How Did The Church Influence The Renaissance

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The Church and the Renaissance By Bertha Jo Marcotte HIST 535 The Church and the Renaissance One of the most significant events for the Roman Catholic Church during the Renaissance Age was the second Great Schism resulting in the Papal See’s move from Rome to Avignon (in modern day south France) which lasted from 1309 – 1377. During this time there was one anti-pope, 1328-1330 Nicholas V who was set up as anti-pope by the Holy Roman Emperor Louis IV during the latter's quarrel with Pope John XXII (r. 1316-1334). During this time seven Popes reside at Avignon. Clement V was the first followed by John XXII, Benedict XII, Clement VI, Innocent VI, Urban V and Gregory XI. It is often referred to as the “Babylon Captivity” of the papacy as…show more content…
While the people answered to the King’s law the Church lands, and its people were a sovereign state unto itself and not subject to the French crown or any other government. However the English as well as others saw things otherwise. Indeed Philip IV, was not content to rule just the secular world, he wanted control of the local parishes as well. This lead to the disagreement with Pope Boniface VIII who wanted to control the secular law equally as much. In his effort to gain control of all Christendom Boniface excommunicated Philip. After Boniface’s death and the short reign of Benedict XI, who died just months after taking office, Philip gets his French born pope, Bertrand de Goth, archbishop of Bordeaux, elected as Pope who took the name Clement V. Clement held his ordination ceremony in Lyons France and promptly moved the papacy to Avignon. Clement V did concede in some areas to Philip, who continued to push his influence and struck out at the Knights Templar, but did not bow to all of Philips requests. The movement of the Church administration, the Roman Curia, to Avignon was seen as a political move by Pope Clement V in favor of Philip IV, and many who were looking from the outside in viewed the Church as being under the control of the French Crown perhaps even losing its “world view” because of its geographic

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