LATE MEDIEVAL PAPACY [see Text Ch. 10]
I. AVIGNON PAPACY (BABYLONIAN CAPTIVITY) (1305-1377)
Origin:
conflict between Pope and French King Philip IV
over whether King has right to tax French clergy & limit
judicial appeals to Rome (cf Thomas Becket vs Henry II)
Pope Boniface VIII's declaration of papal supremacy
1302 Unam Sanctam: papal bull declaring it necessay
for salvation to be subject to Roman pontiff
(cf Gregory VII during Investiture Controversy)
Result: French troops arrest Boniface (d. 1305) in Italy
new papal election controlled by French King
Clement V (French) elected 1305, moves to Avignon
Avignon
Papacy: Pope in southern France 1305-1377
Financial corruption during Avignon period:
expectancies, annates, tithes, sale of indulgences
II.
GREAT SCHISM (1378-1417)
period following Avignon Papacy
first two (Roman & French Popes); then three Popes (Pisan)
effort to solve the Great Schism leads to:
III. CONCILIAR MOVEMENT (1409-1438) and CONCILIARISM
CONCILIARISM:
alternative theory of church government; holds that
highest authority in church is council of bishops;
rejects traditional Papal claims of supreme authority:
spiritual (Matt. 16 "Thou art Peter...upon this rock")
temporal -- Donation of Constantine (AD 313)]
Radical conciliarist
John Wyclif (1328-1384) On the Power of the
Pope 1379
translator of English Bible, founder of Lollard heresy
Scripture in vernacular, anti-clerical, anti-papal
Moderate conciliarists: dominant group at Pisa, Constance
Church Councils
Council of Pisa, 1409: elects Alexander V (3rd
pope)
Council of Constance,
1414-1417 decrees [Text, p 397]
1415 Sacrosancta -- on authority of councils
1417 Frequens -- on frequent council meetings
condemnations of heresy agst John Hus, Wyclif
election of new Pope Martin V (Colonna)
Councils of Basel 1431, Ferrara & Florence 1438
1438: Patriarch of Constantinople & Emperor John Paleologus
attend Council to ask for help against Ottoman Turks
(then no more councils until Trent 1543)
Pope Pius II: reassertion of power of papacy
Aeneas Sylvius Piccolomini humanist, former conciliarist
now says: “Forget Aeneas, follow Pius.”
Execrabilis (1460) papal bull upholding papal monarchy
condemnation of conciliar theory
as heresy [Text, p. 398]
V. TREND TO NATIONAL CHURCHES
France, 1438 Pragmatic Sanction of Bourges
assertion of "Gallican liberties" of French
church
Bohemia, John Hus
executed for heresy by Council of Constance
Hussite followers start Utraquist Church (1431-1620)