Posted on 04/04/2008 7:16:12 AM PDT by cardinal4
The collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century created a political and cultural vacuum that was filled, in part, by the Roman Catholic Church. For the next 1000 years the continuity of the Church of Rome provided a semblance of stability as Europe sank into barbarism. By the dawn of the Renaissance, however, the mission of the papacy had been corrupted by the conflict between its sacred duties as the Vicar of Christ and its temporal responsibilities as head of the Papal States. This was not the papacy's finest hour.Pope Alexander VI epitomizes this corruption. Born as Rodrigo Borgia in Spain in 1431, he was elected Pope in 1492, an event that spawned rumors that he had spent a considerable fortune bribing the appropriate Cardinals to assure his success.
(Excerpt) Read more at artoriuscastus.blogspot.com ...
ping
The Borgias are one of the most fascinating families in history.
In college, I relished writing a term paper on Ceasare’s reaction to the revolt of the condottiere.
Indeed they were. If the Borgia’s interest you, you should read up on some of the banking families of Firenze or Siena. These people led very interesting lives...
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