Tammy Woodworth
Summary:
The document The Donation of Constantine was probably created in the eighth century but wasn’t uncovered as a forgery until the fifteenth century. The Donation of Constantine was an edict supposedly issued by Emperor Constantine in 317, but was declared a forgery, in particular because of numerous inconsistencies in the wording and phrasing of the time. It is alleged that Emperor Constantine suffered from leprosy and when the Roman priests were conferred, Constantine was to kill innocent children and bath in their blood in order to be cured. Emperor Constantine was instructed by the holy apostles Peter and Paul to seek out Pope Sylvester who would baptize him and cure his leprosy. Upon his baptism, Emperor Constantine was cured and became a devote Christian. This document validates the trinity of the Jesus Christ, the Father and Holy Spirit. The document was probably created because of the struggle with temporal power between the Papacy and the Roman Empire.
Analysis:
The Donation of Constantine appears to give the “Roman church the privilege to govern all the priests within the Roman world” as well as the insignia of the imperial office. By conferring these powers to the papacy, it gave them not only the power to govern the priests but gave the pope primacy over patriarchs of Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria. The Donation of Constantine gives legitimacy to the trinity, “The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and these are one in Jesus Christ”. Scholars have noted that this document serves to give the papacy “imperial power” as well as listing the gifts giving to the papacy by Emperor Constantine and giving the papacy specific powers needed to keep the papal court in power in the face of extreme adversity at the crucial moment when they were being threatened by other ruling monarchies seeking to take over the Roman empire and the papacy. The document appears to be written specifically addressing the most pressing issues the papacy was facing.
Summary:
The document The Donation of Constantine was probably created in the eighth century but wasn’t uncovered as a forgery until the fifteenth century. The Donation of Constantine was an edict supposedly issued by Emperor Constantine in 317, but was declared a forgery, in particular because of numerous inconsistencies in the wording and phrasing of the time. It is alleged that Emperor Constantine suffered from leprosy and when the Roman priests were conferred, Constantine was to kill innocent children and bath in their blood in order to be cured. Emperor Constantine was instructed by the holy apostles Peter and Paul to seek out Pope Sylvester who would baptize him and cure his leprosy. Upon his baptism, Emperor Constantine was cured and became a devote Christian. This document validates the trinity of the Jesus Christ, the Father and Holy Spirit. The document was probably created because of the struggle with temporal power between the Papacy and the Roman Empire.
Analysis:
The Donation of Constantine appears to give the “Roman church the privilege to govern all the priests within the Roman world” as well as the insignia of the imperial office. By conferring these powers to the papacy, it gave them not only the power to govern the priests but gave the pope primacy over patriarchs of Antioch, Constantinople, Jerusalem and Alexandria. The Donation of Constantine gives legitimacy to the trinity, “The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and these are one in Jesus Christ”. Scholars have noted that this document serves to give the papacy “imperial power” as well as listing the gifts giving to the papacy by Emperor Constantine and giving the papacy specific powers needed to keep the papal court in power in the face of extreme adversity at the crucial moment when they were being threatened by other ruling monarchies seeking to take over the Roman empire and the papacy. The document appears to be written specifically addressing the most pressing issues the papacy was facing.