Christendom. Although he mentions three “sees” (Rome, Alexandria, and Antioch), why does he maintain Rome’s primacy?

Gregory the Great maintains that Rome is the see of papal supremacy because it was in this city that St. Peter helped establish the foundations of Christendom. The remaining sees of Christendom played an important role in shaping the Christian faith, although each see shares the same ideals as prescribed by the see of St. Peter. Rome maintains more spiritual power in the papacy because of the fact the foundations of Christendom are rooted with St. Peter and the city of Rome. St. Peter was sent by the Lord Jesus Christ, to Rome, to be the rock, the foundation of Christendom. He was an apostle in Rome, along with being a martyr in Rome; the see of St. Peter was strong in authority and divine above all others.

d. Donation of Constantine. What is the historical setting of the Donation of Constantine, what does the document conclude, and how does it advance claims of papal superiority? How does the Bible feature in this text?

The Donation of Constantine was set in a period in which it was believed that Constantine gave the power of Rome and that of the Western Roman Empire over to the pope. This was in fact not the case as it was later identified that the document itself was a forgery, though the church did use its premise to establish influence and power over territories in the West. The Donation of Constantine introduces the period in which Constantine renounces the following of other Gods in service of the Holy Trinity, through the influence of Pope Silvester. This document is associated with the other documents of “The World of the Papacy” because it reaffirms the delineation of power between earthly and spiritual matters according to Silvester. Additionally, this doctrine is used to more or less govern Christendom from a political/religious perspective. The bible is featured in the text, through the use of Matthew 16:18, talking about the Lord Jesus Christ giving Peter or Petrus the “keys to the kingdom of heaven,” or in this instance, the keys to all of Christendom. The Donation of Constantine also reintroduces the importance of the see of St. Peter; all successors, to include Pope Silvester have papal supremacy over the other sees. This belief has transcended Catholicism through the apostolic succession, the unbroken chain of authority since the see of St. Peter.