Discuss how to make the ultimate Papal States wank before it becomes ASB.
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The Ultimate Papal-Wank
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Abdul Hadi Pasha
Banned
It's going to take a lot of brain bleach to remove the image that this thread title has created in my mind.
There were perhaps better ways of saying it, weren't there?
OK, we've had our laugh, now back on topic. What is the best possible "wank" the Papal States could possibly do? (AND NOT THAT WANK!)
Abdul Hadi Pasha
Banned
There were perhaps better ways of saying it, weren't there?
OK, we've had our laugh, now back on topic. What is the best possible "wank" the Papal States could possibly do? (AND NOT THAT WANK!)
In the power struggle between the Pope and Emperor, the Pope wins, and becomes both spiritual and temporal head of the entire Holy Roman Empire.
maverick
Banned
There were perhaps better ways of saying it, weren't there?
OK, we've had our laugh, now back on topic. What is the best possible "wank" the Papal States could possibly do? (AND NOT THAT WANK!)
Cesare Borgia supports the French candidate to the Papacy in 1503, creating an alliance between the remnants of the Borgia family, the papacy and France, which in turn results in a Aragonese-Venetian alliance against them.
Somehow, they win.
Aragon takes Sicily as opposed to Sicily and Naples, France takes Lombardy and Naples; the papacy takes Florence and the Venetian provinces bordering the Papal lands.
Wars continue throughout the 16th century and the Pope that follows the French pope, who dies in 1510, eventually allies with Charles V and together they get the French out of Italy.
Charles V gets Naples, the Pope gets Lombardy and more Venetian lands...
Somewhat superficial and lacking in details, but the best I could do under 5 minutes
I've got to say that surely the Ultimate Papal-Wank is the one that successive Popes of around the 11th century mooted, surely? A universal Christian kingdom under God, and one governed, in the days when Papal claims of hierarchical supremacy over mere "temporal" kings were not only claims taken seriously by the Christian monarchs but actually claims respected and defended by those who stood to be vassalised by such a formation. Observe for instance, the HRE in something like 1088 (it's too early in the morning and I'm not going to look it up right now but I bet he's not hard to find...Conrad II or someone maybe) walking barefoot into Rome and prostrating himself before the Pope in penance for being too disrespectful of Papal power. Observe John declaring England a Papal fief in order to avoid having to take Magna Carta seriously. In a world where events favoured Popes much more, it's entirely plausible that the Popes could have eventually forced Christianity into a position where they truly did have temporal power in Europe and kings were almost like mere feudal provincial lords. Though science in such a Europe would be greatly stifled, there's no reason why such a united Europe couldn't come to slowly spread out, eventually taking the Americas and Africa over the course of several centuries, and possibly slowly enveloping Asia too. Considering that the universal Christendom was a policy most kings ascribed to at the height of Papal power, a world conquest isn't a totally ASB possibility.
I'm LOVE if England/Ireland became Papal fief during/after the reign of King John, Pope Innocent III, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ, Successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the Kingdom of England and of the Lordship of Ireland, Servant of the Servants of God
I'd say Falastur just won. Complete world conquest is about the limit of a wank...unless the Pope declares a crusade to spread the Word of the Lord to the stars!
Well, there was this party that Alexander VI hosted, in which these hookers...
Oh, totally not what you meant
Italy unified by the Papal Estates would be an interesting thought...just let me think of the how...
actually between 1821 and 1848 something like that risked to happen.
Not an really unitarian state, but rather a federal union of states (Naples, Papan, Tuscany, Savoy, Parma, Modena) with the Pope as a (quasi-nominal) chief of the federation.
Official reason was that he was the one having the most moral prestige; real reason was that no one would suffer any other one to be it.
Probably austrian Lombardo-veneto would not have jopined the federation
I'd say Falastur just won. Complete world conquest is about the limit of a wank...unless the Pope declares a crusade to spread the Word of the Lord to the stars!
Bringing the Word of the Lord to the stars? Nonsense. Everyone knows that the earth is the only planet in existence and the Sun and all the stars revolve around us here! Conquering the world IS conquering the universe
Couldn't resist, sorry. But anyway, yeah, a TL of my proposal would be awesome to read but I'm not sure that I'd be the one to write it. While I'm good at spotting flaws in other TLs that I see, I have a terrible tendency to allow systematic bias into my TLs which I fear would make my story far less fun to read. But I would definitely be up for reading such a TL, and getting involved if I could.
My idea for a Papal wank (the most "realistic" as possible) is Pope Julius II successfully unifying Italy (outside of Napels) under the Vatican's control and subsequent popes expanding the Papal States into Africa and the Americas.
The Ultimate Papal Wank in real people speak: Hundreds and hundreds of dancing altar boys prancing around the Vatican as cherubs steal their robes
The Ultimate Papal Wank in AH people speak: A Borgia-like pope gets himself elected in time to be around when the Italian Unification movement heats up. He accepts their offer to be the symbolic leader of Italy but once unification is complete, decides to usurp power for himself. And he keeps it.
He pulls a series of five year plans out of his vestments and turns Italy into an industrial and military power.
The Ultimate Papal Wank in AH people speak: A Borgia-like pope gets himself elected in time to be around when the Italian Unification movement heats up. He accepts their offer to be the symbolic leader of Italy but once unification is complete, decides to usurp power for himself. And he keeps it.
He pulls a series of five year plans out of his vestments and turns Italy into an industrial and military power.
1. late 11th/early 12th century: England is a Papal Fief as is France and technically so is the HRE. Leon and Castile are all but in bed with the Papacy while most of Italy and large parts of Poland/Hungary are also under Catholic sway. A savvy Pope decides to reel in local rulers and establish not only de facto but de jure Papal rule in these areas, creating a council of Temporal Kings to meet every 10 years and a council of Archbishops to act as administrators and arbitrators. Rome becomes the center of power for Europe once again, eventually leading local Crusades to end Islamic rule in Spain and western North Africa along with establishing Catholic rule in the Orthodox lands, slowly converting those populations back to Catholicism. They proceed to overrun central Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and even parts of the Ukraine. An ultimate test against the Mongols stops the horde at great cost but fear of an external threat galvanizes and solidifies the fragile unity. With many dying of the Black Plague a century later, local identities subsume to a general Catholic identity that establishes over Europe and the Near East by 1400. By that time Egypt and Persia are the seats of Islamic power though both are eyed greedily by expansionist Catholics who are stopped only by their own recent depopulation.
2. 16th century: Borgia alliances and machinations permit Cesare Borgia to become Pope with his sister coming to power in Sicily. Eventually her line of descendants become temporal rulers of a Sicily ultimately overseen by Papal authority, which slowly expands to the North once the southern flank is secure. Borgia puppets or family inherit the Papacy over the next two centuries while the Sicilian line rule as essentially hereditary administrators. By 1650 the Italian wars are over and the Papacy controls Italy from Trieste and the Dalmatian Coast to just outside Marseilles along with Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Corfu, and Malta.
