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Reading Activity: The Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy Name: Scenario: You serve a bishop in France in the early AD 800’s. He controls a number of large estates that were donated to the church in order to provide income that could cover the costs of religious services at your cathedral. Charlemagne’s health is failing and his local vassals are trying to exert influence over the church. Some have threatened to take church lands, others have offered to buy them from your master. Aimery, the local count, has told him that he would like his cousin made abbot of an influential monastery nearby. All of them claim that the bishop owes obedience to them because they are the vassals of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor. The bishop knows you are wise and learned and needs your advice. As bishop, he does have the power of excommunication. Should he deny these warrior chiefs or give in to them? 1. Research the political situation of the time by reading the four passages and answering the questions below. 2. Then decide how the bishop ought to respond to Aimery. 3. Write your recommendation in a Parker paragraph on the back side of this page. Be sure to make reference to several of the sources in your recommendation. A. The Donation of Constantine What strength does the church take from this document? What does this document mean to the Frankish rulers of the West? How might the powerful Byzantines view this document? C. The Wars of Charlemagne B. Annals of Lorsch What seems to be the motive for Pipin to write to the pope? What did the Pope want in return for what he “gave” to Pipin? What argument do you predict will arise later between popes and kings because of this arrangement? In what ways did Charlemagne prove to a support to the church? - What did he do in Lombardy that spread the Catholic faith? - How did Charlemagne help make the pope more politically independent after the Lombard conquest? How did Charlemagne’s war with the Saxons strengthen the Church? Himself? D. Pope Leo III and Charlemagne What did Pope Leo III get from the crowning of Charlemagne as emperor? What did Charlemagne gain? Who would you say got the better deal? Why? Passage A: Donation of Constantine Source: Adapted from Catholic Encyclopedia This is a document created in the 700’s (later proved a forgery) claiming to be from Constantine the Great and addressed to Pope Sylvester I (314-35), the bishop of Rome (or pope) at the time. It consists of two parts. In the first part (entitled "Confessio") the emperor relates how he was instructed in the Christian Faith by Sylvester, makes a full profession of faith, and tells of his baptism in Rome by that pope, and how he was thereby cured of leprosy. In the second part (the "Donatio") Constantine is made to confer on Sylvester and his successors the following privileges and possessions: The pope, as successor of St. Peter, has authority over the other four major bishops (called Patriarchs) in Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople, and Jerusalem. He also has authority over all other Christian bishops in the world. The Lateran basilica (palace/church) at Rome, built by Constantine, be considered a sort of capitol building over other churches in the world. It would become the Pope’s palace until the Vatican was built many centuries later. The churches of St. Peter and St. Paul in Rome should be granted land to pay for church services and renovations. Priests, abbots (monastery leaders), deacons, etc in Rome should be given the title of patrician and Senator, giving them a sort of political independence. These men would later be called “cardinal” clerics. Popes will be allowed imperial privileges like wearing an imperial crown, purple cloaks and tunics. Sylvester refused this so Constantine allowed him to wear a high, white cap called the phrygium. This gives the pope powers of a political leader. Moreover, the emperor donates to the pope and his successors control of the city of Rome and the provinces, districts, and towns of Italy and all the Western regions. This essentially makes the pope into an emperor over the western Empire equal in status to Constantine in the East. The emperor is moving his capital east because he feels that his earthly imperial government interferes with the prestige of the pope’s spiritual government. Lastly, Constantine condemns any who would deny these rights to the pope and swears he signed the document personally and placed it at the tomb of St. Peter in Rome. Though this document was not used until 1054, it does articulate a papal/Germanic claim to control of Italy over the claims o f the Greek emperors of the time. Something to consider – How might the Byzantine Emperor, who has lieutenants ruling territories in Italy, feel about the idea that all of western Europe belongs to the popes of Rome and their defenders (like the Franks)? Constantine (center) hands Pope Sylvester the papal tiara http://magnificat.ca/cal/en/saints/dedication_of_the_latera n_basilica.html Lateran Basilica http://magnificat.ca/cal/en/saints/dedication_of_the_lat eran_basilica.html