1 00:00:01,878 --> 00:00:04,781 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:04,881 --> 00:00:06,682 ♪ ♪ 3 00:00:06,749 --> 00:00:09,952 male narrator: One of the most powerful men on Earth 4 00:00:10,053 --> 00:00:12,355 holds a position that has existed 5 00:00:12,422 --> 00:00:14,624 for nearly 2,000 years. 6 00:00:14,724 --> 00:00:17,527 ♪ ♪ 7 00:00:17,593 --> 00:00:21,064 As the world changes and faith evolves, 8 00:00:21,130 --> 00:00:24,067 his authority remains. 9 00:00:24,133 --> 00:00:26,869 What began with one apostle 10 00:00:26,936 --> 00:00:29,705 has become 1.2 billion followers 11 00:00:29,772 --> 00:00:31,974 under one man. 12 00:00:32,074 --> 00:00:34,477 He is the head of the Catholic Church, 13 00:00:34,577 --> 00:00:36,813 the pope, 14 00:00:36,913 --> 00:00:39,382 and this is his path to power. 15 00:00:39,449 --> 00:00:46,556 ♪ ♪ 16 00:01:19,622 --> 00:01:22,091 In this episode, 17 00:01:22,158 --> 00:01:24,093 what happens when the pope threatens 18 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:27,530 a 2,000-year-old tradition... 19 00:01:27,630 --> 00:01:30,867 leaving two men at the helm of one divine office 20 00:01:30,967 --> 00:01:34,337 for the first time in over 500 years? 21 00:01:34,437 --> 00:01:41,511 ♪ ♪ 22 00:01:55,324 --> 00:01:56,859 - We're following breaking news this morning. 23 00:01:56,959 --> 00:02:01,063 Pope Benedict XVI has announced he is resigning. 24 00:02:01,164 --> 00:02:03,666 - For the first time in 600 years, 25 00:02:03,733 --> 00:02:05,635 a pope is retiring. 26 00:02:05,701 --> 00:02:09,539 ♪ ♪ 27 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:12,575 - I was astonished when Benedict resigned. 28 00:02:12,675 --> 00:02:14,343 It came completely out of the blue. 29 00:02:14,410 --> 00:02:17,813 - Benedict's resignation was an amazing thing. 30 00:02:18,648 --> 00:02:20,917 narrator: In the last 2,000 years, 31 00:02:21,017 --> 00:02:23,753 only four other popes have resigned. 32 00:02:23,853 --> 00:02:26,923 - [speaking Latin] 33 00:02:32,094 --> 00:02:34,764 - It was wonderfully, comically announced. 34 00:02:36,499 --> 00:02:39,702 He announced it at a papal audience in Latin, 35 00:02:39,769 --> 00:02:41,437 and you had to see, all around the room, 36 00:02:41,537 --> 00:02:43,439 anyone who understood what he was saying. 37 00:02:43,539 --> 00:02:46,209 It was an astonishing thing to do. 38 00:02:46,275 --> 00:02:49,111 - It raises so many questions. 39 00:02:49,212 --> 00:02:51,347 You know, what happens now? 40 00:02:51,414 --> 00:02:57,119 ♪ ♪ 41 00:02:57,220 --> 00:03:00,356 narrator: Two weeks after Benedict XVI's resignation, 42 00:03:00,423 --> 00:03:02,525 Pope Francis is elected, 43 00:03:02,592 --> 00:03:06,929 and the papal crown is handed from one man to the other. 44 00:03:07,029 --> 00:03:08,130 - We have two popes, 45 00:03:08,231 --> 00:03:09,699 but only one is the pope. 46 00:03:10,700 --> 00:03:12,368 The problem with having two popes 47 00:03:12,435 --> 00:03:15,071 is that you have to decide who do you listen to? 48 00:03:16,606 --> 00:03:19,976 - Benedict was 85 when he resigned. 49 00:03:20,076 --> 00:03:22,278 He inherited the financial mess. 50 00:03:22,378 --> 00:03:24,580 He inherited the mess of sexual abuse. 51 00:03:24,647 --> 00:03:28,150 He inherited the administrative chaos. 52 00:03:28,251 --> 00:03:30,820 Benedict resigned because he realized 53 00:03:30,920 --> 00:03:34,156 that these problems were simply too great for him. 54 00:03:34,257 --> 00:03:36,659 - It's not like other human institutions. 55 00:03:36,759 --> 00:03:39,095 It's created, we believe, by God, 56 00:03:39,161 --> 00:03:40,997 and this man is resigning from all of that. 57 00:03:41,097 --> 00:03:43,799 That not what popes are supposed to do. 58 00:03:43,899 --> 00:03:45,568 narrator: For 2,000 years, 59 00:03:45,635 --> 00:03:48,237 the legacy of St. Peter has been a divine office 60 00:03:48,304 --> 00:03:51,841 passed down from one pope to the next. 61 00:03:51,941 --> 00:03:54,510 But can two men hold a legitimate claim 62 00:03:54,610 --> 00:03:57,079 to one godly office? 63 00:03:57,146 --> 00:03:58,914 [camera shutter clicks] 64 00:03:58,981 --> 00:04:00,583 - It's left us with this situation 65 00:04:00,650 --> 00:04:03,185 of a pope and an extra pope, 66 00:04:03,286 --> 00:04:06,022 and that's always going to change 67 00:04:06,122 --> 00:04:07,757 the nature of an institution. 68 00:04:07,823 --> 00:04:09,692 Who's the real pope? 69 00:04:10,860 --> 00:04:12,695 narrator: In 2013, 70 00:04:12,795 --> 00:04:15,831 millions of people watch as Benedict XVI 71 00:04:15,931 --> 00:04:20,469 peacefully hands the papacy over to Pope Francis. 72 00:04:20,536 --> 00:04:21,871 But in the past, 73 00:04:21,971 --> 00:04:25,675 two living men with claim to one legacy 74 00:04:25,775 --> 00:04:28,544 has resulted in nothing but chaos. 75 00:04:29,645 --> 00:04:31,614 - In the 10th and 11th centuries, 76 00:04:31,681 --> 00:04:34,383 if you've got two popes, you've got two factions. 77 00:04:34,483 --> 00:04:36,319 It's a-- an extraordinary episode. 78 00:04:36,385 --> 00:04:41,957 ♪ ♪ 79 00:04:42,024 --> 00:04:44,393 - Benedict IX was a teenager. 80 00:04:44,493 --> 00:04:46,395 He was the most eligible member 81 00:04:46,495 --> 00:04:48,230 of the powerful Roman family 82 00:04:48,331 --> 00:04:49,965 that ruled the city of Rome. 83 00:04:50,032 --> 00:04:53,069 They wanted him to be pope for their own financial gain, 84 00:04:53,169 --> 00:04:55,471 their own territorial supremacy. 85 00:04:56,639 --> 00:04:59,542 - The papacy was the legal center 86 00:04:59,642 --> 00:05:01,177 of the Western world. 87 00:05:01,243 --> 00:05:03,479 If a king needed a dispensation 88 00:05:03,546 --> 00:05:07,383 to marry his brother's wife, 89 00:05:07,483 --> 00:05:11,554 if people wanted to take possession of a local parish, 90 00:05:11,654 --> 00:05:13,923 they would have to get permission, pay a fee. 91 00:05:14,023 --> 00:05:17,259 At Rome, you are enormously powerful. 92 00:05:17,360 --> 00:05:20,229 Immense responsibility. 93 00:05:20,329 --> 00:05:21,997 narrator: But 19-year-old Benedict 94 00:05:22,064 --> 00:05:26,202 has no interest in bureaucracy or public service. 95 00:05:26,268 --> 00:05:28,437 ♪ ♪ 96 00:05:28,537 --> 00:05:31,273 He is only interested in the privileges of power. 97 00:05:31,374 --> 00:05:34,777 ♪ ♪ 98 00:05:34,877 --> 00:05:37,446 - Benedict is someone who was clearly made pope 99 00:05:37,546 --> 00:05:39,949 in order to enrich his family. 100 00:05:40,049 --> 00:05:41,550 On the secular side, 101 00:05:41,617 --> 00:05:45,454 not someone who had any sort of spiritual authority, 102 00:05:45,554 --> 00:05:48,357 even spiritual training. 103 00:05:48,424 --> 00:05:50,526 - Nepotism tended to produce 104 00:05:50,593 --> 00:05:52,962 a group of wealthy parasites 105 00:05:53,062 --> 00:05:55,698 who lived like grandees, 106 00:05:55,765 --> 00:05:57,867 who were also clergy. 107 00:05:57,933 --> 00:06:00,403 ♪ ♪ 108 00:06:00,469 --> 00:06:02,705 - He was incompetent. 109 00:06:02,772 --> 00:06:05,074 He was morally compromised in many ways. 110 00:06:05,141 --> 00:06:08,377 - Benedict was up to his neck in robbery and murder. 111 00:06:08,444 --> 00:06:11,480 He was using his position to gain wealth 112 00:06:11,580 --> 00:06:13,249 at the expense of the people of Rome. 113 00:06:13,315 --> 00:06:15,751 ♪ ♪ 114 00:06:15,818 --> 00:06:17,653 narrator: By the year 1044, 115 00:06:17,753 --> 00:06:20,890 the cardinals are fed up. 116 00:06:20,956 --> 00:06:22,324 They decide the church needs 117 00:06:22,425 --> 00:06:25,261 a real spiritual and political leader. 