The Popes: Renaissance (1300 - 1600)

Question 1

Pope who got into a conflict with Philip IV “The Fair” of France over whether or not secular rulers could try bishops. This led to this pope issuing the bull ‘Unam Sanctum’ declaring papal supremacy over all rulers, religious and secular.

This pope also held the first Jubilee in the year 1300. Julibees are years of celebration, repentance, and pardon.

Answer 1

Boniface VIII

Question 2

Feuds with the papacy resulted in Philip IV of France getting this Frenchman elected to the pontificate. This pope was the first Avignon pope.

Answer 2

Clement V

Question 3

Last Avignon pope who fought a war with Florence, Milan, and some rebellious cities in the Papal States called the War of the Eight Saints.

Answer 3

Gregory XI

Question 4

70 year period during which the popes ruled from France. It’s sometimes called the ‘Babylonian captivity’ of the papacy.

Answer 4

Avignon Papacy

Question 5

Crisis that started after the strict asceticism promoted by Urban VI, the pope after Gregory XI who ruled from Rome, led to the majority of cardinals declaring Urban’s election invalid and voting for Clement in Avignon to be pope.

Answer 5

Western Schism

Question 6

Throughout the crisis, France and Spain (Castile) and Scotland supported the pope in _______ while England, the Holy Roman Empire, Sweden, and Norway supported the pope in _______.

Answer 6

Avignon, Rome

Question 7

Alongside Avignon and Rome, eventually during the Western Schism, an inability to compromise led to cardinals from Rome coming to this city and electing Alexander and later John to be pope (There were three popes!).

Answer 7

Pisa

Question 8

Czech reformer and proto-protestant who was burned at the stake at the Council of Constance after preaching against indulgences and papal wars and in favor of sola scriptura.

Answer 8

Jan Hus

Question 9

Council called by Holy Roman Emperor Sigismund with the support of the followers of the Pisa pope antipope John XXIII and which declared Martin V the new pope, ending the Western Schism. Jan Hus was burned at the stake at this council and John Wycliffe’s teachings were condemned at this council.

Answer 9

Council of Constance

Question 10

Three popes who were simultaneously reigning at the time the Council of Constance was called.

Answer 10

Pope Gregory XII, Antipope Benedict, and Antipope John

Question 11

Pope whose abdication after the Council of Constance was the last abdication before Benedict XVI advocated almost 600 years laer.

Answer 11

Gregory XII

Question 12

This decree at the Constance legitimized that council by declaring the council’s superiority to the pope. It was later condemned by the Catholic Church. Also called ‘sacrosancta.’

Answer 12

Haec Sancta

Question 13

Pope during the Fall of Constantinople. He was arguably the first of the humanist popes.

Answer 13

Nicholas V

Question 14

Very important pope who helped organize the Pazzi Conspiracy leading to the War of Ferrara (also called the Salt War), who built the Sistine Chapel, and who started the Spanish Inquisition.

Answer 14

Sixtus IV

Question 15

Conspiracy to kill Florentine leader Lorenzo d’Medici (Lorenzo the Magnificent) and his brother Giuliano in order to decrease the influence of Florence in Italian politics. Was supported and had organization help from Sixtus IV. Giuliano was killed but Lorenzo wasn’t, leading to the War of Ferrara (Salt War).

Answer 15

Pazzi Conspiracy

Question 16

Pope who was able to force a payment from Ottoman Sultan Bayezid in return for not releasing the rebellious prince Jem. He also put out the bull Summa Desiderantes Affectibus which condemned witchcraft.

Answer 16

Innocent VIII

Question 17

Born Rodrigo Borgia (Note to Jeremiah - study Borgia and Medici families later, this is a vast oversimplification), this man became one of the most famous and corrupt popes in history. His daughter Lucrezia and son Cesare both held a lot of power, with the latter being the inspiration for ‘The Prince.’

