Papacy

We have all read about the power of the Popes in the medieval time period, and especially the corruption and abuse of power that took place within the Vatican. It’s particularly interesting to read about the origin and the rise of the Pope. Popes claimed to be direct descendents of Peter, but in fact were usually wealthy men who had entered the church. It was almost as if they were modern day politicians; usually coming from a well to do family buying their way into power. Pope Gregory I had a tremendously positive impact on Roman society and restructuring, and it was his past political experience that enabled him to in reality run Rome. I got the impression that most of the Popes that followed Gregory had similar backgrounds, but was either incompetent or corrupt. It wasn't until the Cluny revolution that Popes and high ranking church members were selected based not on wealth or connections, but on character and quality. With the position of the Pope solidified and the Christian faith spreading it was only a matter of time before the Pope would have more power then kings. This of course would not sit well with the distinct personalities of these leaders and kings. The power of the church lead by these Popes at this time exceeds all words. It goes to show that the power of beleiving in something greater then ourselves has the ability to draw together the masses and change the world.