Podcasts about roman papacy

This is part 7 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

This is part 6 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

This is part 5 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

This is part 4 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

This is part 3 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

This is part 2 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

This is part 1 of a 7 part series. To watch the whole series go here.There is no institution in history that clearly fulfills the warnings of antichrist found in Daniel, John, Paul and the gospels of Matthew or Luke than the Roman Papacy. This power has a long and sordid history of persecuting God's people, waging war against God's word and blaspheming God on the highest level — all while disguising itself and its actions as the will of God. Today we will shine a bright light on this power so that you are not deceived when it resurrects to be marveled after. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.danceoflife.com/subscribe

Fr. Tom offers a reflection on the Pope's recent passing, and on the office of the papacy from an Orthodox perspective.

The true Christians who lived during the time of the REFORMATION held nothing back when they spoke out against the Roman Catholic PAPACY . . . WATCH THE VIDEO OF THIS SAME MESSAGE ON THE SOULREFUGE YOUTUBE SITE!

Disagree, agree, or have a question: Contact us through the contact page on our website; http://www.biblebulldog.com The Book of Concord. The Book of Concord (1580) or Concordia (often referred to as the Lutheran Confessions) is the historic doctrinal standard of the Lutheran Church, consisting of ten credal documents recognized as authoritative in Lutheranism since the 16th century. Martin Luther's quirky quotes. “May God punish you, I say, you shameless, barefaced liar, devil's mouthpiece, who dares to spit out, before God, before all the angels, before the dear sun, before all the world, your devil's filth.” From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 349 of Luther's Works, Vol. 41 “For you are an excellent person, as skillful, clever, and versed in Holy Scripture as a cow in a walnut tree or a sow on a harp.” From Against Hanswurst, pg. 219 of Luther's Works, Vol. 41 “You are like a magician who conjures gulden into the mouths of silly people, but when they open their mouths they have horse dirt in them.” From Against the Roman Papacy, an Institution of the Devil, pg. 264 of Luther's Works, Vol. 41 The Book of Concord is a collection of 10 writings: The Apostle's Creed The Nicene Creed The Athanasian Creed. The Augsburg Confession: The Augsburg Confession is a key document of the Lutheran tradition that outlines the basic beliefs of the Lutheran Church. It was written in 1530. e Augsburg Confession consists of 28 articles that cover a range of topics. Some of the key points of the Augsburg Confession are: Justification by faith: The Augsburg Confession emphasizes that salvation is a free gift of God that is received through faith alone. The authority of scripture: The Augsburg Confession affirms the authority of scripture as the final authority in matters of faith and practice. The sacraments: The Augsburg Confession affirms the importance of two sacraments, Baptism and the Lord's Supper, and rejects the Catholic teaching of transubstantiation. The priesthood of all believers: The Augsburg Confession emphasizes that all believers have direct access to God through Christ, and that there is no need for a mediator between God and humanity. The Apology of the Augsburg Confession: The Apology of the Augsburg Confession is a document written by Philipp Melanchthon, a German reformer, in 1531. It was written as a response to the Roman Catholic Church's rejection of the Augsburg Confession. The Smalcald Articles: The Smalcald Articles are a Lutheran confession of faith that was written by Martin Luther in 1537. The Smalcald Articles were written in response to the Council of Trent. They are a statement of faith that outlines the key beliefs of the Lutheran Church. The Smalcald Articles affirm the Lutheran belief in salvation by grace through faith alone and reject the Catholic belief in salvation through good works The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope: The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope is a document written by Philip Melanchthon, a German reformer, in 1537. The Treatise on the Power and Primacy of the Pope was written to clarify the Lutheran position on the role of the Pope in the Church. It affirms the Lutheran belief in the authority of the Bible as the sole source of Christian doctrine. The Formula of Concord: The Formula of Concord is a Lutheran confession of faith that was written in 1577. It was a response to divisions within the Lutheran Church and aimed to unify Lutheran beliefs and practices. Final thought from Martin Luther: “I'm fed up with the world, and it is fed up with me. I'm quite content with that. The world thinks that if it is only rid of me everything will be fine, and it will accomplish this. After all, it's as I've often said: I'm like a ripe stool and the world is like a gigantic anus, and so we're about to let go of each other.” (Martin Luther, Table Talk, 5537). --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/biblebulldog/message

