Papal Bulls as Instruments of Reform: The Reception of the Protection Bulls of Gregory VII in the Dioceses of Liège and Thérouanne (1074-1077)

In research concerning the spread of eleventh-century ecclesiastical reform ideas, papal protection bulls have been somewhat overlooked as scholarship has privileged more obvious instruments of papal politics, such as legates, councils, canon law, papal letters, and friendship networks. This is not...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Meijns, Brigitte (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Cambridge Univ. Press [2018]
In: Church history
Year: 2018, Volume: 87, Issue: 2, Pages: 399-423
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Pope / Bulla (Document) / Protection magic / Canon / Benedictines / Church history studies 1074-1077
IxTheo Classification:KAE Church history 900-1300; high Middle Ages
KCA Monasticism; religious orders
KCB Papacy
KDB Roman Catholic Church
Online Access: Volltext (Verlag)
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Summary:In research concerning the spread of eleventh-century ecclesiastical reform ideas, papal protection bulls have been somewhat overlooked as scholarship has privileged more obvious instruments of papal politics, such as legates, councils, canon law, papal letters, and friendship networks. This is not surprising considering the fact that the only documents preserved are very often the bulls themselves, making it virtually impossible to reconstruct the impact that they had on the local churches. Therefore, the availability of several narrative sources discussing the reception of the bulls Gregory VII issued in favor of the Benedictine abbey of Saint Hubert in the diocese of Liège in 1074 and of the priory of regular canons in Watten in the diocese of Thérouanne in 1077 is truly unique. While these accounts are heavily biased, they permit us to catch a rare glimpse of how bulls were received at the grassroots level. As becomes clear from their stormy reception, the charters prompted discussion in the episcopal entourage about questions of ecclesiastical hierarchy, procedure, papal obedience, and episcopal authority. They cleverly rooted the papal reform program in the midst of far-off but politically important dioceses and forced bishop and clergy to take a stance in the reform debate.
ISSN:1755-2613
Contains:Enthalten in: Church history
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1017/S0009640718000860