History of the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church
For the history of the Catholic Church in general, see Timeline of the Catholic Church and History of the Catholic Church.
This article is part of a series on
Vatican City
History
Duchy of Rome (533–751)
Donation of Pepin (750s)
Papal States (754–1870)
Annates
Congregation for Borders
Fundamental Statute for the Secular Government of the States of the Church
Capture of Rome (1870)
"Prisoner in the Vatican" (1870–1929)
Roman Question
Law of Guarantees
Lateran Treaty (1929)
Vatican City (1929–present)
Governor of Vatican City
2010 Vatican sex scandal
History of the Catholic Church since 1962
History of the Papacy
Roman Historical Institutes
Savoyard Era
Vatileaks scandal
Vatican Historical Museum
Vatican City during World War II
Law
Acta Apostolicae Sedis
Fundamental Law of Vatican City State
Capital punishment in Vatican City
Crime in Vatican City
Lateran Treaty
Legal status of the Holy See
(Alperin v. Vatican Bank)
(Doe v. Holy See)
Temporal power of the Holy See
Tribunal of Vatican City State
Canon law
1983 Code of Canon Law
Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches
Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus
LGBT rights in Vatican City
Pontifical Swiss Guard
Corps of Firefighters of the Vatican City State
Corps of Gendarmerie of Vatican City
Politics and government
Archives
Association of Vatican Lay Workers
Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State
President
President: Giuseppe Bertello
Pontifical Commission
Secretariat for Communications
Holy See Press Office
L'Osservatore Romano (Vatican City newspaper)
L'Osservatore della Domenica
List of newspapers in Vatican City
Vatican Radio lawsuit
Vatican Information Service
.va (Vatican City internet sites)
Vatican Publishing House
Vatican Radio
Vatican Television Center
Secretariat of State
Secretary: Pietro Parolin
Fabric of Saint Peter
Foreign relations of the Holy See
List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See
Holy See–Israel relations
Holy See–Italy relations
Holy See–Palestine relations
Holy See–United States relations
Papal apocrisiarius
Governorate of Vatican City
Governor of Vatican City
Military of Vatican City
Noble Guard
College of Cardinals
Camerlengo(Chamberlain)
Dean
Vical General
Court of Cassation
President: Dominique Mamberti
Court of Appeals
President: Pio Vito Pinto
Tribunale
President: G. di Sanguinetto
Papacy
Pope
Popemobile
Catholic Church
Latin Church
Holy See
Diocese of Rome
Roman Curia
Universi Dominici Gregis
Papal conclave (Papal elections)
Universi Dominici gregis
Recent conclaves
1978 (Oct)
2005
2013
Papal household
Papal Gentleman
Prefecture of the Pontifical Household
Foreign relations
Section for Relations with States
Concordats
Multilateral foreign policy
Status in international law
Lateran Treaty
Section for Relations with States (Roman Curia)
Secretary for Relations with States: Paul Gallagher
Undersecretaries for Relations with States: Antoine Camilleri
List of diplomatic missions of the Holy See
Nuncios
Vatican and Holy See passports
Visa requirements
Visa policy
The Holy See and the United Nations
Economy
Institute for the Works of Religion
Telephone numbers in Vatican City
Tourism in Vatican City
Transport in Vatican City
Rail transport in Vatican City
Secretariat for the Economy
Financial Information Authority
Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See
Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See
Vatican euro coins
Vatican lira
Properties of the Holy See
Symbols
Flag
List of Papal flags
Anthem
Coat of arms of Vatican City
00120 (Vatican postcode)
Papal tiara
Papal coronation
Culture
Vatican Museums
Vatican Library
Music of Vatican City
Sistine Chapel Choir
Languages of Vatican City
Women in Vatican City
Vatican Christmas Tree
Vatican City football team
Vatican Cricket Team
Papal Concert to Commemorate the Shoah
Postage stamps and postal history of Vatican City
Public holidays in Vatican City
Pontifical Academy of Sciences
Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
