Romanticism and the Pope
It isn't that long ago that I discovered that a big part of my interest in (non-secular) Middle Ages and Pope history, specifically during that time-period, derives from the Romanticism period. Evidently I have an old soul ;-). Romanticism ensured that the pope (and the Middle Ages) gained in popularity and was seen as some kind of savior, a single hope for peace and tranquility for all. The instigator of this phenomenon was, perhaps strangely enough, the French Revolution.
On August 29th 1799, Pope Pius VI died. Never before did a pope die under such humiliating circumstances. When he died he was a prisoner of the French revolutionary government, who wanted to put him away so he could do 'no more harm'. His death certificate read: civilian Giovanni Angelo Braschi, occupation: high priest. This government didn't give permission to bury the pope so his body remained above ground for six months. Napoleon finally gave permission to bury him. Pius's death marked ten years of turmoil that even the most radical reformers couldn't have thought possible. Everyone was convinced that the papacy was doomed. But rarely was an institute rehabilitated as fast as the papacy did.
The French Revolution seemed like a good idea to make sure that there would be more freedom and equality for all. The King and Queen of France lost their heads, as did 15.000 others, and everything would be better for everyone. Not! It was a chaotic mess. For the Catholics it was a nightmare. The French government, with Robespierre as one of the leaders, were in favor of freedom of religion. Robespierre wanted a state religion, a religion of reason instead of, in his mind, the 'old religion'. After the French Republic was formed, a number of Catholic celebrations were canceled and municipalities had the right to abolish Catholicism all together.
So, hold on. Developments like his didn't seem a big improvement for the French people. They got rid of one usurper and seemingly gained another. But, slowly other opinions were formed and earlier views of the Middle Ages were changed. Was this period previously seen as dark, dirty and a far cry from the more sophisticated old world (ancient Greece), now more and more it was seen as a time were things were orderly and clear. During the Middle Ages there was always the Pope who was seen of the father of all who ensured Christians a trusted environment, or so it seemed in post Revolution France.
The romantic generation in 1800 preferred the pope to the Emperor as a symbol of peace, order, and harmony. Medieval Rome and the Pope were immensely popular. After all, the whole of Europe was converted to Christianity from Rome. And so the young nations learned to look up to the Pope as the source of all culture and authority. Friedrich von Schlegel (1772 - 1829) considered Medieval Germany as a shining example of a balance between rights and freedom. It was the only European country where a happy fusion had taken place of the two major cultural forces which had formed Europe: the German and the Roman spirit. Schlegel also thought it very fortunate that there had been a second leader next to the Emperor: the Pope. The authority of both lay in the will of the people, but the Emperor represented power and the Pope the right. For Schlegel (and Joseph de Maistre 1753 - 1821) it was clear that Europe owed it to the Catholic Church and the Pope that it once had a taste of freedom, and this could only happen again when the Church and the Pope would be restored in their former grandeur. It is clear that a sense of freedom in the old Medieval ways was a major part of the idealistic view of the Middle Ages and the Pope.
So, in the beginning of the 1800's the Popes status was that his political power was substantially diminished. But, like a phoenix from the flames, his prestige resurrected significantly. This was mainly supported by young intellectuals who thought that a powerful papacy could turn the emptiness of the Enlightenment and the chaos of the Revolution and restore order, authority and peace in Europe. Their idolizing of the papacy didn't click with the Popes until after 1848. From 1850 the Pope initiated the reconstruction of the Church as seen through the eyes of the Romanticists and he began to see himself as his Medieval predecessors. Never before were the Popes so powerful and important in the lives of all believers. The Church and the papacy reinvented themselves. Again. And better than ever before.
Thank you French Revolution for showing that radical change is not always the best answer in order to improve the lives of ordinary people. And that's not just in the perspective of Christianity or papacy. I wish more people would learn from our history.
Wanderer above the Sea of Fog by Caspar David Friedrich.
While writing this I listened to my Audiophile playlist on....Tidal (yep, switched to Tidal for better sound quality).
