Papacy
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The Papacy (also known as the Bishopric of Rome) is the office of the Pope. The Pope is considered the head of the Catholic Church in spiritual matters, issuing letters and papal bulls to mediate crises or theological arguments. However, in succeeding generations, the Papacy's temporal power and influence grew with the number of Catholics. The Papacy during that time can also order military conquests, the most prevalent example of which are the Crusades. During the Renaissance, the Papacy ruled the state of Italy, with its capital in Rome. Today, the Papacy controls the Vatican city-state in Rome. The Pope is no longer considered the head of state in Italy but is still recognized as a major figure in world politics today.
History
T
he Pope, in early times, wa a mediator between the growing factions of the Church, deciding on temporal and spiritual disputes. The leaders of the Church, during that time, took on the title of the Bishop of Rome. Several Popes had taken oath between Saint Peter's death and the Edict of Milan. They had to guide the people in proper doctrine and help the persecuted Christians hide and flee. However, with the coming of the Edict of Milan in 313, Christianity came out of the underground, become officially sanctioned and spread to the ends of the far-flung territories of the Roman Empire. With the split into East and West, the Church decided to stay with the Western Roman Empire while the Eastern Roman Empire had their own Bishop. This split gave an advantage, however, since the Pope was granted more room to exercise political power.
During this time, the Staff was passed from Pope to Pope, and was most likely used to ensure conversion, solidify authority and perform miracles using the power of the Pieces of Eden. [1]
Middle Ages
After the sacking and fall of Rome, the Papacy did not lose authority, it even gained more due to the people's need of a leader and government. The Popes walled themselves in Rome, issuing orders to the different kingdoms in seclusion.
During this age, the Knights Templar recieved official sanctions under the Council of Troyes. Pope Innocent II granted the Templars diplomatic immunity and exemption from taxes. This encouraged people to join them, increasing their numbers, strength and financial resources quickly.
The Crusades
With the granting of autonomy, the succeeding Popes became more and more powerful. Outpourings of religious piety were common due to the process of knighthood, leading to the growth of an army at the Church's disposal. With the loss of the Holy Land along with Asia Minor, Alexios I pleaded for support, making Pope Urban II call for the First Crusade. Pope Gregory II stopped the Crusades for reservations about the sanctity of a holy war. The failure of the Second Crusade led to a temporary peace until Saladin conquered Jerusalem, making Pope Gregory VIII call for the Third Crusade, the objective of which was to reclaim Jerusalem and Solomon's Temple. The Templars partook actively in this Crusade, the most likely reason for which was to gain the Apple hidden underneath Solomon's Temple. The Assassins sought to counter this move, setting the events for the rise of Altair and his hunt for the leaders of the Templars and the Crusades. [2]
Renaissance
The Renaissance Popes, even after the failure of the Crusades, continued to enjoy power, and with the advent of the Renaissance, they have gained enough prestige and influence to be a part of world affairs once again. They sponsored lavish constructions and works of religio
us art through the patronage of artists like Michelangelo, Dante Alighieri andLeonardo da Vinci.
In 1471, Sixtus IV acceded to the position, continuing the work of all his predecessors, but also practiced nepotism, appointing four nephews, one of which is Giuliano della Rovere, later known as Pope Julius II. Sixtus is most known for his involvement and support of the Pazzi Conspiracy to assassinate Giuliano de' Medici andLorenzo de' Medici. On his death, two candidates presented themselves: Rodrigo Borgia and Giuliano della Rovere. The cardinals, who were alleged to have been bought by Rodrigo, nominated him to be pope, taking the name of Alexander II. Rodrigo gained access to the Staff of Eden, which was passed on to every Pope, learned of the location of theVault, which was underneath the Sistine Chapel and obtained the power and influence the office of the Papacy holds. [1] He made several nepotistic appointments, including Cesare Borgia, his own son, making him a cardinal, though Cesare quit to continue the bloodline after his brother died and become the Captain-General of the Papal Armies. [3]
Rodrigo and Cesare ordered the closure of many shops and let the condition of many
landmarks deteriorate. They took choice spots of land and builtBorgia Towers to terrorize the populace and ensure thier control of Rome. Cesare also undertook several military conquests attributed to his father, the most important was the Siege of Monteriggioni, where Cesare took the Apple of Eden and invited Ezio Auditore to fight him in Rome. Cesare, using his father's influence, forced many artists to work in building them siegebreakers, most notably Leonardo da Vinci. [3] However, after Rodrigo's death at his own son's hands, Giuliano della Rovere was elected to the Papacy, taking on the name Julius II. He ordered the arrest of Cesare, who was incarcerated at the Castel Sant'Angelo and later, the Castillo de la Mota in Spain.[4] Julius sought to rid the Papacy of nepotistic appointments, simony and other crimes, executing those who were caught in such acts. The Papacy continued with Leo X a member of the House of Medici, who allowed the Church to deteriorate, culminating in the Protestant Reformation.
The Staff was lost during this time, when it was impaled on the ground in the Vault. However, it resurfaced later as the scepter of the Russian tsars [5]
Modern Times
Even though the Papacy had slowly given up its temporal authority, It still holds tremendous influence over world leaders and policymaking. The Popes still hold massive wealth in the form of art, used to fund charities and the expenses of the Church.
Powers
Aside from the authority over Roman Catholics, the Pope has other powers granted by his office. He is able to appoint bishops and cardinals. He also writes encyclicals and papal bulls to give instruction to the people. He also has tremendous influence over political decisions in the world, and often advocates causes to benefit the poor and the needy. However, the opposite of this is shown in Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, with Rodrigo Borgia in particular. He used the vast wealth of the Church to fund Cesare's quests in Italy. The Pope formerly wielded the Papal Staff, however after the incident at the Vault, its whereabouts were unknown until the Russian Revolution.
The Pope controls Vatican City as its head of state. He also commands the Swiss Guard, formerly known as the Papal guards, who are assigned to protect the Pope at all times. The Pope is also in control of the assets of the Church, however, he leaves the management of this to the cardinals.
Trivia
- The Pope has traditionally been the target of conspiracy theories, including the rumored presence of a passage on the tiara that corresponds to the number 666, as well as a female pope who gave birth in a Papal procession.
- Pope Clement V ordered the mass execution of the Templar Order, charging them with numerous offenses including apostasy, idolatry, heresy, financial corruption, fraud and other crimes, the confessions of which were obtained from torture and interrogation. He ordered the seizing of all Templar assets, turned them over to the Knights Hospitaller and disbanded the Order. However, it is unknown if this event happened in the Assassin's Creed universe.
- The Pope is also heavily featured in literature, like Dante's Divine Comedy and Dan Brown's Robert Langdon series in contemporary times.
References
External Links
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