118 00:06:25,327 --> 00:06:27,630 Something must be done. 119 00:06:27,730 --> 00:06:31,434 ♪ ♪ 120 00:06:31,500 --> 00:06:35,070 - The holiest priest in Rome came to him and said, 121 00:06:35,137 --> 00:06:37,940 "You need to step down for the good of the church. 122 00:06:38,007 --> 00:06:39,408 What can I give you?" 123 00:06:39,475 --> 00:06:41,177 And made him some sort of offering. 124 00:06:41,277 --> 00:06:43,746 - Benedict IX sold the papacy. 125 00:06:43,813 --> 00:06:46,348 - Which, of course, is against the canons. 126 00:06:47,450 --> 00:06:48,951 narrator: In the 11th century, 127 00:06:49,018 --> 00:06:51,353 conclaves had not yet been invented. 128 00:06:51,454 --> 00:06:53,856 Popes were often chosen by brute force 129 00:06:53,956 --> 00:06:55,825 or nepotism. 130 00:06:55,925 --> 00:06:57,693 - Buying church power was considered 131 00:06:57,793 --> 00:07:00,095 one of the worst sins there was. 132 00:07:00,162 --> 00:07:03,699 So the fact that he had actually sold the papacy 133 00:07:03,799 --> 00:07:05,701 in return for money 134 00:07:05,801 --> 00:07:07,136 was appalling to everyone. 135 00:07:07,203 --> 00:07:09,171 ♪ ♪ 136 00:07:09,271 --> 00:07:12,608 narrator: For the first time in recorded history, 137 00:07:12,675 --> 00:07:15,878 a pope resigns in exchange for money, 138 00:07:15,978 --> 00:07:17,780 which catapults the papacy 139 00:07:17,847 --> 00:07:20,983 into the world of dirty politics. 140 00:07:21,050 --> 00:07:22,885 - The papacy becomes a pawn 141 00:07:22,985 --> 00:07:25,955 in the politics of central Italy. 142 00:07:26,021 --> 00:07:27,223 narrator: But though the young pope 143 00:07:27,323 --> 00:07:30,526 accepts the cardinal's bribe, 144 00:07:30,626 --> 00:07:33,829 this will not be the last the world hears 145 00:07:33,896 --> 00:07:35,798 of Benedict IX. 146 00:07:35,865 --> 00:07:40,536 ♪ ♪ 147 00:07:42,872 --> 00:07:44,573 [dramatic music] 148 00:07:44,673 --> 00:07:46,175 narrator: In 1044, 149 00:07:46,242 --> 00:07:49,211 after eight years of desecrating the papacy, 150 00:07:49,311 --> 00:07:50,913 young Pope Benedict IX 151 00:07:51,013 --> 00:07:53,516 accepts the cardinal's bribe to resign. 152 00:07:53,582 --> 00:07:55,751 ♪ ♪ 153 00:07:55,851 --> 00:07:57,419 - They ganged up together 154 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,990 and drove Benedict out of the city. 155 00:08:01,056 --> 00:08:03,492 The Roman people picked a new pope, 156 00:08:03,559 --> 00:08:06,862 and he took the name Sylvester III. 157 00:08:06,929 --> 00:08:13,602 ♪ ♪ 158 00:08:13,702 --> 00:08:15,037 narrator: Just weeks after 159 00:08:15,104 --> 00:08:17,873 handing the papacy over to Sylvester, 160 00:08:17,940 --> 00:08:21,677 the former Pope Benedict IX and his family decide 161 00:08:21,744 --> 00:08:23,546 they want the throne back. 162 00:08:23,612 --> 00:08:26,582 - And the awkward thing now is that there were two popes, 163 00:08:26,682 --> 00:08:30,419 and both of them were claiming to be the heir of St. Peter. 164 00:08:30,519 --> 00:08:32,087 Benedict, however, had a wealthier family 165 00:08:32,187 --> 00:08:33,355 than Sylvester, 166 00:08:33,422 --> 00:08:36,125 and so his family rallied behind him, 167 00:08:36,225 --> 00:08:37,459 gave him an army. 168 00:08:37,560 --> 00:08:39,395 He marched back into Rome, 169 00:08:39,461 --> 00:08:42,398 and he drove Sylvester III out. 170 00:08:42,464 --> 00:08:45,534 - You find yourself bewildered by this. 171 00:08:45,601 --> 00:08:48,470 I mean, it's so far from the apostles 172 00:08:48,571 --> 00:08:50,940 or how any Christian leader should be, 173 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,208 but that was the way the church was. 174 00:08:54,810 --> 00:08:56,812 And it's about spiritual power 175 00:08:56,912 --> 00:09:00,215 uncomfortably mixed with worldly power. 176 00:09:00,282 --> 00:09:07,389 ♪ ♪ 177 00:09:09,825 --> 00:09:11,427 narrator: Six months after accepting 178 00:09:11,493 --> 00:09:13,963 the cardinal's bribe to resign, 179 00:09:14,063 --> 00:09:16,665 Benedict IX is reinstated as pope. 180 00:09:16,765 --> 00:09:23,839 ♪ ♪ 181 00:09:25,407 --> 00:09:27,076 - Now their positions had reversed. 182 00:09:27,142 --> 00:09:28,243 Benedict is in Rome, 183 00:09:28,310 --> 00:09:30,012 and Sylvester III is in exile, 184 00:09:30,112 --> 00:09:32,181 but they're both still claiming to be pope. 185 00:09:32,281 --> 00:09:35,117 ♪ ♪ 186 00:09:35,184 --> 00:09:38,020 - Benedict IX was the first pope that comes back, 187 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:41,190 and they have to decide, well, who's the real pope now? 188 00:09:41,290 --> 00:09:43,192 narrator: With Rome's allegiances split 189 00:09:43,292 --> 00:09:45,628 between Benedict and Sylvester, 190 00:09:45,694 --> 00:09:48,197 the church faces a crisis of faith. 191 00:09:48,297 --> 00:09:52,468 How does one decide who holds the legacy of St. Peter? 192 00:09:52,534 --> 00:09:55,471 The Romans will not have long to figure it out. 193 00:09:55,537 --> 00:09:57,339 ♪ ♪ 194 00:09:57,439 --> 00:10:01,176 Only one month into Benedict IX's second papacy, 195 00:10:01,276 --> 00:10:04,446 he complicates the matter even further. 196 00:10:04,513 --> 00:10:07,483 - Benedict, then, in the way of impetuous young men-- 197 00:10:07,549 --> 00:10:09,718 he decided he didn't want to be pope anymore. 198 00:10:09,818 --> 00:10:11,053 He'd had enough. 199 00:10:11,153 --> 00:10:13,222 He wanted to get married. 200 00:10:13,322 --> 00:10:15,124 ♪ ♪ 201 00:10:15,190 --> 00:10:20,496 He handed the papacy over to his godfather, 202 00:10:20,562 --> 00:10:22,398 and he became Pope Gregory VI. 203 00:10:22,498 --> 00:10:26,902 ♪ ♪ 204 00:10:27,002 --> 00:10:29,338 Then the really scandalous thing happened. 205 00:10:30,305 --> 00:10:33,375 Benedict's lady love decided not to marry him after all, 206 00:10:33,475 --> 00:10:35,844 and he decided he wanted the papacy back. 207 00:10:35,911 --> 00:10:37,413 Gregory VI said, "No, I'm pope." 208 00:10:37,513 --> 00:10:39,548 Sylvester III, who's still in the village outside, 209 00:10:39,648 --> 00:10:41,050 probably said, "Don't forget about me." 210 00:10:41,150 --> 00:10:42,651 So now we actually have three popes. 211 00:10:42,718 --> 00:10:43,986 We have three popes, 212 00:10:44,053 --> 00:10:45,654 and there is no one to declare 213 00:10:45,721 --> 00:10:47,189 which one is the most legitimate. 214 00:10:48,857 --> 00:10:50,559 narrator: Benedict's, Sylvester's, 215 00:10:50,659 --> 00:10:52,094 and Gregory's factions 216 00:10:52,194 --> 00:10:53,862 all fight in the streets of Rome 217 00:10:53,929 --> 00:10:58,033 over who is the rightful heir to the papal throne, 218 00:10:58,100 --> 00:10:59,101 and in the end, 219 00:10:59,201 --> 00:11:01,370 Benedict IX's wealthy family 220 00:11:01,437 --> 00:11:03,072 wins again. 221 00:11:03,172 --> 00:11:08,177 ♪ ♪ 222 00:11:08,243 --> 00:11:10,279 - Benedict was pope three times in the end. 223 00:11:10,379 --> 00:11:12,414 ♪ ♪ 224 00:11:12,514 --> 00:11:13,782 narrator: After Benedict's reign 225 00:11:13,882 --> 00:11:16,285 sends the church into a tailspin, 226 00:11:16,385 --> 00:11:18,754 the spiritual foundation of the papacy 227 00:11:18,854 --> 00:11:20,622 has been shattered. 