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What power did the pope have as Maximus pontifex, and what role did the church have as a national church in the first centuries? Were the priests teachers also? Did it have any political power? Did it get all it's money from contributions before the tithe in the eight century England? Thanks
From Wiki: ] In 382, the Emperor Gratian, at the urging of Ambrose, removed the Altar of Victory from the Forum, withdrew the state subsidies that funded many pagan activities and formally renounced the title of Pontifex Maximus.[31] Pope Leo I (440–461) assumed the title Pontifex Maximus.[32] In the 15th century, when the Renaissance stirred up new interest in ancient Rome, "Pontifex Maximus" became a regular title of honour for Popes.
What power did the pope have as Maximus pontifex, and what role did the church have as a national church in the first centuries? Were the priests teachers also? Did it have any political power? Did it get all it's money from contributions before the tithe in the eight century England? Thanks
Ok. What power did the pope have over the state after 381? What happened when Rome fell? Were the priests teachers also in the early church, or what were the duties of the church? Baptising, marrying and bury people? When the church became official state religion of Rome in 380, did they gain control of the police? Thanks
The political power of the Pope grew and got busted at various times. The probable apex of that power was under what was called the Holy Roman Empire and the subjugation of most (Western) national governments to the Pope in many civil matters. Contrast the reaction to the call for crusade against the Cathars with the helplessness in the face of opposition by the German princes who supported Luther.
What power did the pope have as Maximus pontifex, and what role did the church have as a national church in the first centuries? Were the priests teachers also? Did it have any political power? Did it get all it's money from contributions before the tithe in the eight century England? Thanks
Dear tfd,
The first Maximus pontifex of the Roman church was the Roman emperor Constantine, who convened and chaired the first Council of Nicea. His powers, as Maximus Pontifex, which were first taken by Julius Caesar from the high priesthood of the pagan church, included being able to appoint and exile bishops. His position as Maximus Pontifex gave him power over the gods and the calendar, but this combined with his power of the emperor, gave him the power of life and death, and this he used to decree the execution of any holding on to writings from Arius. As for the bishop of Rome, he didn't even attend the first Council of the Church, which established the church doctrines.
"In addition, if any writing composed by Arius should be found, it should be handed over to the flames, sothat not only will the wickedness of his teaching be obliterated, but nothingwill be left even to remind anyone of him. And I hereby make a public order,that if someone should be discovered to have hidden a writing composed byArius, and not to have immediately brought it forward and destroyed it by fire,his penalty shall be death. As soon as he is discovered in this offence, he shall be submitted for capital punishment....."]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arianism
—Edict by Emperor Constantine against the Arian
What power did the pope have as Maximus pontifex, and what role did the church have as a national church in the first centuries? Were the priests teachers also? Did it have any political power? Did it get all it's money from contributions before the tithe in the eight century England? Thanks
You're going to need to define what you mean by "first centuries". From 0 to 325 AD Christianity was illegal and actively hunted by the Roman Empire. After 325 AD everything changed drastically.
2ndpillar: Ok, thanks. But what do you mean by that his position as Maximus Pontifex gave him power over the gods and the calendar ? Thanks
Hopefully this helps:
Quote:
The Pontifex Maximus (Latin, literally: "greatest pontiff") was the high priest of the College of Pontiffs (Collegium Pontificum) in ancient Rome. This was the most important position in the ancient Roman religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post. A distinctly religious office under the early Roman Republic, it gradually became politicized until, beginning with Augustus, it was subsumed into the Imperial office. Its last use with reference to the emperors is in inscriptions of Gratian[1] (reigned 375–383) who, however, then decided to omit the words "pontifex maximus" from his title.[2][3] The word "pontifex" later became a term used for Christian bishops,[4] including the Bishop of Rome,[5] and the title of "Pontifex Maximus" was applied within the Roman Catholic Church to the Pope as its chief bishop. It is not included in the Pope's official titles,[6] but appears on buildings, monuments and coins of popes of Renaissance and modern times.
Just taking a very small snippet from the Wikipedia article on Pontifex Maximus so as to not annoy the mods.
Essentially what occurred: The Roman Emperors dies out and the Popes took the title Pontifex Maximus upon themselves because they believed themselves to be the rightful successors to the Emperor of Rome. Much of this was based on a document known as the Donation of Constantine, in which Emperor Constantine bequeaths all power in heaven and earth to the Pope. That document was foundational to the Pope's eventual claim to all the powers of the emperor, but it was proven to be a complete forgery in the 1400's.
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