Pope Boniface VIII stepped into his role as pope following Celestine V stepping down from his unsuitable role as the pope. Many rumors claimed that Boniface may have played an immediate role in ushering Celestine to stepped down. Boniface quickly came into conflict with King Philip IV regarding issues of secular versus ecclesiastical authority. This… Continue reading →

When Boniface became pope it was directly after Celestine V resigned because he realized that he unsuitable for the position. It is not confirmed, but there were rumors that Boniface may have played apart in him stepping down. Boniface was not received warmly into his position. The noble Gaetani family was very unhappy with Boniface… Continue reading →

The Gospel According to the Marks of Silver is a satire of things taught in the church at the time it is written. It takes passage from the new New Testament and by tweaking the words around gives a description of what the author believes that the church is like. In the text, a poor… Continue reading →

The letter from Innocent III to King John, which opens with a nice compliment to John, restates the pledge given by John and his court to give an annual tribute of 1,000 marks per year to the roman church, and then ends with Innocents statement of acceptance of the pledge (and basically apology) from John.… Continue reading →

Pope Innocent III was a shrewd and successful politician as well as what he claimed as other in the past had claimed, the vicar of Peter the Apostle. This claim to temporal power over the christian world allowed him to drastically increase the Papal States political dominion over Italy and its surrounding islands. At the… Continue reading →

Innocent III, Letters, and King John. Madigan’s chapter details the papacy’s consolidation of power during the reign of Innocent III and the growth of church bureaucracy (289-295). Briefly summarize the accomplishments of Innocent, the papacy’s “instruments of power,” and the effects that these developments had on Christianity. Thereafter, consider the letters of Innocent and John’s… Continue reading →

Ben McBee 02-10-16 a. The Gospel According to the Marks of Silver is quite a remarkable document for its time. The fact that someone was so distraught and frustrated with the leader of the entire Christian world, and was brave enough to write against the pope, is evidence that the condition of Christendom was indeed… Continue reading →