3. early 19th century: the aftermath of Napoleon causes many Italians to believe in a united Italy, and who better to lead the office than God's own chosen? Papal states rally many using liberal policies in 1848 and by plebiscite the Papacy becomes the chief (or one of the chief) administrative office(s) for all of Italy and her Empire thereafter. Her relationship with other nations is somewhat hurt as all Catholics come to be seen as possible spies for Rome. However, her neutrality in global conflicts along with a strong emphasis on education (along with elimination of competing Mafia interests in the South) make her into a solid second-tier power following WWI. Her neutrality in most of WWII also helps, leaving her outright the industrial power of Europe for over a decade and making her the third most powerful of the NATO members.
2. 16th century: Borgia alliances and machinations permit Cesare Borgia to become Pope with his sister coming to power in Sicily. Eventually her line of descendants become temporal rulers of a Sicily ultimately overseen by Papal authority, which slowly expands to the North once the southern flank is secure. Borgia puppets or family inherit the Papacy over the next two centuries while the Sicilian line rule as essentially hereditary administrators. By 1650 the Italian wars are over and the Papacy controls Italy from Trieste and the Dalmatian Coast to just outside Marseilles along with Corsica, Sardinia, Sicily, Corfu, and Malta.
3. early 19th century: the aftermath of Napoleon causes many Italians to believe in a united Italy, and who better to lead the office than God's own chosen? Papal states rally many using liberal policies in 1848 and by plebiscite the Papacy becomes the chief (or one of the chief) administrative office(s) for all of Italy and her Empire thereafter. Her relationship with other nations is somewhat hurt as all Catholics come to be seen as possible spies for Rome. However, her neutrality in global conflicts along with a strong emphasis on education (along with elimination of competing Mafia interests in the South) make her into a solid second-tier power following WWI. Her neutrality in most of WWII also helps, leaving her outright the industrial power of Europe for over a decade and making her the third most powerful of the NATO members.
I know that this might be slightly off-topic, but at the moment the Monarch Thread is speculating on an united Church. (Do bear in mind it's a work in progress!)
Habemus Papam
What if Pope Benedict IX was unable to reconquer the Papacy after selling the position to his godfather?
1032 - 1045: Benedict IX (Papal State)
1045 - 1052: John XX (Papal State) [1]
1052 - 1060: Benedict X (Papal State) [2]
1060 - 1061: Sergius V (Duchy of Saxony) [3]
1061 - 1078: Sylvester IV (Papal State) [4]
1078 - 1090: Leo IX (County of Burgundy) [5]
1090 - 1095: Gabriel I (Archdiocese of Reims) [6]
1095 - 1108: Gregory VI (Archdiocese of Reims) [7]
1108 - 1120: Leo X (Duchy of Rome) [8]
1120 - 1151: Sylvester V (Duchy of Rome) [9]
1151 - 1223: Gabriel II (Duchy of Rome) [10]
1223 - 1235: Adeodatus III (Archdiocese of Reims) [11]
1235 - 1243: Balthazar I (Archdiocese of Reims) [12]
1243 - 1267: Balthazar II (Duchy of Rome) [13]
1267 - 1267: Benedict XI (Republic of Venice) [14]
1267 - 1268: Italian Interregnum
1268 - 1280: Valentine II (Kingdom of the Holy See) [15]
1280 - 1322: St. Balthazar (III) (Byzantine See) [16]
1280 - 1301: Valentine III (Kingdom of the Holy See) [17]
1301 - 1308: Sixtus IV (Kingdom of the Holy See) [18]
1308 - 1367: Luke I (Kingdom of the Holy See) [19]
1367 - 1398: Adrian IV (Kingdom of the Holy See) [20]
1398 - 1427: Luke II (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [21]
1427 - 1430: Sixtus V (Holy Kingdom of Italy)[22]
1430 - 1433: Leo XI (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [23]
1433 - 1454: Balthazar IV (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [24]
1454 - 1470: Melchior (Aramaic See) [25]
1470 - 1482: Valentine IV (Holy Kingdom of Italy)[26]
1482 - 1495: Sixtus VI (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [27]
1495 - 1533: Zosimus II (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [28]
1533 - 1537: Stephen X (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [29]
1537 - 1550: Balthazar V (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [30]
1550 - 1559: Adrian V (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [31]
Holy Civil War: Italian Popes (1559 - 1592):
1559 - 1561: Sylvester VI (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [32]
1561 - 1564: Leo Alexander (Southern Papal League) [33]
1564 - 1570: Leo Sylvester (Southern Papal League) [34]
1561 - 1564: Leo Mark (Southern Papal League) [35]
1564 - 1574: Sylvester Melchior (Papal League)
1574 - 1592: Sylvester Cornelius (Papal League)
Holy Civil War: Byzantine Popes (1567 - 1592):
1567 - 1580: Adrian VI (Byzantine See) [A]
1580 - 1590: Adrian VII (Byzantine See) [I3]
1590 - 1592: Leo XII (Byzantine See) [C]
Popes of the Re-United Church
1592 - 1604: Leo XII (Byzantine See) [C]
1604 - 1619: Constantine II (Roman See)[36]
1619 - 1643: Valentine V (Roman See) [37]
Foundation of the Holy Commonwealth
1643 - 1649: Gabriel III (Vitan See) [38]
1649 - 1655: Leo XIII (Roman See) [39]
1655 - 1720: Philip Joseph (Roman See) [40]
1720 - 1735: Balthazar VI (Aramaic See) [41]
1735 - 1745: Urban II (Aramaic See) [42]
[1] The Pope temporarily moved his court to Ravenna.
[2] John XX returned the papal court to Rome.
[3] Contrary to traditional practice, Sergius kept his old See and governed both Rome and Aachen simultaneously.
[4] Sylvester IV, despite having a corrupt and semi-authoritarian rule over the Catholic Church, strengthened Rome's position against the increasing influence of Byzantine Orthodoxy.
[5] Leo was not as lucky as his predecessor, and in the midst of the Conclave which elected him Rome was besieged by the forces of the Byzantine Emperor. He would thus rule from his home diocese in Burgundy after fleeing the city - and was unable to retake it.
[6] With the installation of the Orthodox Church in Rome, the prominent French Archdiocese of Reims evolved into the new home of the Roman Catholic Church. Gabriel was forced to address the rise of the "new" religions which swept in from the Holy Land. Whilst the Eastern Christian Church (spearheaded by the Byzantines) was the main concern, the increasing military presence of Islamic forces and the rise of both the Arianist and Coptic faiths sparked a crisis for the Roman Catholic Church.
[7] Continual failures to reclaim Rome by diplomatic means from the Byzantines and growing frustration within the Curia led to the Declaration of Reims, which excommunicated the entire Byzantine Court and granted Catholics permission to seize Orthodox lands. The document resulted in the Frankish invasion of Italy and the lesser invasion of Greece by the Catholic rulers of Europe. The theological, cultural and political ramifications were immense. Gregory did not live to see the Papacy reinstalled in Rome.
[8] In order to secure a Papal restoration in Rome, Leo X had to accept French scrutiny over him. He officially related to the King of France as the Duke-Bishop of Rome - something under which he chaffed.
