Rise and Division of Christianity: From Roman Empire to Papal Schism

The Rise of Christianity and the Division of the Roman Empire

From Roman Religion to Christian Hegemony

Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire and prohibited other cults. This institutionalized the Church, giving it heritage and hierarchy. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire, the East and West took different political paths. The East maintained centralized power under Byzantine leadership, which aligned with the new Christian religion.

The Rise of the Papacy in the West

In the West, after the fall of Rome, every military leader became a power center. It was the West that managed to emerge as the center of Christendom. The two universal powers were the Empire and the Papacy, each supporting the other while vying for supreme authority over the Christian world.

Charlemagne and the Carolingian Empire

Charlemagne, crowned by the Pope as Emperor of the West, already possessed military and economic power thanks to his predecessors. Charlemagne led campaigns in Italy to support the Papacy, reviving the idea of the Roman Empire. Germanic kings had a concept of patrimonial power, dividing their kingdoms among their sons upon death, as Charlemagne did.

The Papacy's Growing Influence

The Papacy rose as the religious and ideological head after the fall of Rome. Byzantium played a key role in the Papacy's rise, engaging in various activities, from evangelization to politics, which contributed to its enrichment. It supported the Merovingian monarchy and later the Carolingian emperors. Rome gained independence from the Byzantine Empire, leading to a major division within Christianity known as the East-West Schism.

The Holy Roman Empire and the Papal Zenith

The Carolingian Empire was short-lived, expected to be similar to the Ottonian German Empire. Otto I intervened in Italy, declared himself protector of the Pope, and received the crown of the Holy Roman Emperor. This had long-lasting consequences, linking the territories of Germany and Italy. The interrelation of religious, political, and ecclesiastical feudalization triggered conflicts between Pope Gregory VII and Emperor Henry IV.

Decline of Papal Power

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Papacy reached its zenith, but growing French opposition and the "Great Schism" led to the decline of papal temporal power, dividing Christianity into two camps.