228 00:11:20,723 --> 00:11:22,791 - All of this becomes a real problem for the church, 229 00:11:22,891 --> 00:11:25,027 and you've got to sort that out. 230 00:11:25,094 --> 00:11:27,129 narrator: In July of 1048, 231 00:11:27,229 --> 00:11:29,598 Benedict IX is officially ousted 232 00:11:29,698 --> 00:11:31,233 once and for all. 233 00:11:31,300 --> 00:11:33,368 ♪ ♪ 234 00:11:33,435 --> 00:11:35,537 The cardinals decide the fairest way 235 00:11:35,604 --> 00:11:37,606 to consolidate papal power 236 00:11:37,706 --> 00:11:39,041 is to ignore Sylvester 237 00:11:39,108 --> 00:11:41,610 and Gregory's claims to the throne, 238 00:11:41,710 --> 00:11:42,978 clear the decks, 239 00:11:43,078 --> 00:11:45,314 and elect a new pope. 240 00:11:45,414 --> 00:11:47,216 - One of the problems in the 11th century 241 00:11:47,282 --> 00:11:49,985 was that there was no clear way of choosing a pope. 242 00:11:50,085 --> 00:11:53,822 ♪ ♪ 243 00:11:53,922 --> 00:11:55,657 It was a matter of, frequently, 244 00:11:55,758 --> 00:11:57,092 murder... 245 00:11:57,159 --> 00:12:00,662 ♪ ♪ 246 00:12:00,763 --> 00:12:02,498 Bribery, 247 00:12:02,598 --> 00:12:04,133 and also relationship. 248 00:12:04,233 --> 00:12:07,302 The sons of popes sometimes became popes. 249 00:12:07,402 --> 00:12:10,139 Choosing a pope, it's very confused, 250 00:12:10,239 --> 00:12:13,175 and it's never a pretty sight. 251 00:12:13,275 --> 00:12:17,112 - It's very clear that the office of the papacy 252 00:12:17,179 --> 00:12:18,480 can belong to whoever has 253 00:12:18,580 --> 00:12:20,749 the most military might to enforce it. 254 00:12:20,816 --> 00:12:24,353 ♪ ♪ 255 00:12:24,453 --> 00:12:25,654 narrator: The cardinals realize 256 00:12:25,754 --> 00:12:27,089 they must solidify rules 257 00:12:27,156 --> 00:12:28,857 for papal elections. 258 00:12:28,957 --> 00:12:30,459 They convene in an effort 259 00:12:30,526 --> 00:12:33,595 to solve this problem once and for all, 260 00:12:33,662 --> 00:12:36,198 and the result 261 00:12:36,298 --> 00:12:39,535 becomes one of the most iconic symbols of the papacy. 262 00:12:39,635 --> 00:12:43,806 ♪ ♪ 263 00:12:43,872 --> 00:12:45,340 - In the 12th century, 264 00:12:45,440 --> 00:12:48,177 cardinals who were senior clergy in Rome 265 00:12:48,277 --> 00:12:51,446 made what they called a college, and after that, 266 00:12:51,513 --> 00:12:55,284 cardinals would choose a pope in public, 267 00:12:55,350 --> 00:12:57,486 so that sort of regularized things, 268 00:12:57,553 --> 00:13:00,189 but of course, you can always twist elections. 269 00:13:00,289 --> 00:13:02,491 ♪ ♪ 270 00:13:02,558 --> 00:13:04,159 narrator: After nearly 200 years 271 00:13:04,226 --> 00:13:06,295 of corrupt public elections, 272 00:13:06,361 --> 00:13:10,199 what is known today as the conclave is designed. 273 00:13:10,299 --> 00:13:13,969 ♪ ♪ 274 00:13:14,036 --> 00:13:15,404 The word "conclave," 275 00:13:15,504 --> 00:13:17,906 a Latin term meaning "with a key," 276 00:13:18,006 --> 00:13:20,409 signifies that the cardinals are locked in 277 00:13:20,509 --> 00:13:24,179 to avoid the interference of outside politics. 278 00:13:24,246 --> 00:13:26,215 As of 1274, 279 00:13:26,315 --> 00:13:29,651 papal elections are held in secret. 280 00:13:29,718 --> 00:13:32,254 - The cardinals would be cut off from the world, 281 00:13:32,354 --> 00:13:36,091 enclosed, make their votes, vote again. 282 00:13:36,191 --> 00:13:38,994 There would be that famous white smoke at the end. 283 00:13:39,061 --> 00:13:43,232 ♪ ♪ 284 00:13:43,332 --> 00:13:45,100 narrator: For the last 700 years, 285 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:48,036 papal elections have been held the same way. 286 00:13:48,103 --> 00:13:50,873 Cardinals are locked in the Vatican 287 00:13:50,939 --> 00:13:52,274 and vote again and again 288 00:13:52,374 --> 00:13:55,043 until a 2/3 majority is achieved. 289 00:13:55,110 --> 00:13:59,414 ♪ ♪ 290 00:13:59,514 --> 00:14:00,949 - And each round of balloting is burned 291 00:14:01,049 --> 00:14:03,919 so that nobody can see who voted for whom. 292 00:14:04,019 --> 00:14:06,955 ♪ ♪ 293 00:14:07,055 --> 00:14:08,857 That's what generates the smoke. 294 00:14:08,924 --> 00:14:11,059 ♪ ♪ 295 00:14:11,126 --> 00:14:12,261 narrator: In the Middle Ages, 296 00:14:12,361 --> 00:14:14,263 cardinals added a damp straw 297 00:14:14,363 --> 00:14:15,530 to the burning ballots 298 00:14:15,597 --> 00:14:17,366 to create the black smoke, 299 00:14:17,432 --> 00:14:20,969 signifying that no pope has been chosen. 300 00:14:21,069 --> 00:14:23,138 The white smoke that hails a new pope 301 00:14:23,238 --> 00:14:25,707 was made by burning the paper alone. 302 00:14:27,142 --> 00:14:30,112 Today, chemical compounds are added to the ballots 303 00:14:30,212 --> 00:14:32,147 to color the smoke. 304 00:14:32,247 --> 00:14:35,484 ♪ ♪ 305 00:14:35,584 --> 00:14:38,921 Modern conclaves usually only last for a few days... 306 00:14:38,987 --> 00:14:41,823 ♪ ♪ 307 00:14:41,924 --> 00:14:43,592 But in the 13th century, 308 00:14:43,659 --> 00:14:45,661 they could go on for months. 309 00:14:45,761 --> 00:14:50,265 ♪ ♪ 310 00:14:50,332 --> 00:14:54,403 - In the 13th century, bribery would be involved, 311 00:14:54,469 --> 00:14:56,338 the rivalries of kings. 312 00:14:56,438 --> 00:14:58,240 People were basically stonewalling, 313 00:14:58,307 --> 00:15:00,609 filibustering. 314 00:15:00,676 --> 00:15:02,177 narrator: In 1292, 315 00:15:02,277 --> 00:15:05,480 the cardinals assemble to elect a new pope, 316 00:15:05,580 --> 00:15:09,518 but warring factions cannot reach the 2/3 majority, 317 00:15:09,618 --> 00:15:13,021 and the conclave goes on for a full two years. 318 00:15:14,289 --> 00:15:17,859 - Without the pope, Rome was a mess. 319 00:15:17,960 --> 00:15:21,697 Marauders and robber gangs wanted to dominate the city 320 00:15:21,797 --> 00:15:23,298 and to a great extent did 321 00:15:23,365 --> 00:15:26,535 without the pope functioning as a-- 322 00:15:26,635 --> 00:15:28,937 as a sort of local king. 323 00:15:29,004 --> 00:15:30,639 narrator: With Rome in shambles 324 00:15:30,706 --> 00:15:34,343 and no end to the conclave in sight, 325 00:15:34,443 --> 00:15:37,980 it looks as if the resignation of one teenage pope 326 00:15:38,046 --> 00:15:41,483 may have unraveled St. Peter's legacy for good. 327 00:15:41,550 --> 00:15:45,487 ♪ ♪ 328 00:15:47,823 --> 00:15:49,658 [dramatic music] 329 00:15:49,725 --> 00:15:52,728 narrator: In 1294, the cardinals are determined 330 00:15:52,828 --> 00:15:55,564 to renew the spiritual supremacy of the papacy 331 00:15:55,664 --> 00:15:58,834 by electing a pope through the proper channels. 332 00:15:58,900 --> 00:16:00,736 ♪ ♪ 333 00:16:00,836 --> 00:16:02,871 Warring factions are deadlocked, 334 00:16:02,971 --> 00:16:04,973 which has left Rome without a leader 335 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,075 and in dire shape. 336 00:16:08,210 --> 00:16:10,912 Frustrated by the delay and state of Rome, 337 00:16:11,013 --> 00:16:14,583 a hermit monk named Pietro Angelerio 338 00:16:14,683 --> 00:16:17,219 writes to the conclave. 339 00:16:18,820 --> 00:16:20,756 - He was an example 340 00:16:20,856 --> 00:16:25,260 of these kinds of crazy guys who live up a mountain 341 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:27,696 and live on beans, 342 00:16:27,763 --> 00:16:32,401 and read nothing but the Gospel. 343 00:16:33,902 --> 00:16:36,104 narrator: Angelerio warns the cardinals 344 00:16:36,204 --> 00:16:37,839 that vengeance will fall on them 345 00:16:37,906 --> 00:16:41,276 if they continue the stalemate. 346 00:16:41,376 --> 00:16:44,679 Taking his letter as a divine sign, 347 00:16:44,746 --> 00:16:48,016 the cardinals decide to elect him pope. 348 00:16:49,384 --> 00:16:52,287 - In the 13th century, you had a great succession 349 00:16:52,387 --> 00:16:54,289 of reforming popes. 350 00:16:54,389 --> 00:16:57,859 Politicians thought that this is not how a pope should be. 351 00:16:59,394 --> 00:17:02,064 So what they did was elect a pope 352 00:17:02,130 --> 00:17:05,967 who was as unworldly as you could possibly hope for: 353 00:17:06,068 --> 00:17:07,769 a hermit. 