What is Faith? This episode begins a mini-series of episodes on the Theological Virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love. In this episode, we discuss the various definitions of "Faith" which are used in common culture, Holy Scripture, and the Church's teachings. I want to thank Dr. Darrick Taylor with the "Controversies in Church History" podcast for alerting me to some housekeeping issues regarding this podcast. In this episode, I also give an example about evidence for the Roman Papacy which is relative to the question of Faith. www.catholicisminthecar.com --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/parker-zurbuch6/support

We are joined again by Marco Cappelli of the Storia D'Italia podcast to talk about one of the key events that impacted the Roman Papacy during the 19th century, the Risorgimento. Today we finally see how the strands of the story of Italian Unification came together. We also talk about now that unification was complete, how did the fiercely independent areas stitch themselves together into a unified identity.To Learn More About Our Guest:Marco Cappelli, host of Storia D'Italia Podcasthttps://italiastoria.com/ You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/https://www.historyofthepapacypodcast.comemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyparthenonpodcast.comhttps://www.gettr.com/user/atozhistoryBeyond the Big Screen:Beyondthebigscreen.comThe History of the Papacy on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DO2leym3kizBHW0ZWl-nAGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/productsHelp out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MUPNYEU65NTFMusic Provided by:"Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Intended Force" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Begin Transcript:

We are joined again by Marco Cappelli of the Storia D'Italia podcast to talk about one of the key events that impacted the Roman Papacy during the 19th century, the Risorgimento. The Risorgimento or Italian Unification pitted conservatives vs liberals vs centrists vs revolutionaries. It wasn't entirely clear who would win in this situation, especially with the influence of two huge powers, Austria and France.To Learn More About Our Guest:Marco Cappelli, host of Storia D'Italia Podcasthttps://italiastoria.com/ You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/https://www.historyofthepapacypodcast.comemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyparthenonpodcast.comhttps://www.gettr.com/user/atozhistoryBeyond the Big Screen:Beyondthebigscreen.comThe History of the Papacy on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DO2leym3kizBHW0ZWl-nAGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/productsHelp out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MUPNYEU65NTFMusic Provided by:"Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Intended Force" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Begin Transcript:

The Roman Papacy and Catholic Church was ripe for reform. The election of Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti as Pope Pius IX looked like the right person to get some reform done. The situation would quickly move outside of Pius' control. Let's find out how!You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/https://www.historyofthepapacypodcast.comemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyparthenonpodcast.comhttps://www.gettr.com/user/atozhistoryBeyond the Big Screen:Beyondthebigscreen.comThe History of the Papacy on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DO2leym3kizBHW0ZWl-nAGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/productsHelp out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MUPNYEU65NTFMusic Provided by:"Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Intended Force" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

This episode begins a series of episodes featuring Will Clark of the Grey History Podcast. Right now Will is focused on the French Revolution. The French Revolution is a key event in our series on Pius IX and the end of the secular power of the Roman Papacy. In today's episode, Will and I will build background on the relationship between France and the Papacy that went back all the way to the very early Middle Ages.Today's Guest:Will Clark, Host of the Grey History Podcasthttps://greyhistory.com/You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/https://www.historyofthepapacypodcast.comemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyparthenonpodcast.comhttps://www.gettr.com/user/atozhistoryBeyond the Big Screen:Beyondthebigscreen.comThe History of the Papacy on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DO2leym3kizBHW0ZWl-nAGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/productsHelp out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://smile.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1MUPNYEU65NTFMusic Provided by:"Sonatina in C Minor" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Intended Force" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Begin Transcript:Thank you for listening to the History of the Papacy. I am your host Steve. You can find show notes, how to contact me, sign up for our mailing list and how to support the History of the Papacy by going to the website: atozhistorypage.com.Speaking of supporting the show, Patreon is a great way to do that. We're at patreon.com/historyofthepapacy•4 Tiers – Antioch, Alexandria, Constantinople and Rome•Inclusion on the History of the Papacy Diptychs, bonus audio and video content, Pope coin, monthly book drawings, early content, and add free, early content. Sign up early so that you have your name at the top of the lists! •History of the Papacy/Diptychs Fun Fact – Pepin the Short was in large part responsible for ending the Byzantine Era of the Papacy with his Donation of Pepin. Also, he probably wasn't short. The short probably stood for him being the younger Pepin, not for diminutive stature.•Now, let us commemorate the Patreon Patrons on the History of the Papacy Diptychs. We have oRoberto, Goran, William B, Brian, Jeffrey, Christina, John, Sarah, and William H at the Alexandria level oDapo, Paul, Justin, Lana and John, all of who are the Magnificent at the Constantinople Level. oReaching the ultimate power and prestige, that of the See of Rome: we have Peter the Great, Leonard the Great and Alex the Great!•As you know, we are a member of the Parthenon Podcast network, featuring Richard Lim and This American President podcast, among many other great shows. •This episode begins a series of episodes featuring Will Clark of the Grey History Podcast. Right now Will is focused on the French Revolution. The French Revolution is a key event in our series on Pius IX and the end of the secular power of the Roman Papacy. In today's episode, Will and I will build background on the relationship between France and the Papacy that went back all the way to the very early Middle Ages. Make sure to check out Will's Grey History Podcast. That's Grey spelled with an “E”.•With that, here is the next piece of the mosaic of the history of the Popes of Rome and Christian Church.