Passage B: Annals* of Lorsch - The pope makes the Carolingians kings of the Franks Source: Fordham University Online Medieval Sourcebook http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/lorsch1.asp Background: In 749 the pope consolidated the alliance with the Carolingian family by allowing the transfer of the royal title from the powerless Merovingian (descendants of Clovis) title holder to Pepin (son of Charles Martel and father of Charlemagne), the mayor of the palace and actual holder of power in France. The events are described in the contemporary Annals of Lorsch. “Anno 749. Burchard, bishop of Wilrzburg, and Fulrad, priest and chaplain, were sent [by Pipin] to pope Zacharias to ask his advice in regard to the kings who were then ruling in France, who had the title of king but no real royal authority. The pope replied by these ambassadors that it would be better that he who actually had the power should be called king. “750 [751]. In this year Pipin was named king of the Franks with the sanction of the pope, and in the city of Soissons he was anointed with the holy oil by the hands of Boniface**, archbishop and martyr of blessed memory, and was raised to the throne after the custom of the Franks. But Childerich (the Merovingian king at the time), who had the name of king, was shorn of his locks and sent into a monastery. “753. In this year pope Stephen came to Pipin at Kiersy (Quercy in southern France), to urge him to defend the Roman church from the attacks of the Lombards (a non-Catholic, Germanic tribe living in northern Italy). “754. And after pope Stephen had received a promise from king Pipin that he would defend the Roman church, he anointed the king and his two sons, Karl and Karlmann, with the holy oil. And the pope remained that winter in France.” Original source: Oliver J. Thatcher, and Edgar Holmes McNeal, eds., A Source Book for Medieval History, (New York: Scribners, 1905), p. 3738 * Annals are a record of a particular year. This set of annals includes brief, yearly entries for an extended period. ** Boniface was a very well-respected monk who reformed the priesthood in France and spread Catholicism to barbarian Germany. Something to consider: Why would Pepin want the Church to declare him king if he had the military might to simply take the crown? What does this do for the prestige of the pope? St. Boniface crowning Pepin at Soissons in http://www.robertsewell.ca/pepin. html Division of Italy after Pepin’s Defeat of the Lombards http://www.vaticanotours.co m/papal_states.html St. Boniface striking down a tree sacred to German pagans http://angelsandsaintsandus.blo gspot.com/2012/06/stboniface.html Passage C: Einhard – The Wars of Charlemagne, ca. 770-814 Source: Fordham University Online Medieval Sourcebook http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/source/einhard-wars1.asp Davis Introduction: “Most of Charlemagne's reign was consumed with wars in which he was usually victorious. He never had to confront a first-class enemy in battle, and his martial father and grandfather had transmitted to him the well-trained Frankish army. He cannot, therefore, be called a distinguished general. His wars, however, were of high importance for history; especially the conquest of the Saxons and the Lombards implied the bringing of much of Germany and Italy into the circle of ‘The Holy Roman Empire,’ and of medieval civilization.” “After bringing a war in Aquitania (western France) to an end, he (Charlemagne) was persuaded, by the prayers and promptings of Hadrian, Bishop of Rome (the pope), to undertake a war against the Lombards (Germans in northern Italy). Already before him his father [Pepin] had assumed this task, at the asking of Pope Stephen, under great difficulties, for certain Frankish chiefs of his very council, had opposed the proposal so vehemently as to threaten to desert their King and go home. Notwithstanding, the war against Astolf, King of the Lombards, had been undertaken, and promptly brought to an issue (A.D. 773). “Charles…did not turn back---once war was declared---until he had exhausted King Desidarius by a prolonged siege; then forced him to surrender unconditionally. He also drove his son Adalgis, the last hope of the Lombards, not only from his kingdom, but from all Italy. He likewise restored to the Romans (i.e. the pope) all they had lost; crushed Henodgans, Duke of Friuli, who was scheming revolt; reduced all Italy to his sway, and set his son over it. The war ended with the subjection of Italy, the banishment of King Desidarius for life, the expulsion of his son Adalgis from Italy and the restoration to (pope) Hadrian, Primate of the Roman Church, of all the conquests by the Lombard kings. “As to the Saxon war, no war ever undertaken by the Franks was waged with such persistence and bitterness, or cost so much labor, because the Saxons, like almost all Germans, were a ferocious folk, given over to devil-worship, hostile to our Faith, and they did not consider it dishonorable to transgress and violate all law---be it human or divine (church law)…Accordingly, war was begun against the Saxons and was waged furiously for thirty-three consecutive