Spiritual Power
The terms of this article are frequently lumped together : in social organization : temporal, spiritual
In the Western Christian , the power was divided between temporal and spiritual authorities:
- to the Church was recognized spiritual power exercised over the souls on the salvation through the definition and maintenance of dogma (tradition, councils, Inquisition ...) in the context of religion.
- the sovereign and civil powers was recognized temporal power, restricted to human affairs and social order, and exercised on the bodies and property.
Two separate courts were established and defined their jurisdictions respectively. The Church has yet known, the Middle Ages and Modern Times, an expansive definition of its jurisdiction.
Summary |
Spiritual power
The Canon Law sets out how the Church exercises its power. Y are subject to all matters of faith and discipline: the Christians (or Catholics only, since the Reformation ), and members of various church institutions ( clergy , religious orders ...).
However, governments have exercised their rights in respect of the granting of ecclesiastical offices, and interfering in the organization of the Church: the Germanic emperors were appointed bishops ( investiture quarrel with XI - XII s .), the kings of France in modern times (XVI - XVIII century) named the commendatory to ecclesiastical benefices (example Gallicanism ) ...
Aside from the canon law, and in agreement with the theory of "power Directive , the Church and especially the pope sometimes publicly express their position to influence the societal debates on issues considered by the Magisterium , particularly on questions of ethics (eg, the positions of Christianity in relation to abortion ) or social issues say legal (such as gay marriage ).
Power and temporal goods of the Church
The Church, to fulfill its mission, use of temporal goods and, under the old regime , has enjoyed some temporal powers.
Can be distinguished:
- temporal goods, which the church owns and uses to accomplish its mission in society: finance, furniture, religious buildings , ... Full ownership of such property, enforceable against civil society and become the norm , is motivated by tradition and by some passages in the Bible concerning the property of the Apostles .
- The name refers especially time revenues of ecclesiastical benefice.
- In the feudal system , the Church received the princes and nobility, the gift of seigneurial rights over land and people. She then acted like any other lord or ruler (under the ecclesiastical principalities ). This property is both territorial and political is designated as the temporal possessions or simply referred to as the temporal (a monastery , a bishop ...). These are not examples of theocracies , as the right of these estates held by the Church is not a specific duty but that of the secular lordships.
- the temporal power of the pope, he would have enjoyed or enjoyed by certain religious theories (the ultramontanism especially), as " vicar of Christ on Earth , "which would allow him to repudiate or revoke the Heads of State government against Christian principles. This theory is now abandoned in the international context of secularism.
- temporal power since 1929 which is recognized to the pope, who enjoys sovereignty over the Vatican State , and carries the fullness of temporal power as any head of state. It is a theocracy.
Comparison of temporal and spiritual powers
The distinction between temporal and spiritual is crystallized during the confrontation between the Roman Catholic Church , recognized politically from the Emperor Constantine ( fourth century ), and civil powers West: Roman emperors , kings , Holy Roman Emperor and nobles or princes secular. It therefore participates in the definition of the power structure in the Christian western societies before and after the separation of church and state.
The two powers were meeting places, and have thus been subject to constant redefinition.
spoke of the spiritual power
- From the Middle Ages the Church imposed a right to asylum in its religious buildings , especially where the carrying of weapons was prohibited.
- The Church could also be seized by such abuse when an appeal trial of temporal authority was challenged, but she could rarely impose this procedure.
Speeches of the temporal power
- This is traditionally the keeper of the temporal power that served with the secular arm of the Church, putting into effect the decisions of imprisonment, torture and execution, including performances in ecclesiastical lordships ( high court ) The Church can not by its nature bloodshed.
- The temporal power could intervene in case of appeal as abuse against a ruling to the spiritual, if for example the spiritual authority had improperly seized a case even if the conviction was against the canon law . The kings of France, especially leaned on this provision to extend their jurisdiction, under the guise of Gallican liberties.
References
- See " Immortale Dei. "
- Leo XIII , 1885.
- In France, it is legally vested with religious associations.
- See John 12:6, Acts 4:32-37 ...
- See the article "Abuse" , universal directory and reasoned case law civil, criminal, canonical and Beneficial ... Joseph Nicolas Guyot, Paris, 1784.
See also
Bibliography
- HX Arquilliere, Augustine's policy, Paris, 1955.
- Catholic Encyclopedia, article " Civil Allegiance "," Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction , "" Ecclesiastical Property. "
- R. Folz, The concept of Empire in the West from the fifth to the fourteenth century, Paris, 1953.
- Great Larousse Encyclopedia, article "Temporal", Paris, Larousse, 1973.
- Joel P. Gregogna, article " Call of abuse as "Encyclopaedia universalis.
- Jean-Yves Lacoste (ed.), article "Authority" (History of the concept of political authority in Christian theology), Critical Dictionary of Theology, PUF "Quadriga".
- Laurent Maillet, "The timing of a Cistercian abbey of Maine in the Middle Ages - L'Abbaye de Champagne", in Journal History and Archaeology of Maine, Le Mans, 3 T.18 Series, Volume CXLIX Collection, 1998 p.97-144 (Fig.).
- Marcel Pacaut, theocracy. The Church and Power in the Middle Ages (the theocracy in medieval Christianity), Paris, Descle, 1989, repr. 2002. "Library Collection History of Christianity" No. 20.
- Society Catholic Encyclopedia, edited by Claire Abbe ..., Vte of Mr. Walsh, and a committee of orthodoxy, Catholic Encyclopedia : directory universal and rational science, literature, arts and crafts, forming a universal library. T. 17, section "Temporal", Paris, Parent-Desbarres, 1839-1848.
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