Who was Pope Boniface VIII?
Pope Boniface I (Latin: Bonifatius I) was the bishop of Rome from 28 December 418 to his death on 4 September 422. His election was disputed by the supporters of Eulalius until the dispute was settled by Emperor Honorius.Boniface was active in maintaining church discipline, and he restored certain privileges to the metropolitical sees of Narbonne and Vienne, exempting them …
What did Philip IV do to Boniface?
BONIFACE VIII, POPE Pontificate: Dec. 24, 1294, to Oct. 11, 1303; b. Benedict Gaetani, Anagni, c. 1235; d. Rome. His reign is remembered especially for the fierce conflict of Church and State between the papacy and the French monarchy that broke out in 1296. Boniface has been accused of committing the papacy to novel and extravagant claims in the temporal sphere in the course …
What happened to King Boniface of Italy?
Boniface VIII, original name Benedetto Caetani, (born c. 1235—died October 11, 1303, Rome [Italy]), pope from 1294 to 1303, the extent of whose authority was vigorously challenged by the emergent powerful monarchs of western Europe, especially Philip IV of France.Among the lasting achievements of his pontificate were the publication of the third part of the Corpus juris …
How did Boniface VIII influence the Roman Jubilee?
Pope Boniface VIII in 1299-1300 forbade the practice then prevalent of boiling the corpses of noble persons who had died abroad, in order that their bones might be more conveniently transported to the distant ancestral tomb.
What did Pope Boniface VIII do?
Boniface VIII put forward some of the strongest claims of any pope to temporal as well as spiritual power. He involved himself often with foreign affairs, including in France, Sicily, Italy and the First War of Scottish Independence....Pope Boniface VIIIDied11 October 1303 (aged 72–73) Rome, Papal States15 more rows
What did pope Boniface III do?
Boniface's other notable act resulted from his close relationship with Emperor Phocas. He sought and obtained a decree from Phocas which restated that "the See of Blessed Peter the Apostle should be the head of all the Churches".
What claims did Boniface make in UNAM Sanctam?
Boniface announced that he would depose Philip if need be and issued the bull Unam Sanctam('One Holy'),the most famous papal document of the Middle Ages, affirming the authority of the pope as the heir of Peter and Vicar of Christ over all human authorities, spiritual and temporal.
What is Saint Boniface known for?
Organizer, educator, and reformer, Boniface profoundly influenced the course of intellectual, political, and ecclesiastical history in Germany and France throughout the Middle Ages. He unified the missionary movement by bringing it under the control of Rome.
Who was the 66th pope?
Pope Boniface III was a Greek and Roman man who served as the 66th pope in 607. He only held the position for 266 days before he passed away.
Who was the first universal pope?
According to the Annuario Pontificio, the papal annual, there have been more than 260 popes since St. Peter, traditionally considered the first pope.
Why was the Donation of Constantine forged?
Valla believed the forgery to be so obvious that he suspected that the Church knew the document to be inauthentic. Valla further argued that papal usurpation of temporal power had corrupted the church, caused the wars of Italy, and reinforced the "overbearing, barbarous, tyrannical priestly domination."
Did Boniface believe in the separation of church and state?
His belief in papal supremacy brought him into frequent conflict with secular rulers and divided Europe into factions that either supported papal supremacy or favored the separation of church and state.
What biblical teachings did Boniface VIII cite to justify his supremacy?
The bull issued by Pope Boniface VIII in 1302. It declared that there were two powers on earth, the temporal (earthly) and the spiritual (heavenly). The spiritual power, he said, was always supreme over temporal power. In short, kings must always obey popes.
When was Boniface born?
. 675Saint BonifaceBornc. 675 Crediton, DumnoniaDied5 June 754 (aged around 79) near Dokkum, FranciaVenerated inCatholic Church Eastern Orthodox Church Anglican Communion LutheranismMajor shrineFulda Cathedral, St Boniface Catholic Church, Crediton, UK5 more rows
How did Boniface spread Christianity?
For 30 years Boniface worked to reform and organize the Church, linking the various local communities firmly with Rome. He enlisted the help of English monks and nuns to preach to the people, strengthen their Christian spirit, and assure their allegiance to the pope.
Who did Saint Boniface convert to Christianity?
Role in the Christianization of the Frisians Much later in life, when Boniface was already 82 years old, he, nevertheless, undertook the journey to the Frisians in 716 CE to convert them to Christianity.Aug 5, 2014
What did Philip IV do to Boniface?
Philip IV countered or even forestalled the publication of Clericis laicos with an order forbidding all export of money and valuables from France and with the expulsion of foreign merchants. Although these measures were a serious threat to papal revenues, they alone probably would not have forced Boniface to the far-reaching concessions that he had to grant the French king within the year, concessions that almost amounted to revocation of Clericis laicos. The necessity of coming to terms was primarily the result of an insurrection against Boniface by a section of the Colonna family, a powerful anti-papal Roman family that included two cardinals, culminating in the armed robbery of a large amount of papal treasure in May 1297. A year of military action against the Colonna followed, which ended with their unconditional surrender. They were absolved from excommunication but were not reinstated in their offices and possessions. They therefore rebelled again and fled; some of them went to Philip, with whom they had conspired, perhaps, even before the issue of Clericis laicos.
