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Church's Apex and Decline
- By the late 13th century, the medieval Church was an immense organization with vast authority.
- Yet rising secular states started reclaiming power, diminishing papal supremacy gradually.
Church as Body and Corporation
- The Church was both a mystical body of believers and a legal corporation owning property.
- Church offices brought revenue, often held by absentee clergy through a practice called pluralism.
Tax Clash and Papal Authority
- The conflict between Philip the Fair and Boniface VIII centered on who could tax clergy.
- Pope Boniface issued Unam Sanctum asserting papal authority over kings, escalating tensions.