Preview

Gregory VII: Dictatus Papae 1090

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
586 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Gregory VII: Dictatus Papae 1090
The primary source “Gregory VII: Dictatus Papae 1090” is a list of principals which was included to the Pope’s register in the year 1075. The origin of the Dictatus Papae is highly debatable since it is unknown; some believe it was written by Gregory VII himself, while others believed it had a completely different origin. The meaning of “dictatus” is principles that should be obeyed. So I find the naming of the Dictatus Papae very appropriate since it is exactly that, a list of principles for the Pope. This documentation of rules shows how much power the pope had in the 11th century in Europe, that it had to be regulated.
This source seems to be a guideline to the head of the church at the time and those to follow. It was written to be written in very straight forward direction, setting strict boundaries on the Pope’s power. I personally think that the Dictatus Papae origin may have been from before Pope Gregory …show more content…
Around the time period this source was written, the church was a big part of everyday life in Europe. Due to how highly the church was regarded, the Pope as the head would be the most influential. He was so powerful he could “by his command and consent, it may be lawful for subordinates to bring accusations”. However since today’s world the church is also still a big part of Europe but no to the extent as it was then. Religion has dwelled down and is not as highly regarded in society so not every cares for the church. So no matter the time every society has to control the power therefore there must be rules set. The Dictatus Papae was just that, the restriction of the Pope. Meanwhile in America we have regulations of our most influential person, the president. My problem with “Gregory VII: Dictatus Papae 1090” would be the fact it is unknown who set these rules, and even if we were to know, what gave them the right to declare what the Pope’s obligation should
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Better Essays

    CHHI 301 B02 The Rise Of Papacy Paper 2
    • 1506 Words
    • 4 Pages

    CHHI 301 B02 The Rise Of Papacy Paper 2

    The rise of the papacy came at a time when the Roman Empire collapsed and there was chaos as it related to the bishops who held office in Rome and what religion would be at the forefront of the representation of the west or east of Rome since its demise. The term “papacy” (papatus), meant to distinguish the Roman bishop’s office from all bishoprics (episcopatus), and The Head of the Roman Catholic Church the pope is considered the successor of Peter and the vicar of Christ (Elwell, p. 888). The “pope” is a terms of endearment which means “father” and this was the title of the most important and influential bishops in the early church. The church at Rome nevertheless enjoyed and wanted to preserve the original apostolic faith and the prominence, and they as bishops also owned its apostolic “founders” and to its political setting, and this led to the inspiration of these bishops to exercise greater leadership in Rome and abroad (Elwell, p. 888). Most emperors and patriarchs of Constantinople, challenged the bishops and their beliefs by saying that the church in Rome is new and improved but that they are still believe in the old Roman church. The popes or bishops were not moved by their words and they knew that they were not living up to the apostolic ways of the founding fathers who came before them and that their primacy was derived from Peter and not from their political setting which in turn made their claim to fame to be truly based upon the “apostolic”(Elwell, p. 888). The Apostle Peter was sent to Rome by Jesus to build God’s Church. In Matthew 16:18, NLT, says 18 Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’),[a] and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell[b]…

    • 1506 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Gregory of tours violence of the sixth century
    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gregory of tours violence of the sixth century

    In the time of Gregory of tours Eastern Europe as we know it today was in a state of constant change. Regularly new leaders were rising and falling from the barbarian tribes of the Franks and Gaul’s which took over their formerly Roman owned land. Gregory specifically describes the massive amounts of violence that hangs over that ancient world like a black cloud. Merovingian Gaul was a whirlpool of violence and war in the sixth century. Very few kings took territory and held it for long. King Clovis I was the first Frankish king to take Roman held land permanently.…

    • 1387 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    World Lit only by Fire Reading Journal
    • 5857 Words
    • 24 Pages

    World Lit only by Fire Reading Journal

    P.21: It was widely believed among religious figures of the Church that the creation of the papacy was a divine creation. For this reason they believed that adding or changing any of the dogmas that were the basis of the papacy was heresy. They made it a priority to keep the beliefs of the Church intact.…

