Pontifex Maximus

"A brilliant book on a number of different levels. Lascelles has an engaging prose style and an amazing eye for detail and apposite anecdote. Surely only purblind Catholic zelanti will object to this outstanding analysis.” – Frank McLynn, author of Genghis Khan, Napoleon and 1066 “Lascelles has achieved the seemingly impossible: a concise and highly readable history of Catholic Popes that manages to be extremely entertaining and informative at the same time.” – Gerald Posner, author of God’s Bankers “Lascelles has taken an overwhelming subject, and not been overwhelmed by it in any way. A highly enjoyable read. ” – Paul Strathern, author of The Medici For many people, the popes are an irrelevance: if they consider them at all, it may be as harmless old men who preach obscure sermons in Latin. But the history of the popes is far from bland. On the contrary, it is occasionally so bizarre as to stretch credulity. Popes have led papal armies, fled in disguise, fathered children (including future popes), and authorised torture. They have been captured, assaulted and murdered. While many have been admired, others have been hated to such a degree that their funeral processions have been disrupted and statues of them torn down after their deaths. Many have been the enemies of freedom and progress – divisive rather than unifying figures. In a fascinating and engaging read, best-selling author Christopher Lascelles examines the history of the popes through the ages, laying bare the extent to which many of them fell so very short of the Christian ideals they supposedly represented. He explains how it was that, professing to follow a man who said ‘My kingdom is not of this world’ and 'Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth’, they nevertheless became the heads of a rich state that owned more land in Europe than any king, relying on foreign military aid to keep power; and how pride, greed and corruption became commonplace in an institution founded on love, faith and forgiveness. This book is aimed at the general reader who is short on time and seeks an accessible overview unencumbered by ecclesiastical jargon and scholarly controversies.

Essay from the year 2016 in the subject History of Europe - Middle Ages, Early Modern Age, grade: 1,3, , language: English, abstract: In this essay, I will give an account on how the Roman pope became the religious leader of the Western Empire, by historical forces and intelligent use of institutions, language and imagery. Through historical forces, especially invasions into the Western Empire, as well as clever use of language, law and imagery the Roman pope had largely gained religious leadership of Western Roman Empire by the sixth century. It is uncertain which pope first acclaimed the title pontifex maximus and it is difficult to say by what time exactly the papacy had supreme religious authority. But the events between the fourth and sixth century are largely responsible for the status of the Roman pope, which ever since has enabled him to justifiably be called pontifex maximus. When the Republic became the Roman Empire, it marked a change for the office of the Pontifex maximus. From 12 BC onwards, when Emperor Augustus took over the position, it was an imperial office. Now the state had religious authority and preeminent capacity to introduce religious reform. For at least the next 300 years Roman emperors would use their designation as Pontifex maximus to justify their position as the head of Roman religion. The role of the Pontifex Maximus was now to act as an intermediary between the Empire and the gods, including a variety of functions: He was responsible for the fabric of religious cults, organized rituals and temples, and had the power to issue edicts. Since the Roman Republic, though, the main function of the office had always been to guard the ius divinum (sacred law) so that the peace of the gods (pax deorum) would keep the Empire prosperous and undefeated. The papacy therefore could only claim the title pontifex maximus once it would have authority over the sacred law, which was a long way to go.

The deadlocked Papal conclave turns to a compromise candidate, Anthony Cardinal Pavelli. Ordained at fifty years of age, and in declining health, the seventy-two year old American, is an unlikely choice. Reluctantly accepting the scepter as Godas will, the Pontiff is eager to reinvigorate the Church by initiating sweeping reforms. A group of ruthless cardinals, each with his own agenda, band together to stop the reforms by discrediting the Pope. Shadowy Vatican forces spread rumors and half-truths about the Popeas former secular life. His Papacy is teetering, on the verge of implosion. The Pope takes his fight to the media and leads a peace mission to Ireland in an effort to bolster his image as a world leader. When the Pope canat be derailed by twisted Machiavellian tactics his enemies resort to extreme measures.

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Historians have traditionally viewed the chief pontificate, a prestigious Roman priesthood, as being employed to further personal ambitions and strike out at rival factions under the Republic. This book provides a new assessment of this priest's role before the Principate. The actions of the chief pontiffs are shown to have been primarily motivated by the upholding of tradition and religious propriety. The priesthood was, in fact, a position that acted as a safeguard against discord and instability and not one that promoted them. Caesar's election to the chief pontificate marked a major turning-point and the author puts forward innovative new arguments to explain many of Caesar's actions. The case is made that, after his victory in the Civil War, Caesar set about establishing an autocratic form of government based on the chief pontificate and the dictatorship. The inspiration and justification for this stemmed from Caesar's mythical heritage and the numerous links it provided to key institutions at Rome, including the Vestal Virgins. This is an important work for scholars and students interested in Roman history, religion or religion's relationship with political power.