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If there was one thing that made the Catholic Church corrupt to its core, for centuries to come, it was the creation of the document known as the Donation of Constantine. The Donation of Constantine was an eighth-century forgery purporting to be from Emperor Constantine in the fourth century, bestowing huge ecclesiastical and political authority upon Pope Sylvester and his successors. Pope Stephen II took his document to Pepin, king of the Franks, in 755, asking for help so that lands then held by the Lombards be "restored" to St. Peter himself, because four centuries earlier Constantine had granted them to Sylvester. In the grand scheme of things, this reflects on Stephen and his forger, probably a papal official called Christophorous, not on the Church as a whole, and there is no suggestion that subsequent popes actually knew the Donation to be a forgery.

The Donation of Constantine changed the papacy, making it a prize to be fought over or bought, and therefore changed the Church itself. The Papal States won by Stephen and subsequently consolidated and expanded, helped make the pope the richest man in Europe. During long periods of the Middle Ages, simony, murder and corruption became common currency at the highest levels of the Catholic Church. Popes who bought their way into office did not stop with living in incredible luxury, but openly kept concubines or mistresses, and provided for the 'nephews' who resulted from these unions, often promoting them to the positions of bishop or cardinal while still in their teens.

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What practice was corrupt in the Catholic church during the Renaissance?

There have always been individuals in the Church who have been corrupt as every single individual who ever lived, saving Our Blessed Lord, and His Mother, have been sinners. The Church, however, is the Body of Christ, and Our Blessed Lord promised the Holy Spirit to guide Her until the end of the world. The Catholic Church is incapable of being corrupt, although individuals within her, including Popes, may be. To say that the Church was corrupt is to say that Our Blessed Lord, Jesus Christ, was corrupt, which is nonsense. The vast majority of corrupt individuals during the Renaissance was neither more nor less than at any other time in history, it has just gotten a lot more press because heretics used corrupt individuals as an excuse to leave the Church and start their own religions. The Catholic Church, however, was never corrupt, and could never be.


What is a corrupt cardinal?

A corrupt cardinal is a high-ranking official in the Catholic Church who is involved in unethical or illegal activities, such as embezzlement, bribery, or abuse of power. This goes against the principles of integrity and morality expected of clergy members within the Church.


Is the Catholic Church as corrupt in real life as it in the Godfather?

The Catholic Church is not corrupt. However, as with any human institution, there are a number of corrupt individuals in the Church, especially in the Roman Curia. Some of the characters in the movie The God Father were based on actual persons. Pope Benedict tried hard to clean up the corruption but his age left him without the stamina to do the job. We all pray that Francis is up to the challenge. Satan has been trying to destroy the Church since it was founded and what better place to operate than in the Vatican itself.


The most corrupt church in the world is in which country?

It is impossible to answer without bias, because most churches have varying degrees of influence in their respective countries, and in the world. The Roman Catholic Church as a whole, with its 2000-year history, has surely had more instances of wrongdoing or individual misdeeds than any other church, and could have been considered corrupt for its political actions in Europe.


Is a monk's job to tell the Catholic Church if they are being corrupt?

Roman Catholic Answer First of all, the Catholic Church cannot, in and of itself, be corrupt; people in the Church may be corrupt, but the Church, itself, is the Mystical Body of Our Blessed Lord, who promised to pray for it, and send the Holy Spirit to guide it into all truth until the end of the world. Second of all, a monk's job primarily is to pray the Divine Office, to intercede for people, and for the whole Church. A monk, normally, is not even ordained, so would have NO business, whatsoever outside of his monastery. So the short answer to your question is a resounding "no" from whichever angle you consider it.

Related Questions

What was wrong with the Catholic church's in 1500?

The Catholic Church had become corrupt unfourtantely and priests and even the pope over used their power. They did such things as charged money for absolution.


Why do you think people who left the Catholic Church called themselves Protestants?

The people were protesting some corrupt practices in the Catholic Church.


Protestants wanted to reform the catholic church in the 16th century because they believed the church was to?

corrupt.


Did the catholic Church become so politically powerful?

Through bribery and corruption. Many of the Popes throughout the history were corrupt and manipulated the affairs of countries.


Who started the Protestant Reformation by objecting to the corrupt practices of the Catholic Church?

Martin Luther


Why did puritans reject the catholic church?

Puritans rejected the Catholic Church because they believed it was corrupt, emphasizing simplicity in religious practice and governance. They sought to purify the Church of England from what they perceived as remnants of Catholicism.


Can a Catholic become an orangeman?

Not as far as the Catholic Church is concerned.


Is the Catholic Church Masonic?

No, the Catholic Church is not Masonic. In fact, Catholics are not suppose to become Masons.


What was the core reason why Protestants wanted to reform the Catholic Church?

AnswerThere were several issues over which the Protestants and Catholics were in dispute, but the factor common to almost all issues was that the Protestants felt that the Catholic Church had become corrupt. This is highlighted by the sale of indulgences by the Catholic Church, the very practice that led Martin Luther, professor of biblical studies and Augustine monk, initially to seek reform within the Church.


What religion was Nicolas Copernicus?

Nicolas Copernicus was roman catholic......even though he didnt believe in everything the church said due to the fact that the catholic church at that time was very corrupt


Who started the Reformation and why?

Martin Luther, a German monk because he felt the Catholic church was very corrupt.


When did Kate Middleton become Catholic?

Kate Middleton is not Catholic. She is a member of the Anglican Church (The Church of England).