    • 5857 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Scientific Revolution DBQ
    • 901 Words
    • 1 Page

    Scientific Revolution DBQ

    Pope is very powerful, therefore he would need the Church to support his work to gain credibility. If…

    • 901 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pope Gregory Win In Battles Over Power Essay
    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pope Gregory Win In Battles Over Power Essay

    One reason for this is that Popes usually won when it came to battles over power. Pope Gregory VII was a prime example of this. Gregory did not hesitate to excommunicate King Henry IV after his attempt to take power away from the clergy. To have this horrible punishment revoked Henry proceeded to travel to Italy's northern mountains and stood barefoot in the snow for three days. After three days the Pope finally agreed to see Henry and had his excommunication revoked. King Henry's willingness to stand in frozen mountains proved he was giving the power back to the Pope, for only high up Church officials could excommunicate and excommunicate.…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Peter Influence The Church
    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages

    How Did Peter Influence The Church

    What was a simple errand in our day, was dangerous in the sixteenth century. The first messenger who tried to carry the decrees through territory of hostile Protestants and vicious thieves was robbed of the precious documents. Rome needed someone brave and someone above belief. They chose Peter Canisius. At 43 he was a well known Jesuit who had founded colleges that even Protestants respected. They gave him a cover as official "visitor" of Jesuit foundations. Peter could not hide the decrees like today in secret computers or hard drives. He had Peter traveled from Rome and crossed Germany successfully. He was loaded down with the Tridentine tomes, 250 pages each, and the three sacks of books he took along for his own university. For a half-century Jesuit Father Peter Canisius led the Catholic Reformation in Austria, Bavaria, and Bohemia. For that reason he is reckoned an apostle to Germany. With great energy he preached and taught in parishes, reformed and founded universities, wrote many books including popular catechisms, restored lapsed Catholics, converted Protestants, preached retreats, and found time to care for the sick. In his last thirty years traveling more than twenty thousand miles on foot or horseback, St. Peter Canisius spearheaded the renewal of the Catholic faith in southern…

    • 608 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Roman Catholic Church vs Scientific Thinking
    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Roman Catholic Church vs Scientific Thinking

    Since the lives of the people in medieval Europe mostly revolved around faith and on what they believe in, mainly their religion, the effect of the Church in the middle ages on the citizens was huge. The church controlled the people as it was the main center of religious and social life. All Christians belonged to the Roman Catholic Church and it was considered that the church was as important, if not more, than any king or queen. In fact, a king could only be the king if the church approved it, otherwise he could be kicked out anytime the church wished. The pope was the absolute political and social leader of the church and as the church had the most authority, he controlled almost everything in all Christian nations which were sometimes called Christendom during the Middle Ages. The main reason of the immense power of the church was the fact that it owned over one-third of all the land in Europe (largest landholder) and collected a large amount of tax from the public. Power disputes were common between the pope and the crown. Since generally the clergy of the church were the only people who could read, they could easily misuse the holy bible in order to manipulate the people of medieval Europe.…

    • 750 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    A World Lit Only By Fire Analysis
    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages

    A World Lit Only By Fire Analysis

    The text details how the Church had become corrupt and far too powerful. Popes, who were not supposed to be married or engage in sexual intercourse had mistresses and held parties devoted to sex. Pope Alexander VI, otherwise known as the Borgia pope, was rumored to even have had sex with his own daughter, Lucrezia, and had fathered a son with her. Nepotism, overspending, and indulgences were additional things the church was guilty of. To combat this, Erasmas and Luther both spoke against the corruption. The text…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pope Sixtus Research Paper
    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Pope Sixtus Research Paper

    Pope Sixtus II was pope from 257 A.D. form 258 A.D. and was born in Greece and died in rome on 258 A.D. He was one of the early Roman Church’s most venerated martyrs. Shortly after Sixtus election Shortly after Sixtus’ election, the Roman emperor Valerian promulgated his first decree against the Christians, and a violent persecution ensued. For protection, Sixtus was gathered on August 6, 258 his congregation for services in the subterranean cemetery of Praetextatus on the Appian Way. There, he and four deacons, Saints Januarius, Vincent, Magnus, and Stephen, were seized and either beheaded immediately or brought to court and returned for execution. Buried in the nearby cemetery of Callistus, Sixtus later became one of the most revered martyrs…

