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I finally saw the movie "Conclave," and really enjoyed it. As you probably know, it is about the contentious election of a pope in a conclave of the college of cardinals. The movie, however, never explains what the word conclave actually means or how and why that papal electoral procedure began. This episode will remedy that omission.

The intro music is from the Academy Award nominated overture to the movie "Conclave" by the composer Volker Bertelmann

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Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at richard.abels54@gmail.com

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In this second episode of a three part series, my favorite cohost Ellen and I survey the development of the papacy from the eighth through the early eleventh century. Among the topics we discuss are who and what the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties of Francia were; Pope Zacharias' legitimization of Pepin the Short's deposition of a puppet Merovingian king and his elevation to the throne; the "donation of Pepin" that created the papal states; the "Donation of Constantine," forged in the papal chancery to justify the donation of Pepin; the partnership between Charlemagne and the papacy in reforming the Western Church; Pope Leo III's coronation of Charlemagne as Emperor of the Romans on Christmas Day, 800; and how the papacy was reduced once again to being the local bishops of Rome under the control of the Roman aristocracy in the tenth century after the collapse of the Carolingian empire. This is the period that historians see as the nadir of the institution that featured some memorably bad popes, though we conclude with a few good ones under the Ottonian emperors.

This episode includes audio snippets

Musician Ernst Stolz playing the pilgrims' song, "O Roma nobilis" on tenor vielle, recorder and gemshorn. From his YouTube channel "My Years with Early Music: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf3_3065gmU)

Gregorian Chant - Agnus Dei, posted by fgl music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YZI4cyBkvI

Listen on Podurama https://podurama.com

Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at richard.abels54@gmail.com

Send us a text

In this first episode of a three part series, my favorite cohost Ellen and I survey the development of the papacy over its first seven centuries. I have to confess that along the way I got somewhat off topic talking about the Roman persecution of the Christians. But it is an interesting subject in itself and worth exploring, and as 31 of the first 32 popes are venerated as martyrs--some with more reason than others--it seems relevant to a discussion of the first centuries of the papacy. In this episode Ellen and I also talk about Christological disputes that divided the early Church, the position of the bishop of Rome vis-à-vis other bishops, and the papacy's relationship with the Emperor Constantine and his successors. That's my way of saying that it turned out longer than I expected. But I hope that you'll listen and enjoy it.

This episode includes musician Ernst Stolz playing the pilgrims' song, "O Roma nobilis" on tenor vielle, recorder and gemshorn. From his YouTube channel "My Years with Early Music: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wf3_3065gmU)

Listen on Podurama https://podurama.com

Intro and exit music are by Alexander Nakarada

If you have questions, feel free to contact me at richard.abels54@gmail.com