354 00:17:07,869 --> 00:17:10,105 And they called him Celestine, the-- 355 00:17:10,205 --> 00:17:11,206 the heavenly one. 356 00:17:11,273 --> 00:17:15,277 ♪ ♪ 357 00:17:15,377 --> 00:17:18,413 - Celestine V does not want to be pope. 358 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,283 He'd rather be praying off alone by himself, 359 00:17:21,383 --> 00:17:24,753 and he goes to do this papacy rather reluctantly. 360 00:17:24,820 --> 00:17:26,555 - It's not super clear 361 00:17:26,621 --> 00:17:28,824 that he even exactly knew what was going on. 362 00:17:28,924 --> 00:17:32,394 It's not clear how sharp mentally he was. 363 00:17:32,461 --> 00:17:34,930 - Celestine V was just hopeless. 364 00:17:34,996 --> 00:17:36,832 He couldn't run the church at all. 365 00:17:36,932 --> 00:17:39,334 narrator: After only five months in office, 366 00:17:39,434 --> 00:17:42,604 Celestine V announces his retirement. 367 00:17:42,671 --> 00:17:45,006 - And during that five months, 368 00:17:45,107 --> 00:17:46,842 the French crown manipulated him 369 00:17:46,942 --> 00:17:48,510 to get all sorts of concessions 370 00:17:48,610 --> 00:17:50,846 and control over more power, 371 00:17:50,946 --> 00:17:53,415 and the Roman contingent in the college of cardinals 372 00:17:53,482 --> 00:17:55,984 became increasingly alarmed. 373 00:17:57,519 --> 00:17:59,988 He was helped to retire by his successor, 374 00:18:00,088 --> 00:18:01,490 who was a pro-Roman pope, 375 00:18:01,590 --> 00:18:03,492 Boniface VIII. 376 00:18:03,592 --> 00:18:07,028 It was said that he whispered through a hole 377 00:18:07,129 --> 00:18:09,164 in the pope's cell where he prayed, 378 00:18:09,264 --> 00:18:11,700 and that he said he was the voice of God 379 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:13,201 and told the pope to resign 380 00:18:13,301 --> 00:18:16,805 so that he could be elected pope in his stead. 381 00:18:16,872 --> 00:18:19,674 - He made a vow to become a monk 382 00:18:19,774 --> 00:18:21,276 and simply living in retirement 383 00:18:21,343 --> 00:18:23,778 for the good of his health, 384 00:18:23,845 --> 00:18:26,448 the only pope who ever voluntarily did 385 00:18:26,515 --> 00:18:28,850 before Benedict XVI. 386 00:18:30,285 --> 00:18:34,856 - A couple of years before Pope Benedict XVI resigns, 387 00:18:34,956 --> 00:18:36,625 Pope Benedict took a trip, 388 00:18:36,691 --> 00:18:38,660 and he laid his pallium 389 00:18:38,727 --> 00:18:40,962 on the grave of Celestine V. 390 00:18:41,029 --> 00:18:42,364 People didn't know it at the time, 391 00:18:42,464 --> 00:18:43,999 but that might have been a signal, 392 00:18:44,065 --> 00:18:45,667 because a year and a half later, 393 00:18:45,734 --> 00:18:47,836 he too would resign his papacy. 394 00:18:49,004 --> 00:18:50,639 narrator: But despite the peaceful nature 395 00:18:50,705 --> 00:18:53,341 in which Celestine V resigns, 396 00:18:53,408 --> 00:18:55,644 and because of the violence and instability 397 00:18:55,710 --> 00:18:58,580 surrounding the resignation of Benedict IX 398 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,583 250 years earlier, 399 00:19:01,683 --> 00:19:03,185 the new pope must make sure 400 00:19:03,251 --> 00:19:06,087 that Celestine is never heard from again. 401 00:19:06,188 --> 00:19:12,194 ♪ ♪ 402 00:19:12,260 --> 00:19:15,664 - After Celestine retired and Boniface became the pope, 403 00:19:15,730 --> 00:19:18,533 he felt that it was dangerous to have two living popes. 404 00:19:22,103 --> 00:19:25,941 - You can't have another pope knocking about 405 00:19:26,041 --> 00:19:27,676 and threatening the pope. 406 00:19:27,742 --> 00:19:30,212 [horse neighing] 407 00:19:30,278 --> 00:19:31,279 - [grunts] 408 00:19:31,379 --> 00:19:32,514 narrator: Immediately after 409 00:19:32,581 --> 00:19:34,449 Celestine leaves the Vatican, 410 00:19:34,549 --> 00:19:36,418 Boniface has him attacked 411 00:19:36,518 --> 00:19:38,253 and locked up. 412 00:19:38,353 --> 00:19:45,393 ♪ ♪ 413 00:19:46,561 --> 00:19:49,197 - He didn't want Celestine talking to anybody. 414 00:19:49,264 --> 00:19:50,532 He didn't want him to be able 415 00:19:50,599 --> 00:19:52,467 to communicate with his supporters, 416 00:19:52,567 --> 00:19:54,536 so essentially put him under house arrest 417 00:19:54,603 --> 00:19:57,606 in order to protect his own legitimacy as pope. 418 00:19:58,907 --> 00:20:01,977 - And so Celestine dies in captivity. 419 00:20:02,077 --> 00:20:09,150 ♪ ♪ 420 00:20:10,752 --> 00:20:12,988 narrator: In the 13th century, however, 421 00:20:13,088 --> 00:20:15,323 a retired pope is not the only threat 422 00:20:15,423 --> 00:20:18,260 to a sitting pope's power. 423 00:20:18,326 --> 00:20:19,628 In a time when the lines 424 00:20:19,728 --> 00:20:22,831 between church and state are fluid, 425 00:20:22,931 --> 00:20:25,667 kings are just as threatening to papal power 426 00:20:25,767 --> 00:20:27,502 as previous popes. 427 00:20:27,602 --> 00:20:29,337 - There was always a bit of a problem 428 00:20:29,437 --> 00:20:30,905 as to who was in charge. 429 00:20:30,972 --> 00:20:32,440 Was it the king, 430 00:20:32,507 --> 00:20:34,142 or was it the pope? 431 00:20:34,242 --> 00:20:37,312 ♪ ♪ 432 00:20:37,412 --> 00:20:40,448 - So much of the maneuvering and back-and-forthing 433 00:20:40,515 --> 00:20:43,952 and jousting that goes on with the papacy 434 00:20:44,019 --> 00:20:46,921 has to do with the fact that it was in Italy. 435 00:20:46,988 --> 00:20:48,490 Italy is not a country yet. 436 00:20:48,590 --> 00:20:51,359 Italy is basically up for grabs. 437 00:20:51,459 --> 00:20:52,627 The Normans grab part of it. 438 00:20:52,694 --> 00:20:53,795 The Franks grab part of it. 439 00:20:53,862 --> 00:20:55,363 The Germans grab part of it. 440 00:20:55,463 --> 00:20:57,866 Italy is always contested, 441 00:20:57,966 --> 00:21:00,702 so if you're gonna control any major part of Italy, 442 00:21:00,802 --> 00:21:02,937 you have to get the pope on your side. 443 00:21:03,004 --> 00:21:07,208 ♪ ♪ 444 00:21:07,309 --> 00:21:09,210 - You want to raise an army? 445 00:21:09,311 --> 00:21:11,046 You need the pope's blessing. 446 00:21:11,146 --> 00:21:12,714 narrator: Because of the volatile nature 447 00:21:12,814 --> 00:21:15,283 of medieval European politics, 448 00:21:15,350 --> 00:21:18,853 the papacy becomes dependent on the surrounding monarchies 449 00:21:18,953 --> 00:21:21,956 for stability, and vice versa. 450 00:21:23,124 --> 00:21:25,060 - The pope didn't have an army. 451 00:21:25,160 --> 00:21:28,229 He didn't have anything other than moral persuasion 452 00:21:28,330 --> 00:21:29,564 on his side, 453 00:21:29,664 --> 00:21:32,067 and so what we see the early popes doing 454 00:21:32,167 --> 00:21:36,137 are making these alliances with different secular leaders. 455 00:21:36,204 --> 00:21:38,406 ♪ ♪ 456 00:21:38,506 --> 00:21:40,809 narrator: At the end of the 13th century, 457 00:21:40,875 --> 00:21:42,644 the most powerful monarch in Europe 458 00:21:42,711 --> 00:21:45,380 is King Philip IV of France. 459 00:21:45,480 --> 00:21:47,315 He had manipulated Pope Celestine 460 00:21:47,382 --> 00:21:50,318 into siphoning him church money and land. 461 00:21:51,853 --> 00:21:54,022 But after Celestine's resignation, 462 00:21:54,089 --> 00:21:56,491 the new pope Boniface VIII 463 00:21:56,558 --> 00:21:58,927 is not so easily manipulated. 464 00:21:59,027 --> 00:22:00,995 - When Boniface VIII became pope, 465 00:22:01,062 --> 00:22:03,164 he saw the French influence as something that had gone 466 00:22:03,231 --> 00:22:04,566 way, way out of bounds, 467 00:22:04,666 --> 00:22:07,068 and so he positioned himself essentially 468 00:22:07,168 --> 00:22:10,205 as the anti-France pope. 469 00:22:11,773 --> 00:22:13,441 So Philip IV and Boniface 470 00:22:13,541 --> 00:22:17,345 had this very real clash of powers. 