Popes

A:

Some of the money from the sale of indulgences was used to rebuild St Peter's Basilica, although a good deal of the money went to support the pope's indulgent lifestyle. Vivian Green (A New History of Christianity) says that Prierias, Master of the Papal Palace, actually declared any challenge to the sale of indulgences heretical.

Catholic Answer

You are speaking of indulgences, but this has never been true. Pope Leo X granted an indulgence (under the usual conditions) for those who made a donation towards the repair of St. Peter's Basilica. Martin Luther objected strenuously and accused the Pope of "selling indulgences", that was not true, M. Luther had a lot of things wrong when it came to his accusations.

Pope Nicholas V did not "turn bad", he was a wonderful pope and is particularly remembered for the many good things he accomplished, especially as regards those who love letters (books, writing, etc.). The Catholic Encyclopedia ends its article about him with these words: A scholar rather than a man of action, he underrated difficulties, and was impatient when he was not instantly understood and obeyed. At the same time he was obliging and cheerful, and readily granted audience to his subjects. He was a man of sincere piety, simple and temperate in his habits, He was entirely free from the bane of nepotism, and exercised great care in the choice of cardinals. We may truly say that the lofty aims, the scholarly and artistic tastes, and the noble generosity of Nicholas form one of the brightest pages in the history of the popes.

For a discussion of various things held against him today by modern people without an indepth knowledge of the times, please see the discussion page added by PiusX.

See the Catholic Encyclopedia article about him below.
Pope Nicholas V:http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/11058a.htm

Moreover, Pope Nicholas V should not be confused with Antipope Nicholas V.

It is unlikely that any pope before the time of John XXII claimed papal infallibility, although the Church did accord the highest authority to papal pronouncements. He was concerned that a group of Franciscan monks called "the spirituals" contended that the pope must follow the precedent set by a previous pope who agreed with their view that the church must follow the life of St. Francis of Assisi and live in poverty.

Pope John XXII considered that nothing said by any predecessor could be held infallible and wished to reserve for himself the right to alter or revoke any such statements. He refuted all claims to infallibility in his papal bull, Quia Quorundam (1324),"However, it is evidently clear from the following that the premise of the above argument--namely, that those things which through the key of knowledge the supreme pontiffs have once defined in faith and morals it is not lawful for a successor to call again into doubt, or affirm the contrary, though it is otherwise (they say) with things ordained by supreme pontiffs through the key of power--is entirely contrary to truth." The issue was resolved in John's favour without recourse to this argument, but he specifically left open the possibility of future pontiffs declaring a position contrary to his own, just as he had insisted on the sovereign right to change the positions of his predecessors on faith and morals.

It was not until 1870 that the First Vatican Council defined that the pope could speak infallibly on faith and morals. Bishop Geoffrey Robinson (Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church) asks how a council can infallibly declare the infallibility of the pope unless we assume in advance that the council was itself infallible. In the absence of infallibility on the part of the First Vatican Council, papal infallibility is no more than an opinion.

He changed the order of the Sacraments of Initiation from Baptism-Confirmation-Eucharist to allow people to receive communion before they were confirmed (which then was usually about age 14-16). He allowed communion to be received as young as 7.

from Modern Catholic Dictionary by John A. Hardon, S.J. Doubleday & Co., Inc. Garden City, NY 1980

Frequent Communion. The practice, dating from the first centuries of the Church, of receiving Holy Communion often, as a means of growing in union with God. Weekly reception was customary already in apostolic times. From the end of the second century many priests and laity received every day. By the thirteenth century the practice has so declined that the Fourth Lateran Council had to legislate at least annual Communion at Easter time. In the sixteenth century the Council of Trent urged the reception of Holy Communion at every Mass attended. During the centuries of Jansenist influence, Communion became rare, until 1905 when St. Pius X decreed that "Frequent and daily Communion, as a thing most earnestly desired by Christ our Lord and by the Catholic Church should be open to all the faithful" (Denzinger 3375-83). The only conditions required were the state of grace and the right intention.