The Christian’s Heritage!
This is the fourth in our series on defining
moments in the history of the church. Previously,
we have looked at the destruction of the
Temple in Jerusalem, the Council of Nicea, and
the Council of Chalcedon. In this installment we
look at the Coronation of Charlemagne.
It is remarkable that a seemingly minor and
distant event like the crowning of a secular king
by the leader of the church in the Western part
of Europe (Rome) would have
long-term consequences for the
church and culture in Europe.
Charlemagne, the oldest son of
Pepin the Short, became king of
the Franks in 768 following his
father’s death. In establishing his
authority in Italy, and later Spain
and then northern Europe,
Charlemagne was simply
extending the power his father
(Pepin) had exerted over the
Franks when he was crowned
their king in 750.
Pope* Zacharias anointed Pepin
the Short, King of the Franks. In
exchange Pepin supported the
Pope against those hostile to Rome and its
religious affairs. The church in Constantinople in
particular was anxious to remain the predominant
influence of Christianity in the then-known
world. Pepin helped remove the last lingering
ties between Rome and Constantinople, thereby
freeing the church in the west to develop
without obligation to the church in the east.
(The term “Pope” in the 7th/8th century did not
carry the same connotation and authority as it
does in the Roman Catholic Church today; that
was only to emerge in about 1200 AD. Simply
put, there were two ‘capitals’ of Christian
influence: Rome because it had been the capital
of the Roman Empire, and Constantinople
because the capital of the empire had been
shifted there. The word ‘Pope’ was derived from
the Greek word ‘papas,’ which was applied to all
senior ecclesiastical officials. However by 800 it
was only being used for the bishop of Rome.)
Christianity developed essentially along an
east/west axis, with Rome representing western
influence and Constantinople eastern authority.
But the expansion of the Gospel was being
thwarted, amongst other reasons, by the rise of
Islam, which was reaching towards Constantinople
and beyond, particularly
North Africa and Spain. The
years of infighting in the church
in North Africa had severely
weakened it and left its people
open to the radical monotheism
of Islam.
Pepin donated to the papacy
the lands of the Lombards in
Northern Italy, whom he had
conquered. More than this, he
committed his successors to act
as protectors of the papacy (as
the church Bishop in Rome was
being called) into the future.
Charlemagne continued his
father’s policy towards the
church in Rome and became its protector,
completely removing the Lombards from power
in Italy, and leading a military incursion into
Muslim-occupied Spain. He also campaigned
against the peoples to the east, Christianizing
them upon penalty of death. Charlemagne
continued what his grandfather and father had
started. He fought against the Saracens, a generic
name to describe Arabs, Berbers, Moors and
Turks. He also fought the Saxons in northern
Europe. His victories made him emperor over
more land in Europe than almost any other
leader for over 500 years.
Charlemagne’s power and political authority
reached their height in 800 when he was
crowned “Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire”
by Pope Leo III on Christmas Day at Old St. Peter’s
Basilica. The coronation of Charlemagne was the
culmination of nearly 50 years of cooperation
between the leader of the Franks and the
church in Rome. Charlemagne’s coronation as
Emperor was a strategic alliance between the
leading and increasingly influential ecclesiastical
figure of the western church, with that of the
dominant ‘European’ political and military
power.
The Pope had turned to a northern imperial
household and formed a political alliance that
was to endure for nearly 800 years. Charlemagne
never considered himself a vassal or
subservient to Rome. He saw himself responsible to God for the welfare of his people.
However Charlemagne took the idea of
Church–State co-operation, a legacy from
Constantine, and bequeathed to succeeding
generations a system that allowed Christendom
to endure the difficult days that were yet to
unfold. The linkage with Rome ensured that for
the next 800 years all learning, politics, social
organization, art, music, law and economics
would be Christian, if not always gospel
centered.
The events of history have far more import than
we generally acknowledge!
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