The Story of the Vatican, 1941 documentary
Buildings/geography
Apostolic nunciature
Apostolic Palace
Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
Borgia Apartments
Bramante Staircase
Domus Sanctae Marthae
Fountains of St. Peter's Square
Gardens of Vatican City
Geography of Vatican City
Gregorian Tower
Mater Ecclesiae (monastery)
Monument to the Royal Stuarts
Palace of the Holy Office
Palazzi Pontifici
Papal Apartments
Saint Peter's Basilica
Saint Peter's Square
Saint Peter's tomb
Lateran Basilica
Lateran Palace
Leonine City
Niccoline Chapel
Old St. Peter's Basilica
Papal tombs
Papal tombs in Old St. Peter's Basilica
Paul VI Audience Hall
Tomb of the Julii
Torre San Giovanni
Scala Regia
Via della Conciliazione
Vatican Climate Forest
Vatican Heliport
Vatican Hill
Vatican Necropolis
Papal Concert to Commemorate the Shoah
Postage stamps and postal history of Vatican City
Public holidays in Vatican City
Vatican Secret Archives
St. Peter's Baldachin
Sala Regia
San Pellegrino in Vaticano
Sant'Anna dei Palafrenieri
Santa Maria della Pietà in Camposanto dei Teutonici
Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope
Vatican Observatory
Vatican Pharmacy
Bibliotheca Palatina
Cappella Giulia
Cappella Paolina
Cardinal Secretary of State
Casina Pio IV
Circus of Nero
Redemptoris Mater Chapel
Saints Martin and Sebastian of the Swiss
Santo Stefano degli Abissini
Santo Stefano degli Ungheresi
Teutonic Cemetery
Cortile del Belvedere
Passetto di Borgo
Porta San Pellegrino
Vatican Museums
Vatican Museums
Vatican Gallery of Maps
Gallery of Sistine Chapel ceiling
Collection of Modern Religious Art
Raphael Rooms
Redemptoris Mater Chapel
Restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes
Sistine Chapel
Sistine Chapel ceiling
The Last Judgment by Michelangelo
Outline
Index
Vatican City portal
Catholicism portal
v
t
e
According to Roman Catholicism, the history of the papacy, the office held by the pope as head of the Catholic Church, spans from the time of Peter to the present day.[1]
In the first three centuries of the Christian era, many of Peter's successors as bishops of Rome are obscure figures, most suffering martyrdom along with members of their flock in periods of persecution.[2] During the Early Church, the bishops of Rome enjoyed no temporal power until the time of Constantine. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire about 476, the medieval papacy was influenced by the temporal rulers of Italy; these periods are known as the Ostrogothic Papacy, Byzantine Papacy, and Frankish Papacy. Over time, the papacy consolidated its territorial claims to a portion of the peninsula known as the Papal States. Thereafter, the role of neighboring sovereigns was replaced by powerful Roman families during the saeculum obscurum, the Crescentii era, and the Tusculan Papacy.
From 1048 to 1257, the papacy experienced increasing conflict with the leaders and churches of the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire (Eastern Roman Empire). Conflict with the latter culminated in the East–West Schism, dividing the Roman and Eastern Churches. From 1257 to 1377, the pope, though the bishop of Rome, resided in Viterbo, Orvieto, and Perugia, and lastly Avignon. The return of the popes to Rome after the Avignon Papacy was followed by the Western Schism: the division of the Western Church between two and, for a time, three competing papal claimants.
The Renaissance Papacy is known for its artistic and architectural patronage, frequent involvement in European power politics, and opposition against theological challenges to papal authority. After the start of the Protestant Reformation, the Reformation Papacy and Baroque Papacy led the Catholic Church through the Counter-Reformation. The popes during the Age of Revolution witnessed the largest expropriation of wealth in the church's history, during the French Revolution and those that followed throughout Europe. The Roman Question, arising from Italian unification, resulted in the loss of the Papal States and the creation of Vatican City.
^Roger Collins, Keepers of the Keys: A History of the Papacy (2009).
Catholicism, thehistoryofthepapacy, the office held by the pope as head ofthe Catholic Church, spans from the time of Peter to the present day. In the first...
The Avignon Papacy (French: Papauté d'Avignon) was the period from 1309 to 1376 during which seven successive popes resided in Avignon (at the time within...
The Renaissance Papacy was a period of papal history between the Western Schism and the Reformation. From the election of Pope Martin V ofthe Council...
The Byzantine Papacy was a period of Byzantine domination ofthe Roman Papacy from 537 to 752, when popes required the approval ofthe Byzantine Emperor...
Criticism ofthe historical Catholic Church Great Church, years 180 to 313 Historyof Christianity HistoryofthePapacy Political Catholicism Role ofthe Catholic...
Saint Paul in the first century. Thepapacy is one ofthe most enduring institutions in the world and has had a prominent part in human history. In ancient...
The Tusculan Papacy was a period of papal history from 1012 to 1048 where three successive relatives ofthe counts of Tusculum were installed as pope...
during and Counter-Reformation, specifically at the Council of Trent. The institution ofthepapacy underwent attacks by many Protestant reformers, including...
claim to the Alexandrine papacy was dismissed by both the Coptic Orthodox Pope Shenouda III and Pope Theodore II ofthe Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria...
Short Historyofthe Catholic Church. Scepter. ISBN 978-1-85182-125-9. La Due, William J. (1999). The Chair of Saint Peter: A HistoryofthePapacy. Maryknoll...
From 756 to 857, thepapacy shifted from the influence ofthe Byzantine Empire to that ofthe kings ofthe Franks. Pepin the Short (ruled 751–768), Charlemagne...
1910, p. 77. Heywood, 1910, p. 101. Creighton, 1882, A historyofthepapacy during the period ofthe reformation, Volume 1, p. 121-22. Heywood, 1910, p....
(2003-09-02). A Short HistoryofthePapacy in the Middle Ages. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-41535-9. Kelly, J. N. D. (2010). A Dictionary of Popes. Oxford University...
interdict, and because the French pope was resented in Rome, he was crowned in Orvieto. The influence of Viterbo on thepapacy declined after Martin IV's...
landowner, not as a sovereign entity. Following the fall ofthe Western Roman Empire, thepapacy found itself increasingly placed in a precarious and vulnerable...
Short of the Franks defeated the Lombards and granted the lands ofthe Duchy of Rome as well as territory ceased by the Lombards to thePapacy in what...
Thepapacy has been surrounded by numerous legends. Among the most famous are the claims that the papal tiara bears the Number ofthe Beast inscriptions...
Papacy in early Christianity was the period in papal history between 30 AD, when according to Catholic doctrine, Saint Peter effectively assumed his pastoral...
importance for the life ofthe church". He cited his deteriorating strength due to old age and the physical and mental demands ofthepapacy. He also declared...
and the "spiritual sword" (gladius spiritualis) belonged ultimately to thePapacy. By the early 13th century, the two swords were the subject of serious...
the most well-known abdications in recent history is that of King Edward VIII ofthe United Kingdom and the Dominions. In 1936 Edward abdicated to marry...
Catherine of Siena is one ofthe outstanding figures of medieval Catholicism due to the strong influence she had in thehistoryofthepapacy and her extensive...
contract for a number of months, ostensibly to finish a book he was writing on thehistoryofthepapacy, and also due to disputes over the script for his next...
City Historyof Christian flags "Flag of Vatican City". Retrieved 2021-09-26. vertically divided yellow-white national flag with an emblem on the white...
The Donation of Pepin in 756 provided a legal basis for the creation ofthe Papal States, thus extending the temporal rule ofthe popes beyond the duchy...
support of claims of political authority by thepapacy. In many ofthe existing manuscripts, including the oldest, the document bears the title Constitutum...