471 00:22:17,412 --> 00:22:19,614 Boniface began to generate 472 00:22:19,714 --> 00:22:22,550 some very, very harsh language 473 00:22:22,617 --> 00:22:24,886 about the power of the papacy. 474 00:22:24,953 --> 00:22:27,789 Here's a letter that he wrote to Philip IV of France. 475 00:22:27,889 --> 00:22:29,457 He said, "Listen, son." 476 00:22:29,557 --> 00:22:31,092 Literally, that's how he begins it. 477 00:22:31,192 --> 00:22:32,861 "Son, 478 00:22:32,927 --> 00:22:37,265 "God has set us over kings and kingdoms. 479 00:22:37,365 --> 00:22:41,770 Let no one persuade you that you have superiority." 480 00:22:41,870 --> 00:22:45,707 So it is this very explicit language 481 00:22:45,774 --> 00:22:49,310 that says, the pope has control over the king. 482 00:22:50,311 --> 00:22:52,313 narrator: But King Philip has an agenda, 483 00:22:52,414 --> 00:22:55,917 and he does not intend to let one insubordinate pope 484 00:22:55,984 --> 00:22:57,552 stand in his way. 485 00:22:57,619 --> 00:23:01,456 ♪ ♪ 486 00:23:03,792 --> 00:23:05,660 [dramatic music] 487 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:07,228 narrator: After the resignation 488 00:23:07,295 --> 00:23:11,666 of his puppet Pope Celestine V in 1294, 489 00:23:11,766 --> 00:23:14,102 King Philip IV of France is determined 490 00:23:14,169 --> 00:23:16,938 to reassert his power over the papacy. 491 00:23:18,506 --> 00:23:20,675 But the new pope Boniface VIII 492 00:23:20,775 --> 00:23:23,311 refuses to give in to the greedy monarch. 493 00:23:23,411 --> 00:23:25,313 ♪ ♪ 494 00:23:25,413 --> 00:23:27,482 - Philip IV comes to the throne 495 00:23:27,582 --> 00:23:29,918 at a time in which warfare is being fought 496 00:23:29,984 --> 00:23:32,020 by purchasing armies, 497 00:23:32,120 --> 00:23:34,189 and he, like other monarchs, 498 00:23:34,289 --> 00:23:35,457 needs more and more money. 499 00:23:35,523 --> 00:23:37,592 - And the church is very wealthy. 500 00:23:37,659 --> 00:23:39,928 ♪ ♪ 501 00:23:39,994 --> 00:23:43,164 narrator: So when Boniface dies, 502 00:23:43,264 --> 00:23:44,866 King Philip ensures that a pope 503 00:23:44,966 --> 00:23:46,534 who will give him what he wants 504 00:23:46,634 --> 00:23:49,037 is elected. 505 00:23:49,137 --> 00:23:51,539 - He expressed very clearly to the college of cardinals 506 00:23:51,639 --> 00:23:55,143 that he preferred this particular French candidate. 507 00:23:55,210 --> 00:23:57,378 ♪ ♪ 508 00:23:57,479 --> 00:23:59,380 It wasn't an easy election... 509 00:24:00,715 --> 00:24:03,985 But ultimately the French side was strong enough to win. 510 00:24:05,820 --> 00:24:08,890 - A French prelate who takes the name Clement V 511 00:24:08,990 --> 00:24:09,891 becomes the pope. 512 00:24:09,991 --> 00:24:13,728 ♪ ♪ 513 00:24:13,828 --> 00:24:16,731 Philip actually asks them to come to France 514 00:24:16,831 --> 00:24:18,466 to crown him pope. 515 00:24:18,533 --> 00:24:20,635 ♪ ♪ 516 00:24:20,702 --> 00:24:24,906 - The popes, of course, had been appointed in Rome 517 00:24:25,006 --> 00:24:26,841 from the time of St. Peter. 518 00:24:26,908 --> 00:24:29,577 - King Philip of France has a very powerful hold 519 00:24:29,677 --> 00:24:31,179 on Pope Clement V. 520 00:24:31,246 --> 00:24:32,480 This is a weak man, 521 00:24:32,547 --> 00:24:34,649 and he's intimidated by Philip. 522 00:24:35,717 --> 00:24:37,085 - Clement's just notorious. 523 00:24:37,185 --> 00:24:39,187 He just did whatever he was asked. 524 00:24:40,255 --> 00:24:42,590 Clement V actually promised Philip 525 00:24:42,690 --> 00:24:45,093 a flat-out portion of the church tithe, 526 00:24:45,193 --> 00:24:47,362 that it just went straight into the royal coffers. 527 00:24:47,428 --> 00:24:50,765 He also signed off on the expulsion of Jews 528 00:24:50,865 --> 00:24:53,234 as a danger to the church, 529 00:24:53,334 --> 00:24:55,103 in knowledge that the wealth 530 00:24:55,203 --> 00:24:57,672 was going to go to Philip. 531 00:24:57,739 --> 00:24:59,440 That's very blatant. 532 00:24:59,541 --> 00:25:02,510 ♪ ♪ 533 00:25:02,577 --> 00:25:04,012 narrator: By 1309, 534 00:25:04,078 --> 00:25:06,414 King Philip has turned Pope Clement V 535 00:25:06,514 --> 00:25:09,050 into a pawn of the French crown, 536 00:25:09,117 --> 00:25:14,122 and in an attempt to solidify his power over the church, 537 00:25:14,222 --> 00:25:16,190 the French king lays the groundwork 538 00:25:16,257 --> 00:25:19,794 for what will be the papacy's most notorious resignation 539 00:25:19,894 --> 00:25:22,964 by undermining its very foundation. 540 00:25:23,064 --> 00:25:26,935 ♪ ♪ 541 00:25:27,035 --> 00:25:29,704 - Peter is buried on the Vatican hill, 542 00:25:29,771 --> 00:25:33,241 and St. Peter's Basilica is built over his tomb. 543 00:25:33,308 --> 00:25:35,243 ♪ ♪ 544 00:25:35,310 --> 00:25:38,246 Popes are seen as inheriting that charisma 545 00:25:38,313 --> 00:25:39,547 and that role, 546 00:25:39,614 --> 00:25:41,649 standing in for the apostle. 547 00:25:43,117 --> 00:25:46,721 His tomb is the foundation charter for the papacy. 548 00:25:46,788 --> 00:25:49,057 ♪ ♪ 549 00:25:49,123 --> 00:25:51,225 narrator: But King Philip demands that Pope Clement 550 00:25:51,292 --> 00:25:53,962 leave the legacy of St. Peter in Rome 551 00:25:54,062 --> 00:25:57,398 and move the papacy to operate under his thumb 552 00:25:57,465 --> 00:25:58,933 in France. 553 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,503 ♪ ♪ 554 00:26:02,604 --> 00:26:04,105 - The pope eventually will end up 555 00:26:04,172 --> 00:26:06,274 setting up quarters at Avignon. 556 00:26:06,341 --> 00:26:08,676 ♪ ♪ 557 00:26:08,776 --> 00:26:10,612 - Rather than being in a landscape 558 00:26:10,678 --> 00:26:13,114 where the pope could actually act 559 00:26:13,181 --> 00:26:14,582 as an independent power 560 00:26:14,649 --> 00:26:17,852 and make alliances with anyone that he chose, 561 00:26:17,952 --> 00:26:20,421 he was now firmly entrenched in one country, 562 00:26:20,488 --> 00:26:23,491 clearly under the control of one king. 563 00:26:24,792 --> 00:26:27,362 That was what warped the papacy. 564 00:26:27,462 --> 00:26:29,197 It's a little bit as though Washington, D.C. 565 00:26:29,297 --> 00:26:30,665 suddenly upped and said, 566 00:26:30,765 --> 00:26:32,367 "Well, now Manhattan is gonna be the capital 567 00:26:32,467 --> 00:26:34,669 of the entire United States." 568 00:26:34,769 --> 00:26:36,170 narrator: For the first time 569 00:26:36,270 --> 00:26:38,339 since the invention of the conclave, 570 00:26:38,439 --> 00:26:40,975 the one with true power over the church 571 00:26:41,042 --> 00:26:44,212 is not the one chosen by God 572 00:26:44,312 --> 00:26:47,515 but a power-hungry monarch instead. 573 00:26:47,615 --> 00:26:49,817 - It's the dream of all the great rulers 574 00:26:49,884 --> 00:26:52,854 of medieval Europe to control the papacy. 575 00:26:54,122 --> 00:26:58,359 Philip actually got the papacy into France. 576 00:26:58,459 --> 00:27:00,695 Once you've done that, 577 00:27:00,795 --> 00:27:02,230 the pope can become a puppet 578 00:27:02,330 --> 00:27:04,899 of what you want to get done. 579 00:27:04,999 --> 00:27:06,567 ♪ ♪ 580 00:27:06,668 --> 00:27:08,136 - That is a moment for the church 581 00:27:08,202 --> 00:27:10,004 that becomes very troubling. 582 00:27:10,071 --> 00:27:11,639 You're abdicating the seat 583 00:27:11,706 --> 00:27:13,641 of where the church is supposed to lie. 584 00:27:13,708 --> 00:27:16,077 You leave the bones of Peter behind, 585 00:27:16,177 --> 00:27:17,412 and you're not moving them. 586 00:27:17,512 --> 00:27:18,846 You're moving to this other place. 587 00:27:18,913 --> 00:27:20,748 What you're saying is, is that maybe 588 00:27:20,848 --> 00:27:22,850 this isn't as important to the church 589 00:27:22,917 --> 00:27:24,752 as we have thought it was previously. 590 00:27:26,154 --> 00:27:29,357 And that becomes a really dangerous situation 591 00:27:29,424 --> 00:27:31,559 for holding together not just the papacy 592 00:27:31,659 --> 00:27:34,762 but holding together beliefs and tenets of the church. 593 00:27:34,862 --> 00:27:36,831 narrator: Leaving Rome costs the papacy 594 00:27:36,898 --> 00:27:39,400 its religious authority throughout Europe. 595 00:27:39,500 --> 00:27:41,269 ♪ ♪ 596 00:27:41,369 --> 00:27:44,605 But once the church becomes established in France, 597 00:27:44,706 --> 00:27:46,874 Pope Clement V finds that despite 598 00:27:46,941 --> 00:27:50,011 being hundreds of miles from the bones of St. Peter, 599 00:27:50,078 --> 00:27:54,282 there are certain benefits to the new location. 600 00:27:54,382 --> 00:27:56,050 - It was very clearly a time 601 00:27:56,117 --> 00:27:59,887 when they had given up their spiritual authority 602 00:27:59,954 --> 00:28:02,457 in order to enjoy material prosperity. 603 00:28:02,557 --> 00:28:04,192 The college of cardinals, 604 00:28:04,258 --> 00:28:07,128 which also became centered at Avignon after this, 605 00:28:07,228 --> 00:28:10,765 was absolutely notorious for luxurious living 606 00:28:10,865 --> 00:28:13,201 and for having banquets that went on for days 607 00:28:13,267 --> 00:28:14,802 and for spending church money 608 00:28:14,902 --> 00:28:18,206 in order to take care of themselves. 609 00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,310 - But the Avignon papacy worked. 610 00:28:22,410 --> 00:28:24,312 It's in southern France. 611 00:28:24,412 --> 00:28:26,581 It's much more central to Europe 612 00:28:26,647 --> 00:28:29,050 than the Italian peninsula. 613 00:28:29,117 --> 00:28:32,253 It was efficient. It had a decent bureaucracy. 614 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:36,591 There was actually a good case for the Avignon papacy. 615 00:28:36,657 --> 00:28:37,759 Big problem, though: 616 00:28:37,825 --> 00:28:40,661 it doesn't have the tomb of Peter, 617 00:28:40,762 --> 00:28:43,064 and what's the point of a pope 618 00:28:43,131 --> 00:28:45,666 who doesn't sit at the tomb of Peter? 619 00:28:45,767 --> 00:28:47,301 ♪ ♪ 620 00:28:47,401 --> 00:28:49,003 narrator: Despite being miles 621 00:28:49,103 --> 00:28:52,306 from the spiritual foundation of the papacy, 622 00:28:52,406 --> 00:28:54,609 Pope Clement V remains in France 623 00:28:54,675 --> 00:28:57,578 and continues to lead the church under King Philip 624 00:28:57,645 --> 00:29:00,414 until they both die in 1314. 625 00:29:00,481 --> 00:29:03,684 ♪ ♪ 626 00:29:03,785 --> 00:29:06,988 His successor continues his papacy in Avignon, 627 00:29:07,088 --> 00:29:09,524 as does the pope after him. 628 00:29:09,624 --> 00:29:11,692 - The papacy was more or less captured 629 00:29:11,793 --> 00:29:13,361 by the king of France. 630 00:29:13,461 --> 00:29:15,029 For a long period of time, 631 00:29:15,129 --> 00:29:17,265 it was completely the instrument 632 00:29:17,331 --> 00:29:18,933 of the French crown, 633 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:21,869 and almost every cardinal who was appointed 634 00:29:21,969 --> 00:29:24,205 to the college of cardinals during this time 635 00:29:24,305 --> 00:29:26,507 was French. 636 00:29:26,607 --> 00:29:28,042 narrator: By 1347, 637 00:29:28,142 --> 00:29:30,211 it appears that the papacy has become 638 00:29:30,311 --> 00:29:33,447 an arm of the French crown for good. 639 00:29:33,514 --> 00:29:38,452 ♪ ♪ 640 00:29:40,788 --> 00:29:44,392 [dramatic music] 641 00:29:44,492 --> 00:29:46,460 narrator: In the mid-1360s, 642 00:29:46,527 --> 00:29:48,129 the papacy has left Rome 643 00:29:48,196 --> 00:29:50,464 and been operating in Avignon, France, 644 00:29:50,531 --> 00:29:52,333 for almost 60 years. 645 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:54,902 ♪ ♪ 646 00:29:55,002 --> 00:29:58,306 At this point, the cardinals are almost all French 647 00:29:58,372 --> 00:30:01,375 and have become accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle 648 00:30:01,475 --> 00:30:03,311 afforded to them as a thank-you 649 00:30:03,377 --> 00:30:06,581 for the church's loyalty to the French crown. 650 00:30:06,681 --> 00:30:09,483 But outside the walls of the lush papal castle... 651 00:30:09,550 --> 00:30:12,019 ♪ ♪ 652 00:30:12,086 --> 00:30:14,422 The rest of Europe is a wasteland, 653 00:30:14,522 --> 00:30:16,090 setting the stage for what will be 654 00:30:16,190 --> 00:30:20,228 the last papal resignation for 600 years. 655 00:30:21,262 --> 00:30:22,330 - The black death. 656 00:30:22,396 --> 00:30:26,334 This contagious, dreadful disease 657 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:27,702 devastated Europe. 658 00:30:27,768 --> 00:30:31,005 ♪ ♪ 659 00:30:31,072 --> 00:30:33,741 - Pretty much the entire population was wiped out. 660 00:30:33,841 --> 00:30:35,443 ♪ ♪ 661 00:30:35,543 --> 00:30:37,445 narrator: In the wake of the plague, 662 00:30:37,545 --> 00:30:41,015 the papacy is forced to reevaluate its role in Europe 663 00:30:41,082 --> 00:30:44,385 and face dire conditions in the city it abandoned. 664 00:30:44,452 --> 00:30:46,454 ♪ ♪ 665 00:30:46,554 --> 00:30:48,723 - With the absence of the papacy from Rome, 666 00:30:48,789 --> 00:30:51,759 the upkeep of the city began to fail. 667 00:30:51,859 --> 00:30:53,461 A great deal of the upkeep of Rome 668 00:30:53,561 --> 00:30:54,795 came out of the pope's coffers. 669 00:30:54,896 --> 00:30:57,732 Now this was all going to France. 670 00:30:57,798 --> 00:31:00,635 Law and order became very, very shaky. 671 00:31:00,735 --> 00:31:03,804 You have a rise in pickpockets and muggings, 672 00:31:03,905 --> 00:31:05,306 because there is no king in Rome, 673 00:31:05,406 --> 00:31:06,574 there is no emperor in Rome, 674 00:31:06,641 --> 00:31:08,075 and now there's no pope in Rome. 675 00:31:08,142 --> 00:31:11,646 - The Romans learned, somewhat reluctantly, 676 00:31:11,746 --> 00:31:15,216 that the city depended on the presence of the papacy 677 00:31:15,283 --> 00:31:16,751 to flourish, 678 00:31:16,817 --> 00:31:20,154 to become anything more than just a bit of a wreck. 679 00:31:21,422 --> 00:31:23,157 narrator: Fed up with the sheltered confines 680 00:31:23,257 --> 00:31:24,892 of Avignon, 681 00:31:24,959 --> 00:31:26,594 Pope Urban V decides 682 00:31:26,661 --> 00:31:29,931 that the papacy has lost sight of its spiritual purpose 683 00:31:29,997 --> 00:31:33,067 and must return to the bones of St. Peter in Rome. 684 00:31:33,134 --> 00:31:40,408 ♪ ♪ 685 00:31:40,474 --> 00:31:43,077 - Urban V, a reform-minded pope, 686 00:31:43,144 --> 00:31:44,779 is appalled by the luxury. 687 00:31:44,845 --> 00:31:46,180 He was appalled 688 00:31:46,280 --> 00:31:48,282 by the self-indulgence in Avignon. 689 00:31:48,349 --> 00:31:49,951 He announced to the cardinals 690 00:31:50,017 --> 00:31:51,652 that they could only have one course at dinner 691 00:31:51,752 --> 00:31:53,688 rather than their usual ten-course banquet. 692 00:31:53,788 --> 00:31:56,524 And it had increasingly become clear 693 00:31:56,624 --> 00:31:57,858 that as long as the papacy 694 00:31:57,959 --> 00:32:01,996 was tied to the fortunes of any country 695 00:32:02,096 --> 00:32:04,298 that the ability to act as a spiritual leader 696 00:32:04,365 --> 00:32:06,000 would be seriously compromised. 