Medieval theology and an absolutistic church structure

Centralization

• The Western Church became, with time,
the papal Universal Church.
• The Roman Church claimed to be “Mother” and “Teacher” of all the churches and of all the faithful; the pope is their “Holy Father”.
• The pope claimed to be the Vicar of Peter and thus also the Vicar of Christ, indeed the “Vicar of God” (Innocent IV).

Juridification

• Collections of ecclesiastical decrees were codified into a papal book of laws (Corpus/Codex Iuris Canonici).
• Professional “canonists” (ecclesiastical jurists) became the pillars of the Roman system.
• The pope emerged as the supreme executive, the supreme lawgiver, and the supreme judge within the church.

Politicization

The Roman Church laid claim to being an autonomous ruling institution alongside and indeed above the state, with its own international status (Papal State), its own diplomatic service, and a long list of privileges.

Clericalization

• A patriarchal hierarchy and a clergy separated from the ordinary faithful dominated the laity.
• As administrators of the “means of grace”, the clergy came to be identified with “the Church”.
• The prohibition of marriage for the clergy (1139) accentuated the separation from the laity.

Militarization

• “Holy wars” were fought to convert pagans or suppress heretics, crusades (directed against Christians as well as against Jews and Muslims).
• Discrimination and persecution of Jews, the burning of heretics and witches.
• Inquisition and uncompromising pursuit of “deviants”.