Livin' on a Prayer

Pope Francis I

When Pope Benedict XVI announced this February that he was resigning, it came as a shock to Catholics the world over. It is exceedingly rare for a pope to step down -- in fact, it's been six centuries since a pope has not held the office for life. And, interestingly enough, when the last pope resigned in the 15th century, it was for reasons a little more complicated than you might expect.

We all know that the papacy is located in Rome, Italy -- except for a century or so when it wasn't. In 1306, at the command of King Philip IV of France, French pope Clement V moved the seat of the papacy from Rome to the more defensively-strenghtened city of Avignon, France. And for almost a century, the papacy remained in Avignon.

When the papacy seat was finally returned to Rome in 1378, there was pressure on the mostly-French cardinals from the Roman citizens to pick an Italian man as pope. Wanting to make a show of good faith (no pun intended), the cardinals chose Bartolemeo Prignano for the office. They meant well.

Ol' Prignano looks like a friendly guy.

Unfortunately, Prignano, who would become Pope Urban VI, drank too much and may have been slightly insane. (One of his first actions as pope was to order the torture and execution of six cardinals who had had the nerve to defy him.) The French cardinals, hoping to reverse the problem, chose a new pope -- Clement VII -- and returned to Avignon with the new, "true" pope. One problem: Urban wasn't about to back down and acknowledge his successor. Urban just picked some new cardinals and keep on popin'.

So now there was two elected popes and two colleges of cardinals, with one set residing in Rome and the other in France. This ushered in the Great Western Schism, with every Christian in Europe having to, essentially, choose a side. It generally went by country: France and Scotland chose to follow Clement VII; while England, Germany, and the kingdoms of central Europe allied themselves to Urban VI.

It was a tough time to be a Christian.

When the Roman Urban VI died in 1389, his replacement was Boniface IX -- whose first act was to excommunicate (that is, threw out of the church) Clement VII. But the French cardinals were undaunted by their Roman-proclaimed blasphemy; when Clement died, a new French pope was chosen to replace him. The dualing popes continued until 1409, when both groups of cardinals decided the schism had to be repaired. Banding together, the united cardinals deposed Gregory XII (the current Roman pope) and Benedict XIII (the current Avignon pope), choosing a neutral newcomer for the job: Pope Alexander V. But -- surprise! -- Benedict and Gregory were happy where they were.

So now there were three popes, and three sides. All of Christendom was in a quandary: which pope was the true pope?  It was a more pressing question than we might realize today: with the belief that one must follow the true pope in order to secure a place in heaven, choosing correctly was a very real concern. And, as my former history professor so succinctly put it: "European Christians had reached a point where, no matter what they did, they were going to be excommunicated by a minimum of two popes."

Fortunately, this state of affairs didn't last long. At the 1417 Council of Constance, the trio of popes was deposed, with Martin V finally emerging as the one, and only, pope. Since then, those elected to the office of the papacy have held the position for life -- until now.

Let's be honest: this guy would have been a tough act for anyone to follow.

For more about Pope Francis, former popes, and the history of the papacy:

Jorge Mario Bergoglio: Fast Facts About Pope Francis -- A 14-fact "primer" on Jorge Mario Bergoglio, the former Archbishop of Buenos Aires, from Time magazine.

Cardinals Once Took 3 Years to Name Pope -- Some little-known facts about the history of papal elections from Anderson Cooper.

How to Become Pope -- YouTube show Grey Explains takes you through the process of becoming a pope.



-- Books on the papacy

-- Books about the popes

-- Post by Ms. B

Celebrating The Dalai Lama of Tibet

Every morning when I wake up, I dedicate myself to helping others to find peace of mind. Then, when I meet people, I think of them as long term friends; I don't regard others as strangers. -- The Dalai Lama

According to the World Almanac there are over 450 million Buddhists in 150 countries. Most of the people who practice Buddhism are in Asia. One of the most well known Buddhists is The Dalai Lama of Tibet. He was born on July 6, 1935 as Lhamo Dhondup in northeastern Tibet. He is believed, by Tibetans, to be the 14th reincarnation of Gedun Drub (1391-1474), the first Dalai Lama. The current Dalai Lama was identified at the age of 2 and eventually taken to the monastery in Llasa to study with the monks. Through the centuries the Dalai Lama has become not just the spiritual leader of Tibet but also the political leader. In 1950, Tenzin Gyatso (the name he took upon entering the monastery) assumed this role. In 1959 he was forced to flee after the Chinese invaded his homeland. He established the Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala, India.

The 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is one of the most well known and respected people in the world, religious or political. Through the years he has become a voice for non-violence and respect of others. In 1989 he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "to emphasize the fact that the Dalai Lama in his struggle for the liberation of Tibet consistently has opposed the use of violence. He has instead advocated peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people" (Nobel Peace Prize Press Release).

The Dalai Lama has three main commitments in his life:

1) The promotion of human values such as compassion, forgiveness, tolerance, contentment and self-discipline.

2) The promotion of religious harmony and understanding among the world’s major religious traditions.

3) The Tibetan issue.

While I, admittedly, know very little about Buddhism,  I have great respect and admiration for The Dalai Lama because of his compassion and respect for others and for his firm stance of non-violence even when it comes to the survival of his beloved homeland. No matter our beliefs, I think that there is much we can learn from this man.

So in honor of his 77th birthday, why not take some time to take a look at his website or check out a few books:

About The Dalai Lama

His teachings

Tibet

Buddhism

And if you want to join in on The Dalai Lama's birthday celebrations, there will be a live broadcast from Dharamsala, India. Just go to this link by 11:30 EDT, July 5th.


-- Post by Tracy