The administrative and legal development of medieval Papal supremacy

The 12th and 13th centuries were marked by the expansion of papal authority, alongside the development of papal administrative prowess. The most notable expression of this was the development of the concept of papal supremacy, which held that the pope had authority over all Christians, including secular rulers. 

This was articulated in documents such as the Dictatus Papae, attributed to Gregory VII (1073-1085), and reinforced by subsequent popes. Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) exemplified the zenith of papal power. He asserted the pope's authority to intervene in political matters, excommunicate rulers, and even depose them. Innocent III's involvement in the Fourth Crusade and his role in the politics of the Holy Roman Empire demonstrate the extent of his influence.

The 12th and 13th centuries were a period of significant legal development within the church. Decretum, a collection of canon law compiled around 1140 by the monk and lawyer Gratian, became the foundational text for canon law. This compilation of existing church laws and decrees provided a systematic legal framework that was used throughout Christendom.

The establishment of universities, particularly in Bologna (founded in 1088) and Paris (emerging around 1150 as a corporation associated with the cathedral school of Paris), also played a crucial role in the development of canon law. These institutions became centers for the study and teaching of both civil and ecclesiastical law, producing a new class of educated clergy who were instrumental in the administration of the church.

This blog is original work by TemplarsNow. Main sources: Morris, Collin, 1989, The Papal Monarchy: Western Church from 1050 to 1250; Ullmann, Walter, 2002, A Short History of the Papacy in the Middle Ages; Tierney, Brian, 1988, The Crisis of Church and State 1050-1300 and Barraclough, Geoffrey, 1979. The Medieval Papacy. The illustration shows the front page of a copy of the Decretum bij Gration, crerated around 1199, source freelibrary.org, Public Domain.

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