    • 463 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Protestant Reformation Dbq Essay
    • 1498 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Protestant Reformation Dbq Essay

    In the textbook, The Western Experience, Mortimer Chambers states, “Although the culmination of these disruptions did not come until the Reformation in the 1500s, the history of the previous two centuries made it clear that the institution was profoundly troubled” (Chambers 347). The Avignon Exile, in which the center of power of the Papacy moved from its historic home in Rome to the French city of Avignon undermined the institution’s legitimacy. Several successive Popes stated that, at the time, the Papacy could not be effectively controlled in Rome, even though they expressed desire to return, showcasing administrative weakness (Chambers 347). Seven months after the return of the Pope to Rome, a second Pope was named, prompting the Great Schism. Although the Council of Pisa succeeded in ending this conflict, there were still long-term consequences. Chambers argues that the Papacy’s close association with Italian politics degraded its universal appeal, particularly in Northern nations, “undermining the centrality of the papacy to the life of Europe” (Chambers 349). The political and cultural influence that the Papacy previously experienced all across Europe had eroded away. Most telling is that nations such as England, France, and Spain issued decrees limiting the Church’s authority in their territory. Chambers notes that these acts clearly, “document the decline of papal control over the international Christian community” (Chambers…

    • 1498 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Threat of Lutheranism to the Catholic Church
    • 1741 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Threat of Lutheranism to the Catholic Church

    Two hundred years before Luther came onto the Church’s radar, the Catholic Church was enjoying great power and success. The Church leaders wielded considerable influence on all matters in Christendom. Even those who felt discontent with the Church were too afraid to rebel against its order, fearing the loss of their salvation. The despair of the Great Famine and Black Death, however, greatly destabilized the Church’s position. The people of Europe had placed so much faith in the Church, yet what could they think when their priests and monks proved susceptible to the plague, dying in higher numbers than the common people? Should not the Pope, with his power bestowed by God, be able to stop this famine and disease from ravaging the continent? Should…

    • 1741 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Pope John Paul 2 Analysis
    • 1348 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Pope John Paul 2 Analysis

    Pope John Paul II’s first encyclical letter was published couple of month after his pontificate in 1979. “Redemptor Hominis" is the name of the document which was read on the first Sunday of the lent in all churches. This letter showed Pope's way of thinking and his pastoral approach. The letter indicated how far ahead John Paul II was with his way of thinking at that time. People reading this document could notice unusual and sophisticated approach in terms of theology, pastoral care, and anthropology, which were characteristic of the newly appointed Pope. Every person could find something for himself or herself among the many themes in Pope's letter. One could read messages about human rights, ecological responsibility, ecumenism, and many…

    • 1348 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Real Presence: Eucharist
    • 1736 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Real Presence: Eucharist

    Citations: - Pope Paul VI, Encyclical Mysterium Fidei. 1965, St. Paul Books and Media, Boston, MA. p. 354.…

    • 1736 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Ap European History Notes
    • 31049 Words
    • 125 Pages

    Ap European History Notes

    Roman–Catholic Church reformed papacy to exterminate corruption and prove the value in the Catholic Church.…

    • 31049 Words
    • 125 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Schism
    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages

    The Great Schism

    Throughout history, kings and popes around the world have fought back and forth, both aiming to receive a majority of power from the people. Over the course of history, the Church has gone from being extremely powerful the point where famous world leaders are excommunicated by the Pope to being very powerless and unorganized to the point where the Church gets taken over by French leaders and moved to different locations. The pope is the most powerful leader amongst the people of the church. Therefore, kings can get out of hand when it comes to gaining power. Kings will do to get to the top even if it takes slapping a pope in the face!…

    • 1624 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics