Kings and Popes
The ideal medieval king had many virtues. He was a devour Christian, a shrewd lawmaker, a learned man who could encourage scholars and philosophers and a skilful diplomat who could deal with his own quarrelsome subjects as well as dangerous foreign enemies. Some people even believed that because he was God’s deputy on earth, a king could perform miracles and cure diseases.
Needless to say, the ideal king did not exist. Except in Germany, where a group of princes could choose their Emperor, kingship was usually passed on from father to son. It had nothing to do with ability. Some kings were so weak-minded that their advisors had to appoint a ‘regent’ to rule instead.
Most kings thought that they should be free to rule their countries as they wished. But the Pope, who was head of the Catholic Church, claimed to have authority over all kings and their subjects.
As God’s representative on earth, at a time when almost everyone believed in God and in heaven and hell, the Pope had tremendous power to influence the decisions of kings and their advisors. Enemies of the Church were seen as enemies of God, and the Pope had the power to excommunicate anyone who behaved wickedly or defied his authority. (The dreadful punishment meant that they would be excluded from all the services of the Church, and would go strait to hell if they died.) Some Popes even thought that they had the right to remove kings who did not rule according to God’s laws.