Control of the Spanish Church

Isabella and Ferdianna needed to endure that they ahd strong control over the church, as in the civil war, members of the church had fought against them- e.g, the Archbishop of Toledo.

In England, Henry VIII had to break with Rome and set create his own church in order to get the control that Ferdinand and Isabella had over the Spanish church.

How did Ferdinand and Isabella do it?

Why did the Pope allow it?

1. F&I were fighting the heretics

2. Italy needed protection from France

3. Pope Alexander VI was Spanish

4. F&I were devout Catholics

Financially

• Cruzada:
  • Right to tax the church for the duration of the Reconquista
  • Prolonged afterwards
• Tercia reales
  • The Royal Third
  • 1/3 of all tithe payments to the church went to the spanish Crown

Other forms of control

• Law- No legal appeals were allowed to be taken to Rome, from 1488, all church cases in Valladolid
• Patronata-1486 in Granana, 1493 New World
• Power to nominate bishops- Bishop of Cuenca 1479

• 1523-
  • control over miliary orders- Santiago, Calatrai and Alacantara
  • They had been set up in medieval times in order to help sponsor and fight in the crusades
• During charles' reign the new world possessions extended to mexico and Peru. The colonial church was totally under his control.

• What had been power of appointment in fact in ther past, was now power of appointment legally.
• Philip only allowed the measures approved by the ouncil of trent that didn't undermine his authority.
• He never allowed the jesuits undue influence, since they had a vow of obedience to the Pope.
• The 'Carranza Case'
  • Philip delayed his cae for 16 years to prevent it being sent to Rome.