A new MP3 sermon from Alpha and Omega Ministries is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Surviving the Censors, Trip Cancellation, the Roman Papacy Subtitle: The Dividing Line 2021 Speaker: Dr. James White Broadcaster: Alpha and Omega Ministries Event: Podcast Date: 11/26/2021 Length: 67 min.

First program after having our first episode taken down by Big Brother's minions in Big Tech. Discussed how we will respond to that and then went into why I am even here -I was supposed to be on the road today, beginning a three week trip- and how we will be rescheduling things in January and February. Then we went into a fairly lengthy discussion about the Papacy in light of Francis and his obvious variation from those who have come before him.

Episode 116d: A Really Young Church with Professor James PapandreaDescription: Today we continue our Summer of Scholars or Winter of Wisdom for our Southern Hemisphere friends. We are joined by Professor James Papandrea for part two our exciting and wonderful conversation on the Early Church. We delve into ideas of where the Roman Papacy came from. We talk about how the office of Bishop developed and much more. I hope you enjoy and I look forward to talking to you again soon about the early Church, the Popes of Rome and from scholars straight from the academy!Link to Professor Papandrea's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/JimPapandreaYou can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/https://www.historyofthepapacypodcast.comemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyBeyond the Big Screen:Beyondthebigscreen.comThe History of the Papacy on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DO2leym3kizBHW0ZWl-nAGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/productsHelp out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://amzn.com/w/1MUPNYEU65NTFMusic Provided by:"Danse Macabre" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Instrumenti" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Vocis" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Image Credits:By Ariely - Own work, CC BY 3.0, ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4533576By Pam Brophy, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9124089

Episode 001c: Bishops, Priests and Deacons, Oh My!Description: What are bishops, priests and deacons? In today's episode we will discuss where these important figures in Christianity come from. We will find out if they have a basis in Old or New Testament literature. We will also look at how these offices developed and evolved during the time of the Early Church and how they led to the power of the office of Pope of Rome and the development of the Roman Papacy.You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/https://www.historyofthepapacypodcast.comemail: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttps://www.patreon.com/historyofthepapacyhttps://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfThePapacyPodcast/https://twitter.com/atozhistoryBeyond the Big Screen:Beyondthebigscreen.comThe History of the Papacy on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6DO2leym3kizBHW0ZWl-nAGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/productsHelp out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://amzn.com/w/1MUPNYEU65NTFMusic Provided by:"Danse Macabre" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Instrumenti" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Vocis" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Image Credits:By Ariely - Own work, CC BY 3.0, ttps://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4533576By Pam Brophy, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=9124089

Episode 93 Top 4 Early Influencers on ChristianityDescription: What do Diocletian, Constantine, Muawiya and Charlemagne all have to do with each other? Listen to find out how these great military leaders influenced all aspects of history, including the history of the Roman Papacy and Christian Church. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places:http://atozhistorypage.com/email: steve@atozhistorypage.comhttp://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacyGet Your History of the Papacy Podcast Products Here: https://www.atozhistorypage.com/products On Social Media:Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/HistoryOfThePapacyPodcast/Twitterhttps://twitter.com/atozhistory Youtube Partner: The Study of Antiquity and the Middle Ageshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxRSpkGOH_09pxKvgD8S5jQ Help out the show by ordering these books from Amazon!https://amzn.com/w/1MUPNYEU65NTF Music Provided by:"Danse Macabre" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Instrumenti" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Virtutes Vocis" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)"String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Agnus Dei X - Bitter Suite Kevin MacLeaod (incomptech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 Licensehttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I was born November 1949 in Cartagena, Colombia (pronounced “Carta-hen-a”). Cartagena was founded 416 years before, in 1533, by Dominican and Franciscan monks. A few years later, Jesuit and Augustinian monks catechized the indigenous dwellers. My ancestors were among those whose first catechism had the shape of a rod in hands of armed deputies dispatched from the nearest office of the Roman Papacy.

Episode 68 The Church of the Dark Ages Part 6 A Fairly Great Schism Description: In this episode we will see how the Henotikon, along with the political climate in both the Eastern Roman empire and former Western Empire will push and pull the Roman Papacy in many different directions. Popes Felix III, Gelasius I and Anastasius II will all make appearances. You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: steve@atozhistorypage.com http://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacy Agora: www.agorapodcastnetwork.com https://www.patreon.com/papacy The Beyond the Big Screen Podcast is now available! https://www.facebook.com/Beyondthebigscreen/ https://twitter.com/BigScreenBeyond Help out the show by ordering these books from Amazon! https://amzn.com/w/1MUPNYEU65NTF Featured Podcast: The Canon Ball Podcast http://www.agorapodcastnetwork.com/ Music Provided by: "Greta Sting" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) “Procession of the King” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Danse Macabre" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Virtutes Instrumenti" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Virtutes Vocis" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "Funeral March for Brass" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) "String Impromptu Number 1" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Editing Services Provided by: Matt Hughes http://radiowesteros.com/ See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This is first installment of a two part series of Sidetrack Episodes on the background of the various reforms of Diocletian. We will focus primarily on the economic reforms of Diocletian and discussed how they affected the growth of the Roman Papacy during the early fourth century and beyond.  You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: steve@atozhistorypage.com http://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacy Agora: www.agorapodcastnetwork.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christianity and the Roman Papacy have weathered a serious persecution and the fall out of how to deal with the Christians who had sacrficed. Now we are entering a long period of relative peace and quiet for Christianity. There are controveries, plagues and war, but Christianity will continue to grow in the Roman Empire. Don't get too accustomed to tranquility because it isn't going to last very long.  You can learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: steve@atozhistorypage.com http://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacy Agora: www.agorapodcastnetwork.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode. we will look at the major ordained offices of the church and how they relate to the Roman Papacy. We will look at the roles of the deacons, priests and bishops. Like the page and learn more about the History of Papacy and subscribe at all these great places: http://atozhistorypage.com/ email: mailto:steve@atozhistorypage.com http://rss.acast.com/historyofthepapacy Agora: www.agorapodcastnetwork.com See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This episode is titled – The Great Recession.I usually leave house-keeping comments for CS to the end of each episode but wanted to begin this by saying thanks to all who subscribe, listen regularly, and have turned others on to the podcast.Website stats tell us we have a lot of visitors & subscribers. Far more than you faithful ones who've checked in on the Facebook page & hit the “like” button. Can I ask those of you who haven't yet to do so?Then, if you're one of the many who accesses the podcast via iTunes, you probably know how difficult it can be to find what you're looking for there. Millions use iTunes as their podcast portal yet the search feature is clunky. So tracking down what you want can be a challenge. What helps people find content on iTunes is reviews. So, if you're an iTunes user and like CS, you could be a great asset by writing a brief review for the podcast. Thanks ahead of time.Okay, enough shameless self-promotion . . .Christianity more than proved its vitality by enduring waves of persecution prior to Constantine the Great. When persecution was withdrawn & the Faith climbed out of the catacombs to become the darling of the State, the question was whether it would survive the corruption political power inevitably brings. While many thousands of pagans professed faith because it was the politically expedient thing to do, some sincere believers marked the moral corruption that took place in the church & forsook society to practice a purer faith in monasteries, as we saw in our last episode.The institutional Church, on the other hand, organized itself in a manner that resembled the old Roman Imperial system. When the Empire crumbled under the weight of its own corruption, that fall accelerated by barbarian invasions, the question was, would Christianity fall with it?The story of Christianity in the West is a remarkable tale of survival. So often in history, when a culture is swept away, so is its religion. Christianity has proven an exception. As often as not it endured when the culture changed. Such was the case in Europe and the events that followed the Fall of Rome at the end of the 5th Century.When the Gospel first came to those urban centers which were the cultural heart of the Roman Empire in the late 1st & early 2nd Centuries, it was regarded as a Jewish reform movement. Its first converts were Jews scattered around the Empire and those Gentiles who'd attached themselves to the Jewish synagogues. But once these God-fearing Gentiles came to faith, they evangelized their Gentile friends. Following Paul's example in speaking to the philosophers on Mars Hill, these Gentile Christians recast the Gospel in Greco-Roman terms, using ideas & values familiar to the pagan mind.When I say “pagan” don't think of it as the insult it is in our modern vernacular; someone void of moral virtue. By pagan, I mean those who practiced the religion of the Greeks & Romans with its pantheon of gods. In that sense, Plato & Aristotle were pagans. Zeno, the philosopher who developed Stoicism, was a pagan. These were all men who developed the philosophical framework that shaped the worldview of Greco-Roman culture & society. They asked some penetrating questions that provided the intellectual backdrop of the 1st & 2nd Centuries. Gentile Christians picked up these questions & used them to say they'd found their answers in Christ. Many other pagans found these arguments convincing & were won to faith. Some of the Early Church Fathers even appealed to the ancient philosophers in the formal letters they wrote to the Emperors on why persecution of Christians was bad policy. They argued for a promotion of the Faith as a boon to the health of culture, not a harm to it. Their defense of the Faith was couched in terms the Emperors were familiar with because they shared the same philosophical language.My point here is that Christianity made an appeal to the Greco-Roman worldview it was growing in the midst of. So, what would happen when that society fell?Also, the Church's organizational structure increasingly came to resemble the Imperial structure. What would happen when that was dismantled? Would the Faith survive? Had Christianity grown too close to the culture?The answer is à Yes & no. The Empire's demise did pose a set-back to the Church. But we might ask if maybe that was good. The institutional Church had in many ways deviated from its purpose & calling. Not a few bishops were far more concerned for their political power than for their role as spiritual shepherds. In many minds, spiritual & earthly power had merged into the same thing.Rome's fall allowed the Faith to break away from the political attachments that had corrupted it for a century & a half.  But there's little doubt that from the 6th through 9th Centuries, Christianity suffered a kind of spiritual declension. Over that 400 years, the total number of people who claimed be Christians dropped, fresh movements of renewal declined, & moral & spiritual vigor flagged.  While there were exceptions, overall, Christianity lost ground, giving this period of time in Church history the title, as Kenneth Scott Latourette calls it, the Great Recession.Following the timeline of Church history at this point becomes difficult because so much was going on in various places. So for the balance of this episode, I want to give a quick sketch of both the many reversals & few advances Christianity saw from the 6th thru 9th Centuries.When the Goths, Visigoths, & Ostrogoths moved in to pick clean the bones of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th Century, something remarkable happened. While they helped themselves to the wealth of the Empire, they also adopted some of the Roman customs they admired. But nothing was so surprising as their embrace of Christianity. In truth, these barbarians were already what we'd have to describe as nominally Christian. Their invasion of & settling into Roman lands greatly furthered their identification with the Faith.Remember that in the ancient world, war was more than just an attempt to take land & plunder; it was a contest of faiths. The ancients believed armed conflict was a kind of spiritual tug of war. The mightiest god gave his or her people victory. This is why when one people defeated another, the loser's religion was often wiped out.But the Germanic barbarians tended to embrace Christianity rather than destroy it. There was something different in the message of Christ from their ancient folk faiths that drew and converted them. So when they took down the Roman Imperial structure, they left the churches intact. Bishops continued to exercise oversight in their flocks.Unlike other religions, Christianity was super-cultural. It wasn't just the faith of one group; it potentially embraced all. Even those who rejected the Gospel recognized it wasn't merely the spirituality of a specific ethnic group. Its message transcended culture to encompass all humanity.That was the situation on the north & northeastern borders of the Empire. The situation in the south was very different.  In the 7th Century, Islam swept out of Arabia to conquer the Middle East & North Africa. The Muslims managed to get a foothold in Spain before the armies of Charles Martel stopped them pushing any further North in 732. Where Islam conquered, it replaced native religions. Enclaves of determined Jews & Christians eked out an existence but by & large, the Crescent replaced the Cross throughout the Middle East & North Africa.While there's no specific date or event that marked the onset of the Great Recession, we'll set the year 500 as the starting point.  Here's why …In 476 the last Roman Emperor was deposed by the Goth leader Odoacer. This marks the end of the Western Roman Empire. The capital then shifted undisputedly to Constantinople in the East.20 years later, in 496, the Frank king Clovis was baptized. This marked a new era in which Germanic rulers became the standard-bearers of the Faith instead of Romans.Then in 529, the Eastern Emperor Justinian closed the Schools of Athens. These academies were the last official symbols of Greco-Roman paganism. Justinian ordered them closed to signal the final triumph of Christianity over paganism.In that same year, 529, Benedict built his monastery on Monte Cassino as we saw in our last episode. The Benedictine Rule was to have a huge impact on the course of the Faith in the West.While Christianity seemed to stumble in many of the places where it had been installed 3 & 400 years before, it continued its relentless spread into new territory. It was during the early 6th Century that the Faith went up the Nile into Sudan. In the latter part of that century, Pope Gregory sent missionaries to Britain and in the early 7th Century the Gospel reached China.But the 7th Century was when the Arab conquests began. In less than 20 years after Mohammed's death, Islam had raised its banner over, Israel, Syria, Mesopotamia, Persia, & Egypt. Before the end of the Century they'd conquered all North Africa, including the capital at Carthage and by 715 had taken Spain.If you've been listening from the earliest episodes, you know that these lands the Arabs conquered had a rich Christian history, especially in North Africa. Alexandria & Carthage were home to some of the most prominent Christian leaders & theologians – Athanasius & Arius, Alexander, Cyril, & Augustine, to name a few.At the same time, the Arabs were spreading Islam across Christian lands, up in the Balkan peninsula & Greece, pagan Slavs moved in. In 680, Asians called Bulgars crossed the Danube River & set up a kingdom in what had been the Eastern frontier of the Empire.Between these losses to the Arabs in the South & the Slavs & Bulgars in the East, about half the total land area that had been Christian territory was lost.The 8th Century saw large numbers of German tribes come to Faith. But the 9th & 10th Centuries were marked by repeated invasions of pagans from the distant north. These  Scandinavians raided the shores of northern Europe, Britain, and all the way to Russia. They delighted in looting the many defenseless churches & monasteries they included in their conquests.These Scandinavian raids helped shatter the fragile unity the Carolingians had pulled together in Europe. As society broke apart into minor political regions, the quality of spirituality in the churches declined.  Discipline in the monasteries grew lax. Bishops focused more on secular than spiritual matters. The clergy grew corrupt. The Roman Papacy became a political football.The Eastern church of the 8th & 9th Centuries was rent by a theological controversy over the use of images. In the 9th Century, Muslims conquered Sicily & Crete, & established a beachhead in southern Italy.In China of the mid 9th Century, Christianity experienced a wave of fierce persecution. This was due to the Faith having been too closely identified with the previous dynasty.As we come to the dawn of the 10th Century, there were several positive signs the Faith was growing again in the regions where it had declined. Churches were planted among the Slavs & Bulgars. The Faith extended its reach into Russia & there are indications the Church in India grew during this time.One sign of a positive spiritual turn took place in Eastern France in a place called Cluny. In 910, Duke William of Aquitania founded a monastery on the Rule of St. Benedict. The abbots selected to lead it were men of tremendous character & piety. They were determined to correct the lax moral attitudes that had become all too common in monastery life.The Clunaic reforms not only reinvigorated monastic life, they established a new hierarchy for monasteries. Prior to Cluny, monasteries were connected to & in a sense answerable to local bishops & nobility. Cluny and the monasteries that came from it were directly answerable to the Pope.  This became an important element of church life when during the 11th Century, the popes tried to un-tie the Church from secular powers.While the monastic life may seem strange & at the same time stereo-typical of the romanticized view of Medieval life we have today, monasteries acted as repositories of the wisdom & learning of previous generations. As wave after wave of invaders washed over Europe, and society was shattered into a thousand bits, monasteries remained cultural lighthouses.

