... Catholic Church traces papacy back to the apostle Peