History Western Civilization: Lesson 175 Essay- (1) “How were the ideas of Marsilius of Padua evident in Louis of Bavaria’s conflict with Pope John XXII?” (2) “What can we say about the condition of the Catholic Church on the eve of the Protestant Reformation?” (3) “Discuss the three key developments in the process of political centralization in Spain.”

Marsilius and Louis both saw the emperor as a superior of the Pope. They thought that the Pope should not have authority over the emperor and that things should be the other way around. They thought the Pope should have no authority when it comes to secular subjects. Louis and Marsilius thought that Louis should have the Roman public declare him emperor since the Pope would not.

The condition of the Catholic Church was varying. Less people were going to Sunday mass, but many more people focused on improving their own spiritual lives. Whenever a “special” event would take place in the Catholic community, lots of people would show up. More Catholics were going on pilgrimages. Many high ranking church officials were greedy. Many local church officials were so poor that they would focus on how to get money out of the leity. Some people would apply for a church office then not show up so that they could get paid for doing nothing. Many local church officials would be uneducated about spiritual matters. Monasteries were breaking away from St. Benedict’s rules. Many people saw the Catholic Church as corrupt.

The major kingdoms that divided Spain, Aragon and Castile, were brought together. The second development was the reconquista movement. This movement was when the common people wanted unity with the Church, state, and themselves to drive out the Muslims, which they ended up doing. The third development was the Spanish Inquisition. The Spanish Inquisition was an effort to get people who were not sincere believers to abandon their faith. This was done in order to help the Catholic community in Spain stay united.