Taken as a whole, leaders demonstrate a wide array of skills and talent. While great leaders often exhibit some consistent marks, there's simply no set script they follow. No inventory of essential traits all must possess to excel. Indeed, some great leaders demonstrate contradictory traits from each other. One is gregarious, another reserved. Once is upbeat and energetic, another taciturn and subdued.Many of the Church's great leaders have been brilliant, their intelligence ranking them as a genius. Others, while being astute, could not be given that lofty epithet. Some had skills that enabled them to accomplish so much, their influence was felt for decades, even centuries, after. Pope Gregory I was of that category. Bruce Shelly says Gregory combined great executive ability with a warm sympathy for the needs of others. Gregory was such a good leader and man, history has given him the title “Gregory the Great.” His tenure as Pope laid the foundations for Medieval Christianity. Since religion played such a central role in European society, Gregory was one of the main architects of Medieval Europe.Born in 540 to a well-established Roman senatorial family, Gregory was groomed from a young age for civil service. But a career in politics at that time was an inordinately difficult proposition. The City of Rome and the lands it had once held hegemony over in the Italian peninsula were like a torn-up soccer ball kicked back and forth by one group after another.  The Visigoths were replaced by the Byzantines, who were booted by the Lombards, who did their best to leave Italy a smoldering wreck.As Gregory's father had been Prefect of Rome & Gregory had trained for govt service, the Eastern Emperor Justin II appointed Gregory to replace the prefect when he retired. He was 33. In all likelihood, it was Justin's wife Sophia who made the appointment, since the Emperor had gone insane and she was ruling in his place. Not long after Gregory took the office, the Byzantine governor of the region and the reigning Pope, died.Like many young men who train for a position because it's expected of them, Gregory found that worldly power didn't appeal to him in the least. He much preferred the solitude of the monastery. So after a few years as prefect, he resigned. When his father passed, leaving Gregory as the heir to a wealthy estate, he used a good part of his fortune to found 7 monasteries, gave the rest to the poor, and turned his mansion into yet another monastery dedicated to St. Andrew; following the Benedictine order. Eschewing all trappings of worldly power that had attended his rank as prefect, Gregory devoted himself to a rigorous asceticism; his diet consisted solely in raw vegetables & fruit. He wore a hair-shirt, prayed most of the night, and applied himself to a diligent observance of his monastic duties. His asceticism was so extreme, it began to weaken his physical frame.Then, in 579, at the age of 39, Pope Pelagius II made Gregory a deacon in the Roman church. This was a position of tremendous influence because the 7 deacons were commissioned with administrative oversight of the Roman Church. Gregory was sent as a papal ambassador to Constantinople, which of course at that time was the new center of what was left of the Roman Empire.He returned to Rome 6 years later and was appointed as abbot over the St. Andrew monastery. Gregory was more than content to serve out what was left of his life in that role. But wider events hijacked his plans.Early in 590, Rome, already hammered by war and flood, found itself in the teeth of a new pestilence; the Black Death, Plague.  Rome's streets emptied as the carts piled higher with the dead. Even Pope Pelagius succumbed.The papal chair remained empty for half a year. Then, Gregory was elected as the new Pope. Instead of rejoicing in his selection, he fled, taking refuge in a nearby forest. Trackers were sent to find him and haul him back. Reluctantly, he allowed himself to be consecrated in the Fall of 590 with Constantinople's approval.Gregory immediately called for several processions over the next 3 days to demonstrate the City's repentance and make a plea for divine intervention. Not long after, the plague seemed to make a reversal. Slowly but surely, life made halting strides of returning to normal. But no sooner did hope rekindle than it was once again squashed under the hooves of the Lombard's who ransacked Italy and laid siege to Rome.The Lombards shattered what little was left of the old Roman order. By the time they rode away, the only institution still standing was The Church. All civil govt had been swept off the board, while the Church was still lead by an organization staffed with capable men. Gregory threw himself into the task of restoring order and providing for the needs of people wherever that order was needed.The power & influence of the Medieval Papacy is in large part due to Gregory's prolific work during this period of recovery. He was literally, everywhere, doing everything. By everywhere, I don't mean geographically; I'm referring to the fields into which he stepped. Though never aspiring for the position of Pope, when once there, he USED the position to bring order out of the chaos of the previous years. He took a lead in civil affairs; a hand in economic & military matters.As the Lombards moved on Rome, Gregory had to address the defense of central Italy. He appointed a military governor, and arranged a truce. This positioned the Pope as the most important Italian representative to the Lombards. It also inserted the Church squarely into Italy's political fortunes. That influence would only grow from that point forward, spreading till it touched most of Europe during the Middle Ages. Beginning with Gregory, the pope became an important political figure.The Church of Rome owned some 1800 sq miles of land in southern Italy. The administration of all this property had been simple when it was productive. But after the devastation left by the Lombards, the survivors were left without a means of support. The survival of thousands in whole cities and communities became the responsibility of Pope Gregory. A task he managed to pull off with aplomb.He engaged the role of being a leader & inspiration to church leaders everywhere. He wrote a manual on church leadership called the Pastoral Rule – exhorting bishops to be a good example of the truths they taught.The amount of work he accomplished is all the more remarkable when we're confronted with his age and health. His previous and concurrent asceticism saw him often confined to bed. In 601 he wrote a friend, “For a long time, I have been unable to rise from my bed. I am tormented by the pains of gout; a kind of fire seems to pervade my whole body: to live is pain; and I look forward to death as the only remedy.” But Gregory kept such comments limited only to a few close confidants.It was also during Gregory's term that the power & centrality of the Roman Papacy took another leap forward. This began in earnest with Leo the Great 150 yrs before Gregory's time. Gregory moved the ball further down the field. It all took place in a skirmish with the Eastern Patriarch, John IV.The Patriarch of Constantinople liked to refer to himself as the “universal bishop” and often did so in official correspondence. The title had been fixed to the Patriarchate by the Eastern Emperors Leo and Justinian, and confirmed in the Synod of Constantinople in 588.This irritated Gregory to no end. He condemned such approbations as the sinister outworking of a demonically-inspired pride. Gregory urged the Emperor to revoke such titles and refused further communiques with John till he renounce such exalted terms.Historians have debated whether Gregory was provoked by the lack of humility such titles evinced, or that it was only the Roman Pope who deserved them. The jury's still out on the matter. It is true that there was a centuries long contest between Popes and Patriarchs over who was the rightful leader of the Christian Church & Faith. That debate led to the eventual E/W Rift manifest today in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Churches.The fact that Gregory preferred to be known simply as “the servant of the servants of God,” does suggest he simply rejected lofty titles, rather than John's sole claim to them. When he was once addressed as “universal pope,” he quickly and vehemently denied the approbation, saying: “I've said that neither to me nor to any one else ought you to write anything of the kind. Away with words which inflate pride and wound charity!”Gregory's favored title ended up becoming a standard title for subsequent Popes. Though it seems rather forced when the man it's attributed to stands decked out in his complete papal regalia; jewel encrusted stole, hat, crozier; the value all of which would buy a whole kingdom.It's fascinating that while eschewing lofty titles, Gregory expanded the power of the Pope to the extent he did. So influential did the Popes become that they began to take on ever more elevated labels.Gregory was the first Pope to have been a monk. Moving from the monastery to basilica in no way changed his habit of personal austerity. He moved many fellow monks he knew ot be men of marked integrity into leadership positions.Earlier in Gregory's life, he'd desired to replant the Roman Church in England as a missionary monk. Once he became Pope, he sent 40 brother Benedictine monks under the leadership of Augustine to accomplish the task. They did so, at Kent. It's that work that provides the British-American Church with its connection back to the early church.A few moments ago I said Gregory may not have possessed the intellectual chops as some other church leaders. His talent lay far more in his administrative abilities. But that's not to say Gregory was a theological slouch. Far from it. He took quite seriously his call to defend the faith. He looked to Jerome, Augustine and Ambrose as His primary theological influences. Though Gregory devised no new theological formulas, he played the role of amalgamator.  He took the common faith of the day as expressed by the councils and creeds, & expanded it to incorporate some of the more popular beliefs, practices, even superstitions of the common people. This then became the Christianity of Medieval Europe.Gregory said The Fall affected all Adam's descendants; it weakened but did not utterly destroy their moral and spiritual freedom. Once someone is moved by grace, she/he can cooperate with it to perform genuine good works.Gregory said through baptism, God forgives sin previously committed. But sins committed after baptism have to be atoned for by doing penance, which includes sincere repentance, confession, and doing good works. BUT, the believer could not know if she/he had done enough penance for sin until they arrived in heaven.In that needed atonement for sin, people had the potential help of the martyrs & saints, who could be invoked to plead for them with Christ. This belief arose long before Gregory, but he popularized and made it a central feature of medieval church practice. Gregory cast Jesus as a stern judge, the angels arrayed around Him as agents of divine retribution, while the saints, by virtue of their humanity, were more inclined to assist poor mortals.Gregory also encouraged the veneration of relics; the supposed remains of saints. Things like locks of hair, teeth, fingernails, clothing. All these were deemed to possess special power & efficacy to provide protection.If proper penance wasn't provided before death, then sins could always be expunged in Purgatory after death, Gregory claimed.Gregory regarded the Mass as the supreme miracle of the Faith. In which the bread and wine were turned into the literal body and blood of Christ. Feeding on them imparted grace directly to the soul & nourished the streams of eternal life. The power of the Eucharist lies in its being understood as a present atoning sacrifice. The priest offers it for sins; not the sins of all people as Christ did at the Cross, but only for those who participate in the Mass. It has the same effect as penance, offsetting a certain amount of suffering generic penance would require. So, Masses could benefit the dead suffering in Purgatory since it would lessen their debt.Gregory, along with the earlier Popes Celestine I & Sixtus III, was one of the first church leaders to organize the Roman liturgy and its music. He established a center for the learning & singing of plainsong in Rome called the Schola Cantorum. Plainsong, or chant, as it's more commonly called, was already in use since the time of Celestine I. Gregory's work in finalizing the style of plainsong has been memorialized in the phrase Gregorian chant. But recent research has cast doubt on Gregory's contribution to the tradition of plainsong in Church use.