697 00:32:06,100 --> 00:32:08,369 He was convicted that the papacy needed 698 00:32:08,469 --> 00:32:10,371 to return to its home in Rome... 699 00:32:11,639 --> 00:32:13,808 But it's not an easy transition. 700 00:32:13,874 --> 00:32:16,544 ♪ ♪ 701 00:32:16,644 --> 00:32:18,279 narrator: The cardinals, who had become 702 00:32:18,346 --> 00:32:20,982 used to their indulgent lifestyle in Avignon, 703 00:32:21,048 --> 00:32:23,517 did not appreciate the rundown conditions 704 00:32:23,617 --> 00:32:25,519 of the fallen city. 705 00:32:26,654 --> 00:32:29,156 But Pope Urban V and his successor, 706 00:32:29,223 --> 00:32:31,892 another Frenchman, Gregory XI, 707 00:32:31,993 --> 00:32:34,362 remained firm in their spiritual conviction 708 00:32:34,462 --> 00:32:37,732 that the papacy belongs at the tomb of St. Peter. 709 00:32:37,832 --> 00:32:39,500 - There is a lot of resentment 710 00:32:39,567 --> 00:32:42,403 about their having to sort of come down in the world, 711 00:32:42,503 --> 00:32:44,071 which I think just shows 712 00:32:44,171 --> 00:32:46,540 what a cushioned, isolated existence 713 00:32:46,640 --> 00:32:48,242 they were living in Avignon. 714 00:32:48,342 --> 00:32:52,046 That you have a Europe that's been devastated by the plague, 715 00:32:52,146 --> 00:32:53,647 that the entire social structure 716 00:32:53,714 --> 00:32:54,749 of Europe has changed, 717 00:32:54,849 --> 00:32:55,916 that in some places 718 00:32:56,017 --> 00:32:58,019 90% of the population has died, 719 00:32:58,085 --> 00:33:00,521 but the primary concern of the college of cardinals 720 00:33:00,588 --> 00:33:03,190 is that they're not getting enough courses for dinner. 721 00:33:03,257 --> 00:33:05,226 So you definitely have a sense in which 722 00:33:05,326 --> 00:33:06,560 during the Avignon papacy, 723 00:33:06,660 --> 00:33:09,096 it has gotten so out of touch 724 00:33:09,196 --> 00:33:12,767 with what the church is supposed to be doing. 725 00:33:14,201 --> 00:33:18,272 narrator: When Pope Gregory XI dies in 1378, 726 00:33:18,372 --> 00:33:22,276 many of the cardinals prepare to move back to Avignon, 727 00:33:22,376 --> 00:33:24,612 but the frustrated Romans call for a sign 728 00:33:24,712 --> 00:33:28,549 that the papacy has freed itself from the French crown 729 00:33:28,616 --> 00:33:31,118 and will return to the principles of the church 730 00:33:31,218 --> 00:33:33,354 they once knew. 731 00:33:33,421 --> 00:33:36,924 ♪ ♪ 732 00:33:37,024 --> 00:33:40,261 - The Roman population, who were always very volatile 733 00:33:40,361 --> 00:33:44,365 and who regularly intervened in papal elections, 734 00:33:44,432 --> 00:33:47,101 after a long string of French popes, 735 00:33:47,201 --> 00:33:49,770 were determined to have an Italian pope. 736 00:33:50,905 --> 00:33:53,140 narrator: The conclave of 1378 737 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:55,309 is met with angry mobs of Romans 738 00:33:55,409 --> 00:33:57,445 chanting outside the Vatican, 739 00:33:57,545 --> 00:33:59,880 demanding a renewed papal investment 740 00:33:59,947 --> 00:34:01,982 in their beloved city. 741 00:34:02,083 --> 00:34:03,717 And though the cardinals miss 742 00:34:03,784 --> 00:34:06,821 their extravagant French lifestyle, 743 00:34:06,921 --> 00:34:08,322 they worry what might happen 744 00:34:08,422 --> 00:34:10,925 if the Romans' demands are not met. 745 00:34:10,991 --> 00:34:14,595 - And so an Italian pope, Urban VI, was elected. 746 00:34:14,662 --> 00:34:19,333 ♪ ♪ 747 00:34:19,433 --> 00:34:21,469 But he seems to have been unhinged 748 00:34:21,569 --> 00:34:23,170 by becoming the pope. 749 00:34:23,270 --> 00:34:26,674 Instantly reveals himself to be a megalomaniac, 750 00:34:26,774 --> 00:34:29,343 locking up people who didn't agree with him, 751 00:34:29,443 --> 00:34:31,579 so instead of being a unifying figure, 752 00:34:31,645 --> 00:34:34,181 he becomes a symbol of division. 753 00:34:34,281 --> 00:34:36,684 ♪ ♪ 754 00:34:36,784 --> 00:34:38,352 narrator: Half of the cardinals stand behind 755 00:34:38,452 --> 00:34:41,422 the maniacal Pope Urban VI in Rome... 756 00:34:41,489 --> 00:34:43,157 ♪ ♪ 757 00:34:43,257 --> 00:34:46,327 While the other half panic and flee back to Avignon, 758 00:34:46,427 --> 00:34:49,330 where they elect another pope, 759 00:34:49,430 --> 00:34:50,865 Clement VII. 760 00:34:50,965 --> 00:34:53,834 ♪ ♪ 761 00:34:53,934 --> 00:34:56,670 The once-universal church is now split. 762 00:34:56,770 --> 00:34:59,640 ♪ ♪ 763 00:34:59,707 --> 00:35:02,676 Catholics are torn between two different popes 764 00:35:02,776 --> 00:35:05,679 running two functioning church bureaucracies 765 00:35:05,779 --> 00:35:07,615 from two different places. 766 00:35:07,681 --> 00:35:09,717 ♪ ♪ 767 00:35:09,817 --> 00:35:11,218 - There was an election of a pope, 768 00:35:11,318 --> 00:35:12,653 and some people didn't like that election, 769 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:14,188 so some people say, 770 00:35:14,288 --> 00:35:16,824 "We're gonna set up a church someplace else." 771 00:35:17,992 --> 00:35:20,728 And so this becomes a very big battle. 772 00:35:20,828 --> 00:35:22,630 - So in solving one problem, 773 00:35:22,696 --> 00:35:23,864 getting the pope back to Rome, 774 00:35:23,964 --> 00:35:26,066 you've created a much worse one. 775 00:35:26,167 --> 00:35:27,902 - We went through a long period 776 00:35:28,002 --> 00:35:31,505 when there were always at least two different people 777 00:35:31,572 --> 00:35:33,073 claiming to be pope. 778 00:35:34,375 --> 00:35:36,911 narrator: This unprecedented break in the church 779 00:35:37,011 --> 00:35:40,915 is what Catholics refer to as the Western schism. 780 00:35:41,015 --> 00:35:43,250 - You've got popes saying, "I am pope," 781 00:35:43,350 --> 00:35:45,686 and some popes are classed as antipopes, 782 00:35:45,753 --> 00:35:47,521 because other people don't recognize them, 783 00:35:47,588 --> 00:35:48,522 but who is the antipope? 784 00:35:48,589 --> 00:35:49,557 Who is the real pope? 785 00:35:49,657 --> 00:35:52,259 ♪ ♪ 786 00:35:52,359 --> 00:35:53,894 narrator: For nearly 40 years, 787 00:35:53,994 --> 00:35:56,096 the church is divided. 788 00:35:57,031 --> 00:35:58,699 And Catholics are forced to choose 789 00:35:58,766 --> 00:36:01,268 the true heir to St. Peter's legacy. 790 00:36:01,368 --> 00:36:03,437 ♪ ♪ 791 00:36:03,537 --> 00:36:05,839 - Where is the place that we are centered? 792 00:36:05,906 --> 00:36:09,343 That needs to flow from the pope. 793 00:36:09,410 --> 00:36:11,345 What do you do if you have two popes? 794 00:36:11,412 --> 00:36:13,414 Then it becomes a real problem for the church, 795 00:36:13,514 --> 00:36:15,216 and you've got to sort that out. 796 00:36:15,282 --> 00:36:17,952 ♪ ♪ 797 00:36:18,052 --> 00:36:21,755 - This schism made a mockery of the whole idea of the pope 798 00:36:21,855 --> 00:36:23,457 and the vicar of Christ 799 00:36:23,557 --> 00:36:26,093 being the successor of Peter. 800 00:36:26,193 --> 00:36:28,028 narrator: If there is one St. Peter, 801 00:36:28,095 --> 00:36:30,130 he can only have one legacy, 802 00:36:30,231 --> 00:36:33,534 held by only one man. 803 00:36:33,601 --> 00:36:35,603 Two popes become a clear sign 804 00:36:35,703 --> 00:36:38,239 that the spiritual source of papal power 805 00:36:38,305 --> 00:36:39,707 has been abandoned. 806 00:36:39,773 --> 00:36:41,976 - Having two popes is impossible. 807 00:36:42,076 --> 00:36:43,744 It's shattering for Christendom. 