[9] With the French continuing to dominate Central European politics, Sylvester V was unable to persuade the French monarchy to return the Papal States to Rome. As a result, he remained a semi-vassal. Nevertheless, the collapse of the Byzantine Empire resulted in the Great Islamic Conquest, which saw the Caliphates spread right into Central Turkey and Greece.
[10] Although largely believed to have bought his position, Pope Gabriel II introduced Islamic architecture and culture to the Papal Court and ensured the protection of Catholic travelers to the Levant. Under his leadership, the Duchy of Rome became the middle man for trade between the Eastern powers and the West; he was accused by later writers of being a secret Muslim.
[11] The controversial reign of Gabriel II resulted in a backlash against the Roman Papacy, and the Bishop of Reims was elected by a group of rebel cardinals in Reims to combat the Eastern influences. Like his namesake (Adeodatus II), he was a charitable Pope, who gave emphasis to the poor and needy.
[12] Taking his name after one of the Three Magis, Pope Balthazar I was famously obsessed with finding the legendary Kingdom of Prester John, and during his Papacy, Balthazar commissioned several expeditions to the Far East in an effort to find it. Though the elusive Christian nation was never found, his efforts did lead to the commencement of diplomatic connection between the Holy See and the Song Dynasty.
[13] Like is predecessor, Balthazar II was obsessed with lost Christian Kingdoms. His interests however were more historically established and his launched the first of what became known as the "Sacrabella". Later historians would assert that Balthazar's intentions actually had little to do with mystic faith, and more to do with the very pragmatic realization that the monarchs of Christian Europe had grown restless and unless a greater enemy was found, Christendom may have turned in upon itself. Proponents point to a variety of actions and inactions on his part including things like returning to Frankish Rome (to more quickly communicate with the Crossbarers and then the Sacral Kingdoms once established).
[14] Benedict was elected to end the schism between the Reims and Roman Papacy by placing the Papacy in 'neutral' territory. Pope Benedict entered into negotiations with the French King to end the de jure vassalization of the Papacy. His sudden death a few months later, however, left the issue unresolved.
[15] The failure of Benedict XI's attempt to reinstate the Papal States was largely a mute issue, as the Muslim hordes pushed upwards from southern Italy in 1267 (shortly after his death). The Franks, fattened by a degree of self-certainty since the conquest of Italy, were taken complete by surprise and Rome fell. A new Pope was subsequently only elected after the retreat of the Muslims after intervention from the combined forces of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, and to combat a potential Frankish resurgence the Papal States were re-installed. This new territory was substantially larger than the former Papal State, and put Rome in charge of a largely theocratic kingdom of northern and central Italy. After his election, Valentine would continue to advocate the development of ties with the Orient, although the beginning of the epic struggle between Mongol and Song would soon begin to have more disastrous consequences for Europe as a whole.
[16] Perhaps one of the most fascinating figures of the medieval Church, St. Balthazar was initially elected to appease the increasingly upset bishops of the Sacral Kingdoms who felt the Holy See remained too Western-Eurocentric. Theodore, Bishop of Constantinople, was inaugurated in Rome with many believing his Papacy would be short due to his age and poor health). He took the name Balthazar after his predecessor who had launched the First Sarcabellum, but instead of residing in Rome returned to Constantinople. While still Bishop of Rome, he delegated much of his secular authority in the city to the Roman guilds and assemblies, and across the greater Kingdom of the Holy See to their respective Princes of the Church. St. Balthazar's long tenure included not just a lifting of the excommunications between the Coptic and Catholic Churches, but an active effort on the part of Catholicism to help ouster the Muslims from Egypt resulting in the "Coptic Sacrabellum" and the installation Romanus Komenid - a descendant of the Eastern Emperors. His reign also saw continued contact with the Far East (in an act befitting his name), establishing the Catholic Nasrani See in India - though only historians would come to see the symbolism! His Papacy is considered to have sat in the Byzantine See (as opposed to the Roman) only as a matter of historiographic convenience; even though during his reign Constantinople was considered part of the secular polity of the Holy See. After a massive out pouring of grief at his death in both Constantinople and Rome, the Cardinal Electors assembled in Rome to elect his successor, and supposedly following an inconclusive fourth ballot the whole of the College rose (compelled by the Holy Spirit at his entrance to Heaven) and acclaimed him a Saint - a declaration confirmed as one of his first acts by Valentine III (his successor) which established the writ of canonization by divine acclamation.
[17] Valentine III held the Papal court in Rome, but retained the good political and religious relations created by Balthazar III. In particular, the Coptic Kingdom of Egypt was developing nicely into one of the largest trade centres in the Mediterranean under the Komenids. Valentine was never a healthy man, and was known for his many vices - he reportedly held three wives whilst in the office. Nevertheless, he was a respected and authoritative leader who did much for the establishment of religious tolerance in Western Europe.
[18] Sixtus IV called the Council of Ravenna between Catholic and Orthodox figures, which set the groundwork for a latter possible reunification of Christianity.
[19] Elected at a young age, Luke ("the Healer") is regarded as one of the greatest Popes. After the successes of Ravenna, talks continued between the Churches and in 1344 the first offer of a recombined Church was made. Whilst this was declined - largely due to the ongoing Kievan-Byzantine War - by the end of his reign Luke had reunited the Churches in all but name via the Thirteen Councils of Rome.
[20] Elected at the age of 59, Adrian IV was able to officially unite the Catholic and Orthodox denominations in 1374, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Luke the Healer. The new unification of the Churches strengthened Christianity in Europe, and paved the way for the spread of the Renaissance throughout Italy and Europe. The Kievan-Byzantine War was brought to an end around the same time as the Grand Reunification, and thus allowed much praise to be directed Adrian's way, allowing him to be remembered as one of the best popes to have led the Church.
[21] With the New Church the dominant force in Europe by far, Luke II was granted extensive lands across the Italian peninsula, and proclaimed the Holy Kingdom shortly after his coronation in 1398. Whilst criticized for his intent to create a semi-hereditary Papacy, Luke II was also acknowledged to be the first Pope to command an independent navy. With the Middle East and Holy Land now being reconquered by the Byzantines in the name of Christianity, it was truly a golden age for the New Church.
[22] Sixtus continued the stability of the New Church, but was otherwise rather overshadowed by his direct predecessors.
[23] Leo XI was believed to have been poisoned by a rebel member of his court, but in modern times it is believed he likely died of appendicitis.
[24] Balthazar IV (also known as "the Reformer"), taking his name after his illustrious predecessor, St. Balthazar "the Great" initiated the great Balthazarine Reforms which are associated with the rise of the New Church as being integral to the centralization of organization and doctrinal synchrony of the former Roman and Greek Churches. At the Council of Athens in 1437, the issue of clerical celibacy was decided upon once and for all, not only was it to be permitted, by citing Paul's words in 1 Timothy, it was to be encouraged, after which Balthazar became the first pope since Apostolic times to actually take a wife, Theodora of Constantinople, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor. Balthazar also expounded greatly upon the teachings of St. Augustine, declaring the doctrine of Predestination to be "true and catholic." Towards the end of his life, Balthazar spent considerable funds on bringing alchemists to the papal court, hoping they could cook up some elixir that could prolong his life, an effort that back-fired, as Pope Balthazar IV in 1454 died in mercury poisoning. Though it was well-known that Balthazar IV desired his and Theodora's eldest son Gregory to become his successor, seeing how Gregory was merely 16 years old at his father's death, at the conclave of 1454, the cardinals opted for a little more experienced candidate.
[25] Known prior to his election as Thomas, Bishop of Jerusalem, Melchior's election represented the College of Cardinals reaction to and in someway against the Papacy of Balthazar IV. A devoutly pious man, Melchior strongly disliked the secular power the Papacy had amassed centered on Rome. Thus he, like St. Balthazar before him, retained his home seat and moved the Holy See to Jerusalem for his Papacy. He launched the Chaldean Sarcabellum in which the Byzantines, Germans, and French (with the aid of Egyptian officers) took the city of Baghdad. Some of his private papers made available only recently to historians indicate that he was the first confirmed proponent of a Papal break with the Kingdom of Italy - something that would not occur officially until two centuries after his death. Just as with the Byzantine See, the Aramaic See is a term of convenience for historians.
[26] With Melchior's break from Rome came the establishment of a period of instability within the Catholic Church. Valentine was elected from the ever-decreasing number of Iberian Christian cardinals. He initially took up the throne in Rome, but after the beginning of the Counter-Sacrabellum returned to his homeland to the monastery at Zamora. This would prove a sign of weakness on behalf of the Church, as Rome (or even Italy) had not been threatened by the invading Muslims. As a result, it has been suggested that Valentine simply tired of public life to retreat into the silence of Spain.
[27] Sixtus VI, although German in origin, was concerned with the Catholics of the Far East. He sought to establish more efficient contact, especially with the Nasrani See, which eventually resulted in the Marian Voyage and the discovery of the New World in 1495 by members of the Marian Order - an event which he did not actually live to hear about.
[28] From a family of Jewish origin (like his namesake), Zosimus II sought to continue the amalgamation of the Church by forcibly expanding it to the New World. He also sought for the creation of a new series of "Grand Sacrabella" to bring Christianity to the heathen lands of the East - in particular China and the Indonesian archipelago. Such a task was vast in scale, and was never launched during his lifetime. Nevertheless, Zosimus was successful in securing commitment from the European powers in pushing for these aims after his death.
[29] After the long reign of Zosimus II, the elderly Metropolitan of Ephesus was elected with a focus on his holiness, which greatly helped the missions started by his predecessor.
[30] Both the first of the Marian Order elected to St. Peter's throne and the first pontiff from the Nasrani See (although he was ethnically Greek and had sent most of his life in Jerusalem), Balthazar V sought to forward and expedite the work of Zomimus II when he entered into an agreement with Herakles III, Coptic King of Egypt to fund construction a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The project started under the Italian Giovanni Battista Belluzzi as chief architect, would take over a half-century to complete.
[31] Venetian Pope with firm ties to his semi-independent home city, Adrian V is widely believed to have acquired the Papacy through extensive simony on the part of Venice, though nothing has ever been proven. It is however indisputable that Venice received significant papal favours during the Adrian papacy, among them a bull that granted them a significant part of the coastline of Sixstinus Meridionalis (Sixstinus Meridionalis being OTL South America, what Venice got was the right to most of OTL Brazil's coastline).
[32] Sylvester bought the position, and faced the first civil war of the Holy Kingdom of Italy - his brother also claimed the position with his own loyal band of cardinals!
[33] Backed by the Princes of Naples and Sicily, Sylvester VI's brother, Cenio Cardinal Migliorati managed to take the Holy City in 1561, and after a lengthy trial, Sylvester VI was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stakes. In the conclave that followed, Cenio made sure that only his own allies were allowed to enter Rome, and he was thus unanimously elected Pope in the very first vote. Taking the name Leo Alexander I, he were to rule for only three troubled years during which most of northern Italy were in open rebellion against him, instead recognizing his nephew and Sylvester VI's son as the legitimate Pope. The Holy Civil Wars had only begun...
[34] As the young nephew of Leo Alexander and son of Sylvester VI, Leo Sylvester was the first of the so-called Boy-Popes.
[35] After the poisoning of Leo Sylvester in 1570, the Italian civil war entered into a particuarly brutal phase. Sylvester Mark would last just four years before his death and Sylvester Melchior, elected unanimously by the decreasing number of loyal cardinals, would survive just into adulthood before begin struck by a crossbow bolt whilst campaigning in Tuscany (having proclaimed the 'Papal League' just days before). He was succeeded by the third Boy-Pope - Sylvester Cornelius - who faced the invading forces of the Germans and Byzantines as the "Entire Sacrabellum" was launched upon Italy. The conflict whnt through periods of inactivity, and as a result it was only in 1790 - the coronation of Leo XII in Constantinople - when the final push was made for Rome. Cornelius was captured by the Byzantines, and executed publicly in St. Peter's Square. The rift in the Church was declared healed when Leo XII assumed the role of the first Unified Pope since the beginning of the troubles.
[A] The break down of Papal authority in Italy left the greater Catholic world to writhe. This could have been avoided had foreign Cardinals been allowed to enter Rome (or even Italy for that matter) at either the Conclave of 1559 or 1561. However, they were not and many feared the Church would eat itself alive if the Italians did not get their house in order. In1567, when the Bishop of Constantinople died, the German-Roman Emperor issued the Supplication of Augsburg (a document drafted by German and Greek diplomats) which - through prayer to God - called upon all true Catholic Cardinals to assemble in Constantinople and elect a Pope to oversee the well being of the Church universal. Thus the College of Cardinals (including the Bishop of Milan who sought to remove himself from Italy's Civil War) assembled under the Greek-Roman Emperor's auspices in the Imperial City of Constantinople. There they elected the preferred candidate of both Roman Emperors, the Primate of Athens, as Adrian VI. Thus, though not ruling in Rome (although he did claim the title Bishop of Rome), Adrian VI came to head the Church universal minus Italy. For much of his early reign he pleaded with the envoys from France and Germany and with the Byzantine Emperor to intervene in Italy. However secular interests prevailed. Once the religious health of the Catholic Church had been secured in his election, Adrian would shift his work eastward as the Byzantines were preoccupied with their war in Persia, the Germans were busy with domestic intrigue and the French wrestling Venice for it's New World colonies.
[I3] At his time of his death Adrian VI left, through no fault of his own, a highly volatile Church. As a result, Adrian VII was forced to use shrewd diplomacy for action. He excommunciated the Venetians in 1581, and this triggered Castillian intervention in the conflict and a decisive French victory. Then, Adrian called upon Hugh VIII (the French King) to assist the Byzantines in Persia. The result was a thrilling success, and a restoration of priorities to the two most significant Christian powers. Adrian declared the "Entire Sacrabellum" in 1584, and this brought the unified forces of the Byzantine See's allies upon the warring factions in Italy. With the northerners wiped out quickly, the Romans would prove a more determined foe, and the conflict lurched in and out of movement.
[C] The death of Adrian VII in 1590 brought the strong and determined Leo XII to the premiership. He called upon the immediate seizure of Rome, and in 1592 ordered the public execution of anti-Pope Sylvester Cornelius after the city fell to siege. Leo declared himself the leader of a reunified Church, but the ramifications of the Holy Civil War would be felt far and wide. Domestically, the remainder of Leo's reign was concerned with the revitalization of Christian dogma. As a result he became the founder of the prominent Neohypostatic Sect of Christian teaching, and created numerous organizations (both public and secret) that followed the order. They preached that man could become closer to Christ (and therefore God) by trying to purge the sins of the human form and - eventually - self-sacrifice. It is rumored - although a highly taboo subject in Christian circles - that this is how the ageing and increasingly self-dctatorial Pope met his end in 1604, and this practice would begin to increase in occurence across the entire Christian world.
[36]In an effort to legitimize his position as Bishop of Rome, Constantine moved to the Eternal City while appointing a replacement in Byzantium, thus ending the short personal union between the two sees.
[37] Valentine V, a decisive leader, founded the Holy Commonwealth. This allowed Popes to elect their Holy courts from a list of approved sites of corresponding significance and religiousity: Rome and Constantinople were held in the highest regard but others (such as Reims, Zamora and Cologne) were almost as respected. This allowed a mobile Church, with less emphasis on location and more about integration.
[38] As the fourth Pope of the post-civil war period, Gabriel III has received less historical attention than his predecessors. Nevertheless, he chose the holy city of Prague (in his native Bohemia) as his holy seat (granting the title the Vitan See). He was an unspectacular and largely insignificant Pope, and his short reign did little to endear this relative backwater to the Italian and Greek cardinals in Rome and Constantinople.
[39] Leo XIII finally dealt with the lingering question of what to do with the former Holy Kingdom of Italy, which since the reunification of the Church had been jointly occupied and ruled by the Germans and Greeks. Leo crowned Prince Philip (second son of the German-Roman Emperor) King of the Italian States, and his wife Helena (eldest daughter of the Greek-Roman Emperor) Queen of the Italian States. However, Philip and Helena remained tied to both the German and Greek Roman Empires in a neofeudal condominium whereby various Italian states were considered beholden to either Emperor and Rome itself was governed by appointees of both - ostensibly so that both Emperors could continue using the title Roman Emperor.
[40] Leo XIII had numerous sons, and one of those would become the next Pope - who chose the unorthodox names of Philip Joseph. Despite nervous cries about the hereditary nature of the appointment, the new Pope would be forced to address the continued rise of the Neohypostatics in the eastern regions of the Church, and sacrabellums into Ethiopia and the Rift Valley would see the Coptic Church rise in prominence.
[41] A reformer, Balthazar VI was elected in large part as a reaction against Philip Joseph and his long reign. First and foremost among his reforms were alterations to Papal Election procedure. Though not outright banning the election of previous Popes' close relatives (by blood or marriage), the reforms required that any such relative elected, be confirmed by both the German and Greek Roman Emperors. Balthazar also came out forcefully against the neohypostatic practice of "self-sacrifice" and tasked the Greek Roman Emperor, the Sacral Kings, and their various clergy with running a major propaganda effort to educate the faithful as to why this specific aspect of neohypostatic thought was adoctrinal. Balthazar was also careful, however, not to label them heretics, fearing a split in the Church. He instead preached that they were well-intentioned in their faith but their ultimate interpretation missed the point and that Life was not only solely God's choice but also his greatest gift.
[42] Urban II continued the reforming practices of his predecessor, and was instigated by supporters in both the Greek and German camps. Also based in Jerusalem, Urban sought the extension of Catholicism across the New World but particuarly into Asia, and the beginning of the major Anti-Buddhist Period in Chinese, Korean and Japanese history took root from this period. (By 1850, and the force of the unified Christian Church behind it, Buddhism was a near-extinct religion in many parts of Asia.) Urban, despite surviving an assassination attempt from the Neohypostatics in 1742, would die after just ten years on the Holy Throne in 1745. The election process for his successor was highly contested (with qualms from both German and Greek Emperors) but eventually a compromise was made by the installation of _________ as Pope.
Habemus Papam
What if Pope Benedict IX was unable to reconquer the Papacy after selling the position to his godfather?
1032 - 1045: Benedict IX (Papal State)
1045 - 1052: John XX (Papal State) [1]
1052 - 1060: Benedict X (Papal State) [2]
1060 - 1061: Sergius V (Duchy of Saxony) [3]
1061 - 1078: Sylvester IV (Papal State) [4]
1078 - 1090: Leo IX (County of Burgundy) [5]
1090 - 1095: Gabriel I (Archdiocese of Reims) [6]
1095 - 1108: Gregory VI (Archdiocese of Reims) [7]
1108 - 1120: Leo X (Duchy of Rome) [8]
1120 - 1151: Sylvester V (Duchy of Rome) [9]
1151 - 1223: Gabriel II (Duchy of Rome) [10]
1223 - 1235: Adeodatus III (Archdiocese of Reims) [11]
1235 - 1243: Balthazar I (Archdiocese of Reims) [12]
1243 - 1267: Balthazar II (Duchy of Rome) [13]
1267 - 1267: Benedict XI (Republic of Venice) [14]
1267 - 1268: Italian Interregnum
1268 - 1280: Valentine II (Kingdom of the Holy See) [15]
1280 - 1322: St. Balthazar (III) (Byzantine See) [16]
1280 - 1301: Valentine III (Kingdom of the Holy See) [17]
1301 - 1308: Sixtus IV (Kingdom of the Holy See) [18]
1308 - 1367: Luke I (Kingdom of the Holy See) [19]
1367 - 1398: Adrian IV (Kingdom of the Holy See) [20]
1398 - 1427: Luke II (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [21]
1427 - 1430: Sixtus V (Holy Kingdom of Italy)[22]
1430 - 1433: Leo XI (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [23]
1433 - 1454: Balthazar IV (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [24]
1454 - 1470: Melchior (Aramaic See) [25]
1470 - 1482: Valentine IV (Holy Kingdom of Italy)[26]
1482 - 1495: Sixtus VI (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [27]
1495 - 1533: Zosimus II (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [28]
1533 - 1537: Stephen X (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [29]
1537 - 1550: Balthazar V (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [30]
1550 - 1559: Adrian V (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [31]
Holy Civil War: Italian Popes (1559 - 1592):
1559 - 1561: Sylvester VI (Holy Kingdom of Italy) [32]
1561 - 1564: Leo Alexander (Southern Papal League) [33]
1564 - 1570: Leo Sylvester (Southern Papal League) [34]
1561 - 1564: Leo Mark (Southern Papal League) [35]
1564 - 1574: Sylvester Melchior (Papal League)
1574 - 1592: Sylvester Cornelius (Papal League)
Holy Civil War: Byzantine Popes (1567 - 1592):
1567 - 1580: Adrian VI (Byzantine See) [A]
1580 - 1590: Adrian VII (Byzantine See) [I3]
1590 - 1592: Leo XII (Byzantine See) [C]
Popes of the Re-United Church
1592 - 1604: Leo XII (Byzantine See) [C]
1604 - 1619: Constantine II (Roman See)[36]
1619 - 1643: Valentine V (Roman See) [37]
Foundation of the Holy Commonwealth
1643 - 1649: Gabriel III (Vitan See) [38]
1649 - 1655: Leo XIII (Roman See) [39]
1655 - 1720: Philip Joseph (Roman See) [40]
1720 - 1735: Balthazar VI (Aramaic See) [41]
1735 - 1745: Urban II (Aramaic See) [42]
[1] The Pope temporarily moved his court to Ravenna.
[2] John XX returned the papal court to Rome.
[3] Contrary to traditional practice, Sergius kept his old See and governed both Rome and Aachen simultaneously.
[4] Sylvester IV, despite having a corrupt and semi-authoritarian rule over the Catholic Church, strengthened Rome's position against the increasing influence of Byzantine Orthodoxy.
[5] Leo was not as lucky as his predecessor, and in the midst of the Conclave which elected him Rome was besieged by the forces of the Byzantine Emperor. He would thus rule from his home diocese in Burgundy after fleeing the city - and was unable to retake it.
[6] With the installation of the Orthodox Church in Rome, the prominent French Archdiocese of Reims evolved into the new home of the Roman Catholic Church. Gabriel was forced to address the rise of the "new" religions which swept in from the Holy Land. Whilst the Eastern Christian Church (spearheaded by the Byzantines) was the main concern, the increasing military presence of Islamic forces and the rise of both the Arianist and Coptic faiths sparked a crisis for the Roman Catholic Church.
[7] Continual failures to reclaim Rome by diplomatic means from the Byzantines and growing frustration within the Curia led to the Declaration of Reims, which excommunicated the entire Byzantine Court and granted Catholics permission to seize Orthodox lands. The document resulted in the Frankish invasion of Italy and the lesser invasion of Greece by the Catholic rulers of Europe. The theological, cultural and political ramifications were immense. Gregory did not live to see the Papacy reinstalled in Rome.
[8] In order to secure a Papal restoration in Rome, Leo X had to accept French scrutiny over him. He officially related to the King of France as the Duke-Bishop of Rome - something under which he chaffed.
[9] With the French continuing to dominate Central European politics, Sylvester V was unable to persuade the French monarchy to return the Papal States to Rome. As a result, he remained a semi-vassal. Nevertheless, the collapse of the Byzantine Empire resulted in the Great Islamic Conquest, which saw the Caliphates spread right into Central Turkey and Greece.
[10] Although largely believed to have bought his position, Pope Gabriel II introduced Islamic architecture and culture to the Papal Court and ensured the protection of Catholic travelers to the Levant. Under his leadership, the Duchy of Rome became the middle man for trade between the Eastern powers and the West; he was accused by later writers of being a secret Muslim.
[11] The controversial reign of Gabriel II resulted in a backlash against the Roman Papacy, and the Bishop of Reims was elected by a group of rebel cardinals in Reims to combat the Eastern influences. Like his namesake (Adeodatus II), he was a charitable Pope, who gave emphasis to the poor and needy.
[12] Taking his name after one of the Three Magis, Pope Balthazar I was famously obsessed with finding the legendary Kingdom of Prester John, and during his Papacy, Balthazar commissioned several expeditions to the Far East in an effort to find it. Though the elusive Christian nation was never found, his efforts did lead to the commencement of diplomatic connection between the Holy See and the Song Dynasty.
[13] Like is predecessor, Balthazar II was obsessed with lost Christian Kingdoms. His interests however were more historically established and his launched the first of what became known as the "Sacrabella". Later historians would assert that Balthazar's intentions actually had little to do with mystic faith, and more to do with the very pragmatic realization that the monarchs of Christian Europe had grown restless and unless a greater enemy was found, Christendom may have turned in upon itself. Proponents point to a variety of actions and inactions on his part including things like returning to Frankish Rome (to more quickly communicate with the Crossbarers and then the Sacral Kingdoms once established).
[14] Benedict was elected to end the schism between the Reims and Roman Papacy by placing the Papacy in 'neutral' territory. Pope Benedict entered into negotiations with the French King to end the de jure vassalization of the Papacy. His sudden death a few months later, however, left the issue unresolved.
[15] The failure of Benedict XI's attempt to reinstate the Papal States was largely a mute issue, as the Muslim hordes pushed upwards from southern Italy in 1267 (shortly after his death). The Franks, fattened by a degree of self-certainty since the conquest of Italy, were taken complete by surprise and Rome fell. A new Pope was subsequently only elected after the retreat of the Muslims after intervention from the combined forces of Spain and the Holy Roman Empire, and to combat a potential Frankish resurgence the Papal States were re-installed. This new territory was substantially larger than the former Papal State, and put Rome in charge of a largely theocratic kingdom of northern and central Italy. After his election, Valentine would continue to advocate the development of ties with the Orient, although the beginning of the epic struggle between Mongol and Song would soon begin to have more disastrous consequences for Europe as a whole.
[16] Perhaps one of the most fascinating figures of the medieval Church, St. Balthazar was initially elected to appease the increasingly upset bishops of the Sacral Kingdoms who felt the Holy See remained too Western-Eurocentric. Theodore, Bishop of Constantinople, was inaugurated in Rome with many believing his Papacy would be short due to his age and poor health). He took the name Balthazar after his predecessor who had launched the First Sarcabellum, but instead of residing in Rome returned to Constantinople. While still Bishop of Rome, he delegated much of his secular authority in the city to the Roman guilds and assemblies, and across the greater Kingdom of the Holy See to their respective Princes of the Church. St. Balthazar's long tenure included not just a lifting of the excommunications between the Coptic and Catholic Churches, but an active effort on the part of Catholicism to help ouster the Muslims from Egypt resulting in the "Coptic Sacrabellum" and the installation Romanus Komenid - a descendant of the Eastern Emperors. His reign also saw continued contact with the Far East (in an act befitting his name), establishing the Catholic Nasrani See in India - though only historians would come to see the symbolism! His Papacy is considered to have sat in the Byzantine See (as opposed to the Roman) only as a matter of historiographic convenience; even though during his reign Constantinople was considered part of the secular polity of the Holy See. After a massive out pouring of grief at his death in both Constantinople and Rome, the Cardinal Electors assembled in Rome to elect his successor, and supposedly following an inconclusive fourth ballot the whole of the College rose (compelled by the Holy Spirit at his entrance to Heaven) and acclaimed him a Saint - a declaration confirmed as one of his first acts by Valentine III (his successor) which established the writ of canonization by divine acclamation.
[17] Valentine III held the Papal court in Rome, but retained the good political and religious relations created by Balthazar III. In particular, the Coptic Kingdom of Egypt was developing nicely into one of the largest trade centres in the Mediterranean under the Komenids. Valentine was never a healthy man, and was known for his many vices - he reportedly held three wives whilst in the office. Nevertheless, he was a respected and authoritative leader who did much for the establishment of religious tolerance in Western Europe.
[18] Sixtus IV called the Council of Ravenna between Catholic and Orthodox figures, which set the groundwork for a latter possible reunification of Christianity.
[19] Elected at a young age, Luke ("the Healer") is regarded as one of the greatest Popes. After the successes of Ravenna, talks continued between the Churches and in 1344 the first offer of a recombined Church was made. Whilst this was declined - largely due to the ongoing Kievan-Byzantine War - by the end of his reign Luke had reunited the Churches in all but name via the Thirteen Councils of Rome.
[20] Elected at the age of 59, Adrian IV was able to officially unite the Catholic and Orthodox denominations in 1374, following in the footsteps of his predecessor, Luke the Healer. The new unification of the Churches strengthened Christianity in Europe, and paved the way for the spread of the Renaissance throughout Italy and Europe. The Kievan-Byzantine War was brought to an end around the same time as the Grand Reunification, and thus allowed much praise to be directed Adrian's way, allowing him to be remembered as one of the best popes to have led the Church.
[21] With the New Church the dominant force in Europe by far, Luke II was granted extensive lands across the Italian peninsula, and proclaimed the Holy Kingdom shortly after his coronation in 1398. Whilst criticized for his intent to create a semi-hereditary Papacy, Luke II was also acknowledged to be the first Pope to command an independent navy. With the Middle East and Holy Land now being reconquered by the Byzantines in the name of Christianity, it was truly a golden age for the New Church.
[22] Sixtus continued the stability of the New Church, but was otherwise rather overshadowed by his direct predecessors.
[23] Leo XI was believed to have been poisoned by a rebel member of his court, but in modern times it is believed he likely died of appendicitis.
[24] Balthazar IV (also known as "the Reformer"), taking his name after his illustrious predecessor, St. Balthazar "the Great" initiated the great Balthazarine Reforms which are associated with the rise of the New Church as being integral to the centralization of organization and doctrinal synchrony of the former Roman and Greek Churches. At the Council of Athens in 1437, the issue of clerical celibacy was decided upon once and for all, not only was it to be permitted, by citing Paul's words in 1 Timothy, it was to be encouraged, after which Balthazar became the first pope since Apostolic times to actually take a wife, Theodora of Constantinople, daughter of the Byzantine Emperor. Balthazar also expounded greatly upon the teachings of St. Augustine, declaring the doctrine of Predestination to be "true and catholic." Towards the end of his life, Balthazar spent considerable funds on bringing alchemists to the papal court, hoping they could cook up some elixir that could prolong his life, an effort that back-fired, as Pope Balthazar IV in 1454 died in mercury poisoning. Though it was well-known that Balthazar IV desired his and Theodora's eldest son Gregory to become his successor, seeing how Gregory was merely 16 years old at his father's death, at the conclave of 1454, the cardinals opted for a little more experienced candidate.
[25] Known prior to his election as Thomas, Bishop of Jerusalem, Melchior's election represented the College of Cardinals reaction to and in someway against the Papacy of Balthazar IV. A devoutly pious man, Melchior strongly disliked the secular power the Papacy had amassed centered on Rome. Thus he, like St. Balthazar before him, retained his home seat and moved the Holy See to Jerusalem for his Papacy. He launched the Chaldean Sarcabellum in which the Byzantines, Germans, and French (with the aid of Egyptian officers) took the city of Baghdad. Some of his private papers made available only recently to historians indicate that he was the first confirmed proponent of a Papal break with the Kingdom of Italy - something that would not occur officially until two centuries after his death. Just as with the Byzantine See, the Aramaic See is a term of convenience for historians.
[26] With Melchior's break from Rome came the establishment of a period of instability within the Catholic Church. Valentine was elected from the ever-decreasing number of Iberian Christian cardinals. He initially took up the throne in Rome, but after the beginning of the Counter-Sacrabellum returned to his homeland to the monastery at Zamora. This would prove a sign of weakness on behalf of the Church, as Rome (or even Italy) had not been threatened by the invading Muslims. As a result, it has been suggested that Valentine simply tired of public life to retreat into the silence of Spain.
[27] Sixtus VI, although German in origin, was concerned with the Catholics of the Far East. He sought to establish more efficient contact, especially with the Nasrani See, which eventually resulted in the Marian Voyage and the discovery of the New World in 1495 by members of the Marian Order - an event which he did not actually live to hear about.
[28] From a family of Jewish origin (like his namesake), Zosimus II sought to continue the amalgamation of the Church by forcibly expanding it to the New World. He also sought for the creation of a new series of "Grand Sacrabella" to bring Christianity to the heathen lands of the East - in particular China and the Indonesian archipelago. Such a task was vast in scale, and was never launched during his lifetime. Nevertheless, Zosimus was successful in securing commitment from the European powers in pushing for these aims after his death.
[29] After the long reign of Zosimus II, the elderly Metropolitan of Ephesus was elected with a focus on his holiness, which greatly helped the missions started by his predecessor.
[30] Both the first of the Marian Order elected to St. Peter's throne and the first pontiff from the Nasrani See (although he was ethnically Greek and had sent most of his life in Jerusalem), Balthazar V sought to forward and expedite the work of Zomimus II when he entered into an agreement with Herakles III, Coptic King of Egypt to fund construction a canal connecting the Mediterranean and Red Seas. The project started under the Italian Giovanni Battista Belluzzi as chief architect, would take over a half-century to complete.
[31] Venetian Pope with firm ties to his semi-independent home city, Adrian V is widely believed to have acquired the Papacy through extensive simony on the part of Venice, though nothing has ever been proven. It is however indisputable that Venice received significant papal favours during the Adrian papacy, among them a bull that granted them a significant part of the coastline of Sixstinus Meridionalis (Sixstinus Meridionalis being OTL South America, what Venice got was the right to most of OTL Brazil's coastline).
[32] Sylvester bought the position, and faced the first civil war of the Holy Kingdom of Italy - his brother also claimed the position with his own loyal band of cardinals!
[33] Backed by the Princes of Naples and Sicily, Sylvester VI's brother, Cenio Cardinal Migliorati managed to take the Holy City in 1561, and after a lengthy trial, Sylvester VI was condemned as a heretic and burned at the stakes. In the conclave that followed, Cenio made sure that only his own allies were allowed to enter Rome, and he was thus unanimously elected Pope in the very first vote. Taking the name Leo Alexander I, he were to rule for only three troubled years during which most of northern Italy were in open rebellion against him, instead recognizing his nephew and Sylvester VI's son as the legitimate Pope. The Holy Civil Wars had only begun...
[34] As the young nephew of Leo Alexander and son of Sylvester VI, Leo Sylvester was the first of the so-called Boy-Popes.
[35] After the poisoning of Leo Sylvester in 1570, the Italian civil war entered into a particuarly brutal phase. Sylvester Mark would last just four years before his death and Sylvester Melchior, elected unanimously by the decreasing number of loyal cardinals, would survive just into adulthood before begin struck by a crossbow bolt whilst campaigning in Tuscany (having proclaimed the 'Papal League' just days before). He was succeeded by the third Boy-Pope - Sylvester Cornelius - who faced the invading forces of the Germans and Byzantines as the "Entire Sacrabellum" was launched upon Italy. The conflict whnt through periods of inactivity, and as a result it was only in 1790 - the coronation of Leo XII in Constantinople - when the final push was made for Rome. Cornelius was captured by the Byzantines, and executed publicly in St. Peter's Square. The rift in the Church was declared healed when Leo XII assumed the role of the first Unified Pope since the beginning of the troubles.
[A] The break down of Papal authority in Italy left the greater Catholic world to writhe. This could have been avoided had foreign Cardinals been allowed to enter Rome (or even Italy for that matter) at either the Conclave of 1559 or 1561. However, they were not and many feared the Church would eat itself alive if the Italians did not get their house in order. In1567, when the Bishop of Constantinople died, the German-Roman Emperor issued the Supplication of Augsburg (a document drafted by German and Greek diplomats) which - through prayer to God - called upon all true Catholic Cardinals to assemble in Constantinople and elect a Pope to oversee the well being of the Church universal. Thus the College of Cardinals (including the Bishop of Milan who sought to remove himself from Italy's Civil War) assembled under the Greek-Roman Emperor's auspices in the Imperial City of Constantinople. There they elected the preferred candidate of both Roman Emperors, the Primate of Athens, as Adrian VI. Thus, though not ruling in Rome (although he did claim the title Bishop of Rome), Adrian VI came to head the Church universal minus Italy. For much of his early reign he pleaded with the envoys from France and Germany and with the Byzantine Emperor to intervene in Italy. However secular interests prevailed. Once the religious health of the Catholic Church had been secured in his election, Adrian would shift his work eastward as the Byzantines were preoccupied with their war in Persia, the Germans were busy with domestic intrigue and the French wrestling Venice for it's New World colonies.
[I3] At his time of his death Adrian VI left, through no fault of his own, a highly volatile Church. As a result, Adrian VII was forced to use shrewd diplomacy for action. He excommunciated the Venetians in 1581, and this triggered Castillian intervention in the conflict and a decisive French victory. Then, Adrian called upon Hugh VIII (the French King) to assist the Byzantines in Persia. The result was a thrilling success, and a restoration of priorities to the two most significant Christian powers. Adrian declared the "Entire Sacrabellum" in 1584, and this brought the unified forces of the Byzantine See's allies upon the warring factions in Italy. With the northerners wiped out quickly, the Romans would prove a more determined foe, and the conflict lurched in and out of movement.
[C] The death of Adrian VII in 1590 brought the strong and determined Leo XII to the premiership. He called upon the immediate seizure of Rome, and in 1592 ordered the public execution of anti-Pope Sylvester Cornelius after the city fell to siege. Leo declared himself the leader of a reunified Church, but the ramifications of the Holy Civil War would be felt far and wide. Domestically, the remainder of Leo's reign was concerned with the revitalization of Christian dogma. As a result he became the founder of the prominent Neohypostatic Sect of Christian teaching, and created numerous organizations (both public and secret) that followed the order. They preached that man could become closer to Christ (and therefore God) by trying to purge the sins of the human form and - eventually - self-sacrifice. It is rumored - although a highly taboo subject in Christian circles - that this is how the ageing and increasingly self-dctatorial Pope met his end in 1604, and this practice would begin to increase in occurence across the entire Christian world.
[36]In an effort to legitimize his position as Bishop of Rome, Constantine moved to the Eternal City while appointing a replacement in Byzantium, thus ending the short personal union between the two sees.
[37] Valentine V, a decisive leader, founded the Holy Commonwealth. This allowed Popes to elect their Holy courts from a list of approved sites of corresponding significance and religiousity: Rome and Constantinople were held in the highest regard but others (such as Reims, Zamora and Cologne) were almost as respected. This allowed a mobile Church, with less emphasis on location and more about integration.
[38] As the fourth Pope of the post-civil war period, Gabriel III has received less historical attention than his predecessors. Nevertheless, he chose the holy city of Prague (in his native Bohemia) as his holy seat (granting the title the Vitan See). He was an unspectacular and largely insignificant Pope, and his short reign did little to endear this relative backwater to the Italian and Greek cardinals in Rome and Constantinople.
[39] Leo XIII finally dealt with the lingering question of what to do with the former Holy Kingdom of Italy, which since the reunification of the Church had been jointly occupied and ruled by the Germans and Greeks. Leo crowned Prince Philip (second son of the German-Roman Emperor) King of the Italian States, and his wife Helena (eldest daughter of the Greek-Roman Emperor) Queen of the Italian States. However, Philip and Helena remained tied to both the German and Greek Roman Empires in a neofeudal condominium whereby various Italian states were considered beholden to either Emperor and Rome itself was governed by appointees of both - ostensibly so that both Emperors could continue using the title Roman Emperor.
[40] Leo XIII had numerous sons, and one of those would become the next Pope - who chose the unorthodox names of Philip Joseph. Despite nervous cries about the hereditary nature of the appointment, the new Pope would be forced to address the continued rise of the Neohypostatics in the eastern regions of the Church, and sacrabellums into Ethiopia and the Rift Valley would see the Coptic Church rise in prominence.
[41] A reformer, Balthazar VI was elected in large part as a reaction against Philip Joseph and his long reign. First and foremost among his reforms were alterations to Papal Election procedure. Though not outright banning the election of previous Popes' close relatives (by blood or marriage), the reforms required that any such relative elected, be confirmed by both the German and Greek Roman Emperors. Balthazar also came out forcefully against the neohypostatic practice of "self-sacrifice" and tasked the Greek Roman Emperor, the Sacral Kings, and their various clergy with running a major propaganda effort to educate the faithful as to why this specific aspect of neohypostatic thought was adoctrinal. Balthazar was also careful, however, not to label them heretics, fearing a split in the Church. He instead preached that they were well-intentioned in their faith but their ultimate interpretation missed the point and that Life was not only solely God's choice but also his greatest gift.
[42] Urban II continued the reforming practices of his predecessor, and was instigated by supporters in both the Greek and German camps. Also based in Jerusalem, Urban sought the extension of Catholicism across the New World but particuarly into Asia, and the beginning of the major Anti-Buddhist Period in Chinese, Korean and Japanese history took root from this period. (By 1850, and the force of the unified Christian Church behind it, Buddhism was a near-extinct religion in many parts of Asia.) Urban, despite surviving an assassination attempt from the Neohypostatics in 1742, would die after just ten years on the Holy Throne in 1745. The election process for his successor was highly contested (with qualms from both German and Greek Emperors) but eventually a compromise was made by the installation of _________ as Pope.
- Status