Christ's Faithful People
Christ's Faithful People
1294 - 1303 AD
After St. Celestine's abdication, the cardinals quickly elected Benedict Caetani, who took the name Boniface VIII. Boniface was a fiery old man, a canon lawyer and a veteran in the papal service. He is said to have given two hours to prayer every day. He certainly needed it, for trouble was his portion.
Those who had profited from the simplicity of Celestine naturally resented his successor. The extremists among the Franciscans joined with the powerful Colonna family to oppose the Pope. Boniface acted forcefully. He deposed the Colonna cardinals and destroyed the Colonna stronghold of Palestrina. But he was to face opponents far stronger than half-cracked friars or turbulent barons.
Edward I of England and Philip IV of France were getting ready for war. Both agreed on one thing: that the Church should provide the sinews of war. Complaints started coming in from bishops who felt that the Church was being squeezed unfairly, and Boniface came to their rescue. In the bull "Clericis laicos" he forbade churchmen to grant money to kings without papal permission. Edward's answer was to outlaw the clergy. Philip forbade the export of gold, a shrewd blow because much papal revenue came from France.
Boniface backed down. He explained that in case of necessity churchmen need not wait for the papal permission. Since the kings could decide when a state of necessity existed, this was quite satisfactory to the crown.
For a short time after this Boniface enjoyed a little peace. He canonized Philip's grandfather, the great Louis IX. He proclaimed a jubilee for 1300. The thousands of devout pilgrims who thronged Rome were a source of consolation, and Boniface needed consolation.
Philip the Fair, surrounded by men like Pierre Flotte, William Nogaret, and Pierre Dubois, who had a superexalted idea of kingly power, was a difficult problem. Soon complaints reached the Pope that Philip was taking very full advantage of the papal relaxation to milk the French church. Furthermore he was harboring the Pope's enemies and when Boniface delegated the bishop of Pamiers to preach a crusade, Philip had him arrested! To stir up hatred against Boniface, Philip stooped to circulating a forged bull in which the pope was made to claim that he ruled France as a political overlord! Boniface issued a bull warning Philip and summoned the French bishops to meet in Rome in 1302 to discuss ways and means for bringing the king to his senses. Even when his French chivalry was badly mauled by the sturdy Flemish burghers at Courtrais in 1302, Philip continued his opposition. The pope then issued his famous bull "Unam sanctam." This bull has caused a good deal of commotion, but actually, though Boniface uses some strong language, all he defines is that it is necessary for all to be subject to the Roman pontiff--a thing Catholics held and do hold.
Boniface, seeing Philip so stubborn, prepared to excommunicate him. But the unscrupulous Frenchman took the offensive. His henchman Nogaret and Sciarra Colonna led an armed band into Italy. By forced marches they reached Anagni, where the Pope was staying, and broke into the city. Boniface awaited them seated on his throne. When Colonna and his swordsmen broke in, Boniface greeted them with the words, "Here is my neck, here is my head." Colonna was quite ready to kill the Pope, but Nogaret restrained him. From September 7 to September 9 they held Boniface prisoner. Nogaret wished to carry him off to France, but Colonna refused to allow this. While they were quarreling, Cardinal Nicholas Boccasini rallied the papal forces and rescued the poor old Pope.
Boniface returned to Rome but died shortly after on October 13, 1303.