Who was Boniface VIII?
Boniface VIII, original name Benedetto Caetani, (born c. 1235—died October 11, 1303, Rome [Italy]), pope from 1294 to 1303, the extent of whose authority was vigorously challenged by the emergent powerful monarchs of western Europe, especially Philip IV of France. Among the lasting achievements of his pontificate were the publication ...
What was the result of the insurrection against Boniface?
The necessity of coming to terms was primarily the result of an insurrection against Boniface by a section of the Colonna family, a powerful anti-papal Roman family that included two cardinals, culminating in the armed robbery of a large amount of papal treasure in May 1297.
Who was the Pope in 1291?
Benedetto Caetani was born of an old and influential Roman family. He studied law in Bologna and then for many years held increasingly important functions in the papal government. Martin IV made him cardinal deacon of St. Nicholas in Carcere Tulliano in 1281, and under Nicholas IV he became cardinal priest of St. Martin in Montibus in 1291. As papal legate to a church council in Paris from 1290 to 1291, he succeeded in delaying the outbreak of renewed war between France and England and in bringing about peace between France and Aragon. It was Benedetto Cardinal Caetani who confirmed the unhappy pope Celestine V in his wish to resign and then, after he had succeeded him as Boniface VIII, found it advisable to intern the old man in the castle of Fumone, where he soon died. Although Celestine died of natural causes, the death was open to suspicion and incriminating aspersions by Boniface’s enemies. Among those who carried on the propaganda and opposition against Boniface were many of the Franciscan “Spirituals” (members of the order founded by St. Francis of Assisi who followed a literal observance of his rule of poverty), including the poet Jacopone da Todi, some of whose poems were written during his imprisonment by Boniface.
Who was the pope after Celestine?
After the 6-month pontificate of the hermit-pope Celestine V ended with his resignation in December 1294, Benedetto Caetani was elected pope on December 24, and he took the name Boniface VIII. Celestine's brief pontificate and the unique circumstances of his resignation had created chaos in the world of ecclesiastical administration. Boniface first had to restore order in the papal system of government and justify the legality of his predecessor's resignation and, by implication, the legitimacy of his own election. As an administrator and legate, he was described by a contemporary as "a man of deep counsel, a man of trust, secret, industrious, circumspect."
What was the problem with the Pope in 1296?
In 1296, however, another problem had arisen, one which touched the very center of papal and temporal power: the question of taxation. The Church had long authorized, in certain cases, the collection of taxes on Church income and property by temporal authorities. The Church itself also collected taxes, and by the late 13th-century these early instances of taxation had become lucrative necessities to both the kings and the ecclesiastical powers who collected them. The taxes had begun as crusade subsidies, but they had become part of the financial transformation of 13th-century political and ecclesiastical organizations. The demand for a new tax on ecclesiastical revenues by King Philip IV of France elicited from Boniface VIII the bull (letter) Clericis laicos, in which the Pope not only forbade the collection of taxes from the clergy by laymen but also denied the French king authority over the clergy within his own realm.
Was Boniface a heretic?
Boniface was the target of much abuse both within and without the Church. His enemies portrayed him as a heretic, a sorcerer, a sodomite, and a traducer of the faith. His actions against the city of Florence earned him a place in Dante's Inferno, and between 1303 and 1311 Philip IV held the threat of a trial of Boniface and the possible repudiation of his pontificate by the Church over the heads of Boniface's weaker successors.
Why did King Philip call for Boniface's removal?
There was now a showdown between king and pope. Philip called for Boniface’s removal. Boniface demanded the French people overthrow an excommunicated monarch. That was too much for the king.
Who played Pope Boniface VIII in Knightfall?
In this blog post, I’m looking at Pope Boniface VIII – in real life, a pope who had a dreadful relationship with King Philip of France. He is played by Jim Carter in Knightfall.
Why did Boniface chastised Philip?
Boniface chastised Philip for not launching a crusade against the Muslims and urged him to reject evil counsellors. One suspects he had William De Nogaret in mind. Things got increasingly heated. Philip started conspiring with the Italian Colonna family who detested Pope Boniface.
What was Pope Boniface's relationship with King Philip?
Pope Boniface had a miserable relationship with King Philip of France – the monarch who crushed the Knights Templar. Basically, the French king wanted to tax the Catholic church while the pope believed he needed to be asked first. It was his clergy and the king could lay off until he gave his permission. Also, the pope argued that he had no objection to funding religious wars, crusades in other words, but was less amenable to bankrolling bust ups between the kings of France and England.
What did Boniface see as an attack on the Church?
Boniface saw everything Philip did as an attack on the church. Philip reacted with measures designed to provoke Rome like banning the export of gold, silver and precious stones – a law that would starve the pope of revenue from France.
Why did Dante hate Boniface?
