Posted on 11/17/2014 6:17:04 AM PST by marshmallow
Amen to that. While Franciscans are a model for spreading peace, even Jesus flipped a few tables.
It should never have been a political force. I understand the politics of the time, but the church had no business in the secular realm. As far as today goes, there is no persecution of the church when taken in a historical context. There will be, but it isn't here yet. Which is why Christians where they have political say, should be fighting hard against secular humanism. Not to avoid persecution, but because it is the right thing to do.
Hind sight is 20/20. The Church had lands, tenants, and other trappings of state. If you were the head man, what would you do?
I wouldn’t have been a Catholic, but had I been, I would have followed the example of some of the monastics and dispossessed them. Other than the Vatican property where the Pope sat, the rest of Papal lands became a point of contention through the years.
The issue was the Pope couldn’t dispossess Catholic monarchs. If he excommunicated them, he ran the chance of an invasion from that monarch, and an immediate loss of military support from other invasions, such as the Lombards.
The Papal States were much like Belgium, constantly being invaded. With a relatively small military to speak of, the Pope was always looking to create alliances with larger states for protection. In this case, he was also trying to not so subtlety threaten those who would seek to invade with excommunication.
As with all diplomacy, you have to figure out what levers you control, and how hard you push those levers.
Should there have been Papal States? In hindsight, no. It did however serve the purpose of providing income to support a social structure throughout Italy, as well evangelization abroad.
There is a line from Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze. He is looking to rent a room. The farmer has a room over his barn.
It ain’t the money, but if I don’t charge you,...
..the Presbyterians are likely to pray for my ruination.
How does $ 150 a month strike you?
- Fine.
- You can afford that much?
If it keeps you in the Church’s good graces.
Ain’t it peculiar how money seems to do that very thing?
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