Make the the papacy banking powerhouse and the consequences.

Would it be possible the papacy to build a banking empire like the medici's or the Fugger ? How it Will Influence the eurpoean politics?
 
If the Holy Orders had fallen more literally under the domain of the Papacy, it could easily have happened. The Templars were a proto-bank n many respects, including aspects of international cheques...you could deposit your money with, say, the Templars in Paris or London, receive a receipt, and withdraw it in somewhere like Jerusalem. The Papal Beauracracy could have taken that and run with it. It would also mean no Medicci empire, as their transformative role as papal banker wouldn't have existed.

It could have affected Europe tremendously, in varying ways. If the Pope wields his religious authority to further financial advantage as he did with the political, you might see an earlier Reformation. Or, conversely, that acquired wealth might be powerful enough to stem resistance, fund internal reform or make aspects like indulgences unnecessary, meaning it might lower the odds of any real Reformation. There's also the chance it fuels a massive expansion of the Papal States, fulfilling their interpretations of the Donations of Constantine/Carolignians, which would obviously be a huge game-changer.

So much depends on when this happens. Did you have anything specific in mind?
 
I think the ideal time is the late medieval period or the beginning of the renaissance.

Your scenario is interesting, maybe if Philip IV had died in his infancy could templar order could have survived long enough to be fully absorbed by the papacy.
 
You'd have an earlier Reformation.

The Church banned usury for centuries - which is one reason why so many Jews got into the banking business.
If they suddenly say 'Oooo, we were wrong, it's just fine now, and we're going to monopolize the business', what kind of reaction would the various kings and princes of Europe have? Besides, the Papacy already had a reputation as worldly, power hungry, and greedy.
I suppose you could say they already had that reputation, so it wouldn't matter. Maybe that's true for a while, but it WOULD give even more impetus to Reformers.

Possibly a Schism (as a 'pure Pope' gets elected in parallel to the 'corrupt' one) rather than an all out Reformation, but it would still damage the Church, and once you have one schism over the behaviour of Popes, why not another?

You could end up with half a dozen 'popes'.
 
IIRC medieval banking houses made a lot from being able to take money in in one place and give it out in another, to prevent merchants having to carry vast amounts of cash everywhere. I assume they got round usury by charging a fee for the service, etc
 
IIRC medieval banking houses made a lot from being able to take money in in one place and give it out in another, to prevent merchants having to carry vast amounts of cash everywhere. I assume they got round usury by charging a fee for the service, etc
The Jewish banking houses didn't worry about it. The Italian ones simply ignored the rule, iirc, figuring to 'repent' on their deathbeds.

For the Church to do it would be quite another thing.
 
If the Holy Orders had fallen more literally under the domain of the Papacy, it could easily have happened. The Templars were a proto-bank n many respects, including aspects of international cheques...you could deposit your money with, say, the Templars in Paris or London, receive a receipt, and withdraw it in somewhere like Jerusalem. The Papal Beauracracy could have taken that and run with it. It would also mean no Medicci empire, as their transformative role as papal banker wouldn't have existed.

It could have affected Europe tremendously, in varying ways. If the Pope wields his religious authority to further financial advantage as he did with the political, you might see an earlier Reformation. Or, conversely, that acquired wealth might be powerful enough to stem resistance, fund internal reform or make aspects like indulgences unnecessary, meaning it might lower the odds of any real Reformation. There's also the chance it fuels a massive expansion of the Papal States, fulfilling their interpretations of the Donations of Constantine/Carolignians, which would obviously be a huge game-changer.

So much depends on when this happens. Did you have anything specific in mind?

Sounds like the Ferengi Grand Nagus - part pope, part president, part CEO, part financier.
 
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