The Italian poet Dante hated Pope Boniface as they were on opposing sides in Italy’s endless political squabbles.
Who was Boniface's adviser?
Boniface demanded the French people overthrow an excommunicated monarch. That was too much for the king. His adviser William De Nogaret and a leading member of the Colonna family went with 2,000 mercenaries down to the city of Anagni where Boniface was holding court and kidnapped him.
Family
Early Career
- Benedetto took his first steps into religious life when he was sent to the monastery of the Friars Minor in Velletri, where he was put under the care of his maternal uncle Fra Leonardo Patrasso. He was granted a canonry at the cathedral in the family's stronghold of Anagni, with the permission of Pope Alexander IV. The earliest record of him is as a witness to an act of Bishop …
Papal Election
- Pope Celestine V (who had been Brother Peter, the hermit of Mount Murrone near Sulmone) abdicated on 13 December 1294 at Naples, where, much to the discomfort of a number of cardinals, he had established the papal court under the patronage of Charles II of Naples. He had continued to live like a monk there, even turning a room in the papal apartment into the semblan…
Canon Law
- In the field of canon law Boniface VIII had considerable influence. Earlier collections of canon law had been codified in the Decretales Gregorii IX, published under the authority of Pope Gregory IX in 1234, but in the succeeding sixty years, numerous legal decisions were made by one pope after another. By Boniface's time a new and expanded edition was needed. In 1298 Boniface ordered …
Cardinals
- Boniface VIII put forward some of the strongest claims of any pope to temporal as well as spiritual power. He involved himself often with foreign affairs. In his Papal bull of 1302, Unam sanctam, Boniface VIII stated that since the Church is one, since the Church is necessary for salvation, and since Christ appointed Peter to lead it, it is "absolutely necessary for salvation tha…
Conflicts in Sicily and Italy
- When Frederick III of Sicily attained his throne after the death of his father Peter III of Aragon, Boniface tried to dissuade him from accepting the throne of Sicily. When Frederick persisted, Boniface excommunicated him in 1296, and placed the island under interdict. Neither the king nor the people were moved. The conflict continued until the Peace of Caltabellotta in 1302, which sa…
Conflicts with Philip IV
- The conflict between Boniface VIII and King Philip IV of France (1268–1314) came at a time of expanding nation states and the desire for the consolidation of power by the increasingly powerful monarchs. The increase in monarchical power and its conflicts with the Church of Rome were only exacerbated by the rise to power of Philip IV in 1285. In France, the process of centralizing r…
First Jubilee Year
- Boniface proclaimed 1300 a "jubilee" year, the first of many such jubilees to take place in Rome. He may have wanted to gather money from pilgrims to Rome as a substitute for the missing money from France, or it may be that he was seeking moral and political support against the hostile behavior of the French king and his henchmen. The event was a success; Rome had neve…
First Scottish War of Independence
- After King Edward I of England invaded Scotland and forced the abdication of the Scottish King John Balliol, the deposed king was released into the custody of Pope Boniface on condition that he remain at a papal residence. The hard-pressed Scottish Parliament, then in the early stages of what came to be known as First Scottish War of Independence, condemned Edward I's invasion …
Continued Feud with Philip IV
- The feud between Boniface and Philip IV reached its peak in the early 14th century, when Philip began to launch a strong anti-papal campaign against Boniface. A quarrel arose between Philip's aides and a papal legate, Bernard Saisset. The legate was arrested on a charge of inciting an insurrection, was tried and convicted by the royal court, and committed to the custody of the arc…
Election as Pope
- After the 6-month pontificate of the hermit-pope Celestine V ended with his resignation in December 1294, Benedetto Caetani was elected pope on December 24, and he took the name Boniface VIII. Celestine's brief pontificate and the unique circumstances of his resignation had created chaos in the world of ecclesiastical administration. Boniface first...
Conflict with Philip IV
- In 1296, however, another problem had arisen, one which touched the very center of papal and temporal power: the question of taxation. The Church had long authorized, in certain cases, the collection of taxes on Church income and property by temporal authorities. The Church itself also collected taxes, and by the late 13th-century these early instances of taxation had become lucrat…
Assessment of Boniface's Life
- Boniface was the target of much abuse both within and without the Church. His enemies portrayed him as a heretic, a sorcerer, a sodomite, and a traducer of the faith. His actions against the city of Florence earned him a place in Dante's Inferno,and between 1303 and 1311 Philip IV held the threat of a trial of Boniface and the possible repudiation of his pontificate by the Churc…
Further Reading
- The texts in translation of Boniface's most famous letters are found in Brian Tierney, The Crisis of Church and State, 1050-1300 (1964). The best biography is Thomas S.R. Boase, Boniface VIII (1933). Another excellent study is Charles T. Wood, Philip the Fair and Boniface VIII: State vs. Papacy(1967), which contains an exhaustive bibliography.
Additional Sources
- Denton, Jeffrey Howard., Philip the Fair and the ecclesiastical assemblies of 1294-1295, Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1991. □