Kingdom Parables
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M. M. NINAN<br />
5.7 RISE OF THE PAPAL CHURCH OF ROME<br />
Rome is the only city that was built on seven hills. We have seen how<br />
the Emperors of Rome persecuted the early Christians and how a twist<br />
in history Christianity became the State Religion. This provided a<br />
congenial atmosphere for the infiltration of Roman religious cults and<br />
ceremonies into the now popular Christian Church. It also encouraged<br />
the growth of priestcraft, also borrowing heavily from the local<br />
paganism. A separate class of clergy and a hierarchy of priests ranging<br />
from Pope to deacons came into existence with well defined job<br />
descriptions and status.<br />
Now there were two authorities - the State and the Church. As the<br />
power of the priests began to reach heights, a struggle between the state<br />
and the church began. As the secular Roman Empire began to<br />
disintegrate, the all embracing cohesive factor of faith gave the Pope a<br />
superiority over the Kings of the various countries which constituted the<br />
old Roman Empire. It came to a head at the time of Gregory in 590 AD.<br />
Gradually Popes became the King Makers.<br />
When the Papal chair became the seat of ultimate authority, the power<br />
struggle set in and instead of being a seat of spiritual authority and<br />
strength, it became a seat of worldliness. Evil men and women often<br />
took control of it. Murder, treachery and simony (buying position with<br />
money) were constant recurring events, There was a period (AD 904 -<br />
963) in the papal history when two harlots took control of the Papal<br />
throne. Marozia, the daughter of Theodora, wife of Senator Theophylact<br />
became the mistress of Pope Sergius III, Marozia and her mother<br />
became very powerful, so they imprisoned the next elected Pope- Pope<br />
John X and made the illegitimate son of Sergius from Marozia Pope<br />
under the title Pope John XI. Then his brother Alberic followed as Pope<br />
Alberic II. He was succeeded by Pope John XII who was the nephew of<br />
JohnXI when he was only 18 years old. He proved to be so highly<br />
immoral that one of the Kings took courage to arrest him, try him and<br />
89
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