Reform papacy

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The term reform papacy denotes two different periods of change within the Catholic Church 1046-1075 and 1534-1590.

Reform papacy 1046-1075

The term reform papacy denotes on the one hand the demand for a reform of the entire church, which arose in the 11th century from the purely religious reform of the Cluniacians . The reformers were directed against simony and the marriage of priests, so they demanded celibacy of all clergymen. In this context, a struggle for the “right order in the world” and for the freedom of the church against kings and emperors was waged. These developments culminated in the investiture dispute .

The reformers gained strength in France through the so-called God's Peace Movement. In 1040 the clergy had the Peace of God , the Pax Dei , protection for clergy, farmers, travelers and women, as well as the Treuga Dei , the ceasefire from Wednesday evening to Monday morning and on all festive days, so that a fight was only possible on 90 days a year, proclaimed.

According to the Synod of Sutri in 1046, Pope Clement II should, according to the will of the emperor, Henry III. who, at that time still king, had deposed three rival popes in 1046 to cleanse the church of simony and priestly marriage. In this context, the influence of the Roman nobility on the papacy was severely restricted.

The emperor Heinrich III. appointed Bruno of Toul sat as Pope Leo IX. (1049-1054) for church reforms. Supporters of the reforms were called to Rome , the college of cardinals expanded and the curia institutionalized. The reformists should bring the Primatus Dei , the claim of the Roman bishop as head of the entire church, to effect within the church (collection of legal propositions on the position of the Roman church, Libertas ecclesiae Romanae ). So far, the Roman bishopric was only one of five high thrones next to Jerusalem , Alexandria , Antioch and Constantinople . This led to a break with the Eastern Church . After the schism between the Eastern and Western Churches in 1054 , Cardinal Humbert, who supported the reforms of Leo IX. had been called to Rome, the Libri tres adversus simoniacos , in whose third book the right of the king or emperor to appoint bishops is disputed.

The papal election regulations issued by Nicholas II (1058-1061) in 1059 stated that cardinals should nominate and elect the Pope in the future, as is still the case today. An investiture by laymen was prohibited. The strengthening of the papacy and thus the enforceability of reforms took place through the alliance with the Normans in southern Italy, Margravine Mathilde von Tuszien and the Milanese Pataria , a social and ecclesiastical uprising movement.

Under Pope Gregory VII (Hildebrand), the victory of the papalist idea was expressed in the form of a monarchical, centralist constitution in the Dictatus Papae , according to which the Pope, as the highest and unconditional leader of the church, is not only allowed to depose bishops but also kings the latter were regarded as ministers of God as well as ministers of the church. The sacred character of kingship is no longer recognized (de-spiritualization of kingship). According to the Roman understanding, the title Pope has been reserved exclusively for the Bishop of Rome since Gregory VII. Through these Gregorian reforms , Gregory VII got into a conflict with King Henry IV , whom the Pope excommunicated in 1076 and declared deposed. In 1077 Heinrich IV went to Canossa as a penitent and forced Gregory VII to grant him absolution (see Investiture Controversy ). It was not until 1122 that the conflict between secular and spiritual power was ended by the Worms Concordat .

Reform papacy 1534–1590

On the other hand, the term reform papacy denotes the reforms carried out by Popes Paul III. (1534-1549), Paul IV. (Carafa) (1555-1559), Pius V (1566-1572), Gregory XIII. (1572–1585) and Sixtus V (1585–1590), which end with the new Vulgate 1590 edition. Above all, they have to do with a redefinition of the papacy in response to the Reformation .

In 1536 Paul III appointed a delegation to carry out reforms. Those who were called drew up a school program and urged the curia to reconsider their spirituality. As a result, the Inquisition was reintroduced in 1542 as part of the Counter Reformation and institutionalized as a curia authority.

In three session periods, the Council of Trent (1545–1563) carried out the reforms that were intended to strengthen the Roman Catholic Church: Because of the challenges of the Reformation, Catholic doctrine was redefined, in particular the doctrine of grace and the doctrine of sin . Scripture and tradition were declared equal sources of Catholic teaching. The indulgence against cash payments was abolished.

Pius V took massive action against simony . During his time, the Roman Catechism was rewritten in 1566 , the Breviary in 1568 and the Roman Missal in 1570 .

Gregory XIII. finally carried out the calendar reform . Until now the ancient Julian calendar was used. Gregory finally had the first official edition of canon law, the Corpus Iuris Canonici , created. As a pioneer of the Counter Reformation, Gregory XIII sat down. with all means for the Catholic Church and supported the plans of the Spanish King Philip II to invade England, where Queen Elizabeth I in turn persecuted the Catholics.

The reform of the Curia carried out under Sixtus V in 1588 introduced 15 cardinal congregations, which were subordinate to the Pope. The number of cardinals had been set at 70 two years earlier. Since Sixtus V. there have been regular visitation reports.

literature

  • The power of the popes. From Peter to John Paul II. Splendor and mystery of Christ's representatives. Gruner + Jahr, Hamburg 2003, ISBN 3-570-19404-3 ( Geo epoch 10).
  • Hermann children, Werner Hilgemann : dtv-Atlas world history. Volume 1: From the beginnings to the French Revolution. 36th revised edition. Deutscher Taschenbuch-Verlag, Munich 2003, ISBN 3-423-03001-1 ( dtv 3001).
  • Golo Mann (Ed.): Propylaea World History. Propylaen-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main et al. 1963.
  • Werner Goez : Church reform and investiture dispute. 910-1122. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart et al. 2000, ISBN 3-17-013851-0 ( Kohlhammer-Urban-Taschenbücher 462).