The concepts of power and control are difficult to define because they present themselves in a variety of different ways in a variety of contexts. The Pope had the ability to affect how people thousands of miles away thought and acted. This was an extremely powerful and unique capability. The ability to control another's actions is an invigorating and highly desirable experience for those in control.

When a person or group of people, in this case the Christian leaders, possess power and control they act to increase their power. It is often believed that things are not to remain static, either your empire grows or it declines. If you wish to avoid the latter, you must pursue the former.

In order for a build up of central authority to occur, religious leaders knew they needed to address a variety of areas. Each of these areas represented a certain power and facet of life that was dire

In "The Coronation of Richard the Lion Heart," Roger of Wendover describes the role the church played in the coronation of a new king. This was very significant because the acceptance of a new king provides insight into how he further establishes power.

The church asserted its authority in a variety of ways in order to increase centralized control. They addressed topics and people that spanned a wide range of issues and ways of thinking. The system of thought worked from the firmly Christian cities and religious centers where the basis for the expansion of power found its support and energy. The way of thought present in the monasteries, other religious centers, and universities led to the ability to deal with those that did not have the same spiritual beliefs as the Christians and provided them with motives for fighting in crusades.

Unlike the monasteries and universities mentioned earlier, the Pope's actions toward heretics were at the forefront of the expansion of the Christian way and of the centralization of power in Europe. In many respects, centralization of power is defined by the distance at which the overbearing power is held. As the Pope was able to command crusades against non-believers further and further away, he increased his centralized power.

In medieval times, communication techniques were far more rudimentary than those we take for granted today. A message to someone on the other side of France could take weeks or longer. This made it difficult for the Pope to have control of things that were not near to him. The way in which the Pope dealt with matters far from his home played an important role in how centralized and controlling his churchdom could become.

The final and most important method of the church's assertion of legal and social control was their dealings with the King of France. The Pope realized that to have control of the King was to have control over his empire. This would be the most significant method for increasing centralization of power in Europe.

As St. Benedict quoted of the apostle in his Rules of St. Benedict, "Test the spirits, to see whether they come from God." He is stating that one must sacrifice all of their personal desires and needs for God. If the Pope is in control of the monasteries, he is ultimately in control of the monks.

The Albigensians, or Cathars, lived in the Southern part of France, far removed from both the Pope and the King of France. This resulted in an alternative form of religion that when left alone satisfied the needs and wants of the Albigensians. They lived in a world different from that of northern France and developed a different

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Approximate Word count = 1789
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)