Digital Continent Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul 2016 | Page 11

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emperors, not the reverse, for a ruler was part of the Church, not above it.4 Such a stance was
certain to clash with temporal authority and would do so repeatedly throughout history.
Distance from the emperor and the collapse
of the Roman Empire in the West allowed
for collaboration between western figures of
authority and the papacy as reverence for the
Roman pontiff grew. Both sides understood
the benefit of cooperation with regard to the spiritual and physical care of the population.
Subsequent councils and various popes such as Pope St. Leo the Great and Pope St. Gelasius I
would address and defend the topic of the fullness of power held by the Apostolic See,
emphasizing the priority of spiritual over temporal. That cooperation was the springboard for a
new balance of power in the West. When Pepin questioned the correctness of a powerless
Frankish king, Pope Zachary responded that it was better that the ruler also retained power for
the good of the people and commanded that by apostolic authority Pepin should be made king.
Papal judgment resulted in the election of a new king by Frankish custom who was anointed by
Archbishop Boniface in the year 750. King Childeric was deposed and sent to a monastery.5 As
imperial pressure and influence continually dissipated due to struggles within the Eastern
Empire, a working relationship developed between the papacy and the rulers in the West that
would also defend Christianity.
Lack of imperial support translated to unreliable protection against the greatest of threats.
The close relationship with the Carolingian dynasty established by Pepin filled this void. His

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5

Tierney, 8-9.
Ibid., 20.