1. The Religious Chaos of the Late Middle Ages

2. Overview  The Catholic Church Dominated the social, political and economic trends of the Middle Ages.  Popes continually gained more power and acted like kings instead of religious leaders.  Constant battles for power between Popes and Kings

3. The Division of the Catholic Church  A series of events within the Catholic Church cause chaos and actually effect the common worshipper in the Church  Most battles between Popes and Kings were mainly political and had minor effects on the common churchgoers

4. Pope Boniface VIII  1302 “Unam Sanctium” this basically claimed that “all are subject to the Pope”  This was an attempt to reinforce Papal authority.  This was to prevent Kings from France and England from taking Church money by way of the state taxing the Church. (The Church was the wealthiest institution)  King Philip states that the Kings protect the faith and therefore taxing the Church is justified.

5. Power means Control  King Philip IV of France came down and captured Boniface…… Boniface “conveniently” died soon after being captured.  Philip, with his whole military in Rome, influenced the Cardinals in to appoint a French Pope.

6. The Babylonian Captivity  1303 – 1377 the Pope moved from Rome to Avignon, France.  This made the institution of the Pope a nationalistic object.  It looked like the French had control of the institution of the Pope. No non-French popes were appointed

7. The Great Schism  There is a division within the Church. French Cardinals vote for a French Pope and non-French Cardinals vote for a Pope that lived in Rome.  This continues for several Papal elections  The two Popes essentially competed against each other.

8. Reactions to the Great Schism  People did not know which Pope to follow.  Which Pope spoke for God? How did they know they were following the “right” Pope.  Men, such as John Wycliff and John Hus, claim that people only need to read the Bible and the church is not needed.  The Great Schism made the Church questionable.

10. The Council of Constance, 1417  All Popes were forced to resign, there were 3 at the time. That was because an earlier Council had appointed one and the other two Popes did not listen to him.  Pope Martin V was selected

11. Religious Chaos  Because of the Chaos within the Catholic Church, the Babylonian Captivity and Great Schism set the Stage for the Reformation.  These events allow for the Church to be criticized and that there is doubt in the churches infallibility.