In any case,the pope was never the emperor but the Chief Justice of Europe, while the kings et al served as sheriffs. As for lice, it was always the papacy that served to unite Christendom against the Turks by taxing Europe to fund the Crusades. We know that the money for indulgences did go to rebuild St. Peter’s. But it also went into a Crusader’s fund. Unfortunately, after Pius II, after Constantinople fell to the Turk, no pope even bothered to try to rouse Europe. Luther showed no alarm. He was willing to let the Turk take over and scourge Europe. Even as the Turk was banging at the gates of Vienna, he was only happy that the Emperor was distracted.
Well, there was that little matter of Constantinople falling to the Crusaders in what, 1202-1204?
One of the most profitable and disgraceful sacks of a city every.
That sure demonstrated a united Christendom against the Turks....
“[T]he educated and wealthy Byzantines saw the Latins as lawless, impious, covetous, blood-thirsty, undisciplined, and (quite literally) unwashed.”
From wikipedia
The first hand-written English language Bible manuscripts were produced in 1380’s AD by John Wycliffe, an Oxford professor, scholar, and theologian. Wycliffe, (also spelled “Wycliff” & “Wyclif”), was well-known throughout Europe for his opposition to the teaching of the organized Church, which he believed to be contrary to the Bible. With the help of his followers, called the Lollards, and his assistant Purvey, and many other faithful scribes, Wycliffe produced dozens of English language manuscript copies of the scriptures. They were translated out of the Latin Vulgate, which was the only source text available to Wycliffe. The Pope was so infuriated by his teachings and his translation of the Bible into English, that 44 years after Wycliffe had died, he ordered the bones to be dug-up, crushed, and scattered in the river!
The pope was a hater!