Answer 17

Pope Alexander VI

Question 18

This pope had a mistress named Francesco Alideri and an illegitimate daughter with her named Felice. He was known as the ‘Warrior Pope’ and he founded the Swiss Guard, imprisoned Cesare Borgia, and fought initially with Venice and then with France in the Wars of the League of Cambrai. He also allowed for Henry VIII to marry Catherine of Aragorn after Prince Arthur’s death. In one famous event, this pope’s enemies lead by France’s Louis XII met at the Conciliabulum of Pisa.

Answer 18

Pope Julius II

Question 19

This famous and important pope, a Medici son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, entered the papacy as the war of the League of Cambrai turned upside down - the rivals Venice and France allied against the HRE, England, Switzerland, Milan, and the Papacy, the latter of which became the League of Mechlin.

Answer 19

Leo X

Question 20

Victory for the French and Venetians against Switzerland and Milan of the League of Mechlin which ended the war of the same name, as well as the larger War of the League of Cambrai. It resulted in both the papacy led by Leo X as well as Switzerland allying with France and its young king Francis I in an ‘eternal peace.’

Answer 20

Battle of Marignano

Question 21

Animal named Hanno which Leo X received as a gift from Manuel of Portugal. Symbolizes Leo’s excessive spending habits.

Answer 21

White Elephant

Question 22

Theologian whose 95 theses sparked the Protestant Reformation. He debated the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist, taking the position of consubstantiation against Zwingli’s position that the Eucharist was purely symbolic/representative at the Marburg Colloquy. Leo X outlined the papal bull Exsurge Domini against him, which he promptly burned. This man called the German peasant rebels ‘filthy swine’ and ‘vermin’ and he also hated Jews, as expressed in his pamphlet On the Jews and Their Lies.

Answer 22

Martin Luther

Question 23

Johann van Eck, theologian and Imperial representative who presided over this meeting at one point called Luther a heretic during it. Luther’s response included the two very famous quotes “My conscience is captive to the Word of God,” and “Here I stand, I can do no other.” The Edict of a certain place issued at this meeting condemned Luther’s teachings, and Luther had to be kept safe by Frederick the Wise, Elector of Saxony in Wartburg Castle in the days following this meeting. This meeting was followed by a similar Diet in Speyer which for three years revoked the edict issued here.

Answer 23

Diet of Worms

Question 24

Medici pope who betrayed his former ally Charles I and V , starting the War of the League of Cognac between Charles I and V (HRE and Spain) and a league made up of France, the Papal States, Florence, and England. The war was a devastating loss, and in 1527 Rome was sacked and this pope forced to flee. This pope later refused to annul the marriage of Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII, causing the creation of the Church of England.

Answer 24

Clement VII

Question 25

Pope who began the Council of Trent and approve the establishment of the Society of Jesus (Jesuits).

Answer 25

Paul III

Question 26

Began by Paul III, this council affirmed the canonicity of the entire Vulgate (old bible) including the deuterocanonical or Protestant apocrypha. It also famously rejected justification (God’s removal of sins’ penalty) by faith alone as ‘vain confidence’ in Divine mercy. Taking place over 18 years with three main periods and under popes Paul III, Julius III, and Pius IV, a plague caused this council to briefly moved to Bologna and temporarily had a sudden pause due to a surprise victory by protestant Maurice over Charles V.

Answer 26

Council of Trent

Question 27

The third period of this council was dominated and largely organized by Charles Borromeo, who also wrote this meeting’s Roman Catechism. Diego Lainez was a major figure of the second period. This council reaffirmed many key pillars of the Catholic faith, including the holiness of indulgence and transubstantiation. The Tridentine Mass (sometimes called Latin Mass) originates from this council. This council’s decisions were ratified by Pope Pius IV in the Benedictus Deus. This council also created a list of banned books that Catholics can’t read called the Index.

Answer 27

Council of Trent

Question 28

Pope who excommunicated Queen Elizabeth in the bull Regnans in Excelsis, who standardized and promulgated the Tridentine (also called Latin) Mass, and who arranged the Holy League of states that would defeat the Ottomans at Lepanto.

Answer 28

Pius V

Question 29

Pope who celebrated after hearing about Bartholomew’s Day Massacre, so much so that he gave a golden rose to King Charles IX. He is more famous for establishing the modern calendar system.

Answer 29

Gregory XIII