808 00:36:43,811 --> 00:36:48,549 Reformers say, "We've got to do something about this." 809 00:36:49,917 --> 00:36:51,318 narrator: With the future of the church 810 00:36:51,418 --> 00:36:52,820 hanging in the balance, 811 00:36:52,920 --> 00:36:54,321 in 1415, 812 00:36:54,421 --> 00:36:58,158 cardinals on both sides look for a solution. 813 00:36:59,460 --> 00:37:03,597 - They convene a general council at Constance, 814 00:37:03,664 --> 00:37:06,500 and the popes involved are summoned 815 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:09,069 and either deposed or invited to resign. 816 00:37:09,136 --> 00:37:10,804 ♪ ♪ 817 00:37:10,904 --> 00:37:13,507 narrator: Both the Roman pope Gregory XII 818 00:37:13,607 --> 00:37:16,310 and the Avignon pope Benedict XII 819 00:37:16,410 --> 00:37:18,979 are forced to resign. 820 00:37:19,079 --> 00:37:21,448 ♪ ♪ 821 00:37:21,515 --> 00:37:23,284 In 1415, 822 00:37:23,350 --> 00:37:25,786 Pope Gregory XII will be the last pope 823 00:37:25,853 --> 00:37:28,856 to leave the office alive... 824 00:37:28,956 --> 00:37:31,158 until 2013, 825 00:37:31,258 --> 00:37:33,193 when Pope Benedict XVI 826 00:37:33,294 --> 00:37:35,296 makes a shocking announcement. 827 00:37:35,362 --> 00:37:39,500 ♪ ♪ 828 00:37:41,835 --> 00:37:44,471 [dramatic music] 829 00:37:44,538 --> 00:37:46,140 - The last time a pope resigned 830 00:37:46,206 --> 00:37:48,676 happened just about 600 years ago. 831 00:37:48,776 --> 00:37:50,711 That would be Pope Gregory XII 832 00:37:50,811 --> 00:37:53,280 back in 1415. 833 00:37:53,347 --> 00:37:54,882 ♪ ♪ 834 00:37:54,982 --> 00:37:55,983 narrator: Throughout the history 835 00:37:56,050 --> 00:37:57,384 of the Catholic Church, 836 00:37:57,484 --> 00:38:00,888 only four popes have ever resigned, 837 00:38:00,988 --> 00:38:02,690 and Pope Benedict XVI 838 00:38:02,790 --> 00:38:05,626 is the only one who has ever done it peacefully 839 00:38:05,693 --> 00:38:07,361 and of his own volition. 840 00:38:07,461 --> 00:38:08,996 ♪ ♪ 841 00:38:09,063 --> 00:38:12,166 But what does it mean to have two living popes? 842 00:38:13,667 --> 00:38:17,304 How can two men hold one legacy of St. Peter? 843 00:38:17,371 --> 00:38:18,872 ♪ ♪ 844 00:38:18,972 --> 00:38:21,875 [bell tolling] 845 00:38:21,975 --> 00:38:25,713 ♪ ♪ 846 00:38:25,813 --> 00:38:27,514 - Everyone was surprised. 847 00:38:27,581 --> 00:38:31,585 Catholics were surprised. Non-Catholics were surprised. 848 00:38:31,685 --> 00:38:34,488 It was a strong contrast to John Paul II, 849 00:38:34,555 --> 00:38:36,357 who insisted on remaining pope 850 00:38:36,423 --> 00:38:38,592 until his dying gasp. 851 00:38:38,692 --> 00:38:40,527 narrator: In 2005, 852 00:38:40,594 --> 00:38:43,263 after reigning for 27 years, 853 00:38:43,364 --> 00:38:45,699 Pope John Paul II passed away 854 00:38:45,766 --> 00:38:50,003 after a long and public battle with Parkinson's disease. 855 00:38:50,070 --> 00:38:52,039 - In a way, the act of resignation 856 00:38:52,106 --> 00:38:54,742 was a devastating comment 857 00:38:54,842 --> 00:38:58,011 on the last five or six years of his predecessor. 858 00:38:58,078 --> 00:38:59,947 [cheers and applause] 859 00:39:00,047 --> 00:39:01,515 A flight in the face 860 00:39:01,582 --> 00:39:03,717 of the whole theology of the papacy 861 00:39:03,784 --> 00:39:06,854 as it had evolved in modern times, 862 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:11,091 the notion that John Paul had propagated 863 00:39:11,191 --> 00:39:13,127 that the papacy was a cross 864 00:39:13,227 --> 00:39:14,628 which was laid on your shoulders, 865 00:39:14,728 --> 00:39:16,397 and you could not shake it off. 866 00:39:16,463 --> 00:39:18,732 Benedict said, "Well, it's a job, 867 00:39:18,799 --> 00:39:20,634 "and if you can't do it, 868 00:39:20,734 --> 00:39:23,203 you should let somebody else try." 869 00:39:23,270 --> 00:39:25,806 narrator: By resigning in the face of old age, 870 00:39:25,906 --> 00:39:28,942 Pope Benedict XVI has made a clear statement 871 00:39:29,042 --> 00:39:31,412 about the divinity of the papal office. 872 00:39:32,379 --> 00:39:34,481 - But I think that was a reminder to everybody 873 00:39:34,581 --> 00:39:36,650 in any position of authority or power, 874 00:39:36,750 --> 00:39:38,752 that it's not just about me. 875 00:39:38,819 --> 00:39:39,920 It's actually about, 876 00:39:39,987 --> 00:39:41,622 am I being effective? 877 00:39:41,722 --> 00:39:44,324 Am I really serving the community 878 00:39:44,425 --> 00:39:46,493 and serving the church properly? 879 00:39:46,593 --> 00:39:48,829 - What Benedict did in resigning 880 00:39:48,929 --> 00:39:51,899 was to make it easier for successive popes 881 00:39:51,965 --> 00:39:53,834 to be able to say, "I'm 80 years old. 882 00:39:53,934 --> 00:39:55,269 "I'm not gonna stay 883 00:39:55,335 --> 00:39:57,337 until I fall down dead in this office." 884 00:39:57,438 --> 00:40:00,974 That's thinking more like a CEO than anything else. 885 00:40:02,609 --> 00:40:04,111 - Alighting from the helicopter, 886 00:40:04,178 --> 00:40:05,646 Francis thanks the pilots, 887 00:40:05,746 --> 00:40:07,147 then, seeing his predecessor, 888 00:40:07,247 --> 00:40:09,650 goes toward him to embrace him. 889 00:40:09,750 --> 00:40:13,620 This is a historic moment. 890 00:40:13,687 --> 00:40:15,589 - There's not any kind of precedent 891 00:40:15,656 --> 00:40:17,758 for Benedict's resignation. 892 00:40:17,825 --> 00:40:19,460 He really did do it voluntarily 893 00:40:19,526 --> 00:40:21,595 and of his own behalf. 894 00:40:21,662 --> 00:40:28,669 ♪ ♪ 895 00:40:29,436 --> 00:40:31,772 narrator: Today, Pope Benedict XVI 896 00:40:31,839 --> 00:40:35,509 lives in a quiet apartment in the Vatican. 897 00:40:35,609 --> 00:40:36,944 He has passed the holy office 898 00:40:37,010 --> 00:40:38,979 peacefully down to Pope Francis, 899 00:40:39,046 --> 00:40:42,349 leaving the power struggles of the past behind. 900 00:40:42,449 --> 00:40:45,052 - The biggest gift that ever happened to the papacy 901 00:40:45,152 --> 00:40:46,887 is Pope Benedict XVI resigning, 902 00:40:46,987 --> 00:40:50,858 because he allowed the papacy not to become a trap. 903 00:40:50,958 --> 00:40:55,229 ♪ ♪ 904 00:40:55,329 --> 00:40:57,364 - In terms of looking to the future, 905 00:40:57,464 --> 00:41:00,167 as any pope begins to get older 906 00:41:00,234 --> 00:41:03,036 or begins to have any difficulties, 907 00:41:03,136 --> 00:41:05,839 the question of resignation 908 00:41:05,906 --> 00:41:07,174 will be on the horizon. 909 00:41:07,241 --> 00:41:09,076 ♪ ♪ 910 00:41:09,176 --> 00:41:11,845 - Francis has also talked about resigning, 911 00:41:11,912 --> 00:41:14,982 and one, you don't know how serious he is. 912 00:41:15,048 --> 00:41:16,984 He's a mischievous man, 913 00:41:17,050 --> 00:41:18,185 and he's got an agenda, 914 00:41:18,252 --> 00:41:19,753 and he's an old man, 915 00:41:19,853 --> 00:41:22,756 and I think he'll want to see that agenda out first. 916 00:41:22,856 --> 00:41:26,560 But it may be that he has learned the lesson 917 00:41:26,660 --> 00:41:31,098 of watching John Paul II collapse into helplessness. 918 00:41:32,733 --> 00:41:35,569 It would be very interesting if popes now said, 919 00:41:35,669 --> 00:41:37,371 "Right, I've done my bit. 920 00:41:37,437 --> 00:41:38,739 Someone else can have a go." 921 00:41:38,839 --> 00:41:41,275 ♪ ♪ 922 00:41:41,375 --> 00:41:44,044 narrator: In announcing his voluntary retirement, 923 00:41:44,111 --> 00:41:47,281 Pope Benedict has shaken the foundation of the papacy. 924 00:41:48,715 --> 00:41:51,418 If Pope Francis retires as well, 925 00:41:51,518 --> 00:41:53,620 a 2,000-year-old institution 926 00:41:53,720 --> 00:41:56,456 could be fundamentally changed forever. 927 00:41:56,557 --> 00:42:01,929 ♪ ♪