No, it should not.
Church leaders and European rulers often clashed over issues of power and authority. The Church wielded significant influence, both spiritually and politically, leading to tensions over governance and control of land and resources. Additionally, rulers sought to consolidate their power and assert their authority over religious matters, while church leaders aimed to maintain their autonomy and influence. This struggle for dominance frequently resulted in conflicts, such as the Investiture Controversy, where the appointment of bishops became a contentious issue between secular and ecclesiastical authorities.
Who were the church rulers and what influence did they have on the society?
Historically, Egypt had intertwined religious and political leadership, with pharaohs being seen as both rulers and divine figures. In more recent times, there is a separation of religious and political leadership, with political leaders holding authority over governance and religious leaders presiding over religious matters within the country.
Sumerian military leaders primarily obeyed the rulers of the city-states, who were often priest-kings or elected officials. These leaders held both political and religious authority, which granted them the power to command the military. Additionally, the military leaders were expected to protect their cities and expand their territories, adhering to the strategic goals set by their rulers.
In "The Prince," Machiavelli emphasizes the importance of a ruler appearing religious while prioritizing political power. He supports the idea of separating the church from the state, believing that rulers should not be overly reliant on religious institutions for their governance. Machiavelli suggests that a ruler should maintain control over both religious and political affairs to secure their power effectively.
Machiavelli believed that political leaders should prioritize pragmatism over morality, arguing that the ends often justify the means. In his work "The Prince," he emphasized the importance of power and control, suggesting that rulers might need to engage in deceit or ruthless actions to maintain authority and stability. He also contended that effective leaders should be adaptable, using both virtù (skill and cunning) and fortuna (luck) to navigate the complexities of governance. Ultimately, Machiavelli viewed leadership as a complex interplay of ethics, strategy, and the harsh realities of political life.
The lay investure or the practice whereby political rulers appointed many high church officials, such as bishops.
Manxsa musa
The problems between religious and political leaders lay in a matter of control. Very simplistically, some kings gave the Church a lot of latitude, including status of being free of taxation, having clergy exempt from secular trials, and allowing churches and monasteries to provide sanctuary to fugitives. Other kings wanted to limit these powers, and when they tried to do so, Church leaders naturally resented it and worked to maintain their power, which made monarchs and lords unhappy. The Church had jurisdiction over oaths, with were vitally important in medieval society, and a bishop or pope could nullify an oath, freeing people from feudal obligations. The political leaders resented this and sought to gain power over the Church by seeing to it that their own candidates were appointed. The church resented such interference. There were emperors and kings whose power was greatly reduced because of a conflict with a pope. But on the other hand, there were popes who lost much of their authority because of political moves by monarchs and kings.
It led some rulers to oppose the pope in the hopes of seizing that power for themselves.
Machiavelli's political thought was based on his observations of political leaders and history, seeking to understand how power is acquired and maintained. His motivation was to provide practical advice to rulers on how to navigate the complexities of politics and achieve stability and security for their states. He believed that rulers must sometimes make tough and ruthless decisions in order to maintain their authority and protect their interests.
The history of Rome lasted 1,200 years. It had three forms of government.: a monarchy for 244 years, a republic for 482 years and rule by emperors for 506 years. it had hundreds of leaders and during the monarchy and rule by emperors what these leaders were like depended on the personality of the rulers.