years [772-804 A.D.] on the whole to the disadvantage of the Saxons. Much earlier surely it would have terminated but for the perfidy of the Saxons. (The war would have ended sooner if the Saxons were not such doublecrossers. According to Einhard, they would seek peace, promising to be loyal and to worship the Christian God instead or their traditional gods but then would ignore this promise as soon as the Franks left.) “The King (Charlemagne), however, pressed them with unvarying purpose despite great difficulties and either took the field against them himself, or sent his counts against them with a host to wreak vengeance and exact due satisfaction. The war that had lasted so many years at last terminated when the Saxons gave way to the terms proffered by the King; namely, the renunciation of their native religious cults and devil-worship, the acceptance of the Christian sacraments, and union with the Franks into one people.” Something to consider: In what ways did Charlemagne prove to a support to the church? Above: Charlemagne observes the baptism of the vanquished Saxon chief Widikund (source: AfriPics) Right: Charlemagne orders the destruction of the Saxon shrine called the Irminsul (Source: Wikipedia) Passage D: Pope Leo III and Charlemagne Source: adapted from Catholic Encyclopedia Online http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09157b.htm Date of birth unknown; died 816. Pope Leo III was elected on the very day his predecessor was buried (26 Dec., 795), and consecrated on the following day. The speed of this election may be from a Roman fear that Charlemagne might try to interfere. Leo was a Roman, the son of Atyuppius and Elizabeth. With the letter informing Charlemagne that he had been unanimously elected pope, Leo sent him the keys of the confession of St. Peter, and the standard of the city. This he did to show that he regarded the Frankish king as the protector of the Holy See (pope’s headquarters). In return he received from Charlemagne letters of congratulation and a great part of the treasure which the king had captured from the Avars (kind of like Huns). The acquisition of this wealth was in part the reason Leo could devote so much money to the churches and charitable institutions of Rome. Prompted by jealousy or ambition, a number of the relatives of Pope Adrian I (the previous pope) formed a plot to render Leo unfit to hold his sacred office… During a religious procession, and when the pope was making his way towards the Flaminian Gate, he was suddenly attacked. He was dashed to the ground, and an effort was made to root out his tongue and tear out his eyes. After he had been left bleeding in the street, he was hurried off at night to the monastery of St. Erasmus. There, in what seemed quite a miraculous manner, he recovered the full use of his eyes and tongue. Escaping from the monastery, Leo escaped to Germany where Charlemagne received him with the greatest honor. The Frankish monarch caused him to be escorted back to Rome, where he was received with every demonstration of joy by the whole populace, natives and foreigners. The pope's enemies were then tried by Charlemagne's envoys (messengers) and, being unable to establish either Leo's guilt or their own innocence, were sent as prisoners to Frankland. In the following year (800) Charlemagne himself came to Rome, and the pope and his accusers were brought face to face. The assembled bishops declared that the conspirators were in the wrong. But at Leo’s special request the death sentence which had been passed upon his enemies was commuted (changed) into a sentence of exile. A few days later, Leo and Charlemagne again met. It was on Christmas Day in St. Peter's. After the Gospel had been sung, the pope approached Charlemagne, who was kneeling before the Confession of St. Peter, and placed a crown upon his head. The assembled multitude at once made the basilica (church) ring with the shout: "To Charles, the most pious Augustus, crowned by God, to our great and pacific emperor life and victory!" By this act was revived the Roman Empire in the West. It was understood by the Roman people that the first duty of the new emperor was to be the protector of the Roman Church and of Christendom against the heathen. This partnership would continue until Charlemagne’s death. Together they were able to enforce the pope’s negotiations between other kings and their bishops, build a navy to guard the Italian coast from Muslim raiders, restore several regions to the control of the papacy, and even nearly united East and West through a failed marriage arrangement with Irene, the widow of the Byzantine emperor. Charlemagne was able to finally defeat the Saxon tribes because a Catholic segment of them remained loyal to him during a revolt. Something to consider: Who got the better deal out of this relationship? The pope or Charlemagne? This Frankish coin from the end of Charlemagne’s life shows his Latin name “Carolus” with the Latin abbreviations for Imperator (IMP) and Augustus (AUG). On the back of the coin is the Latin term for “Christian Faith” surrounding a church. Source: http://www.coinsweekly.com/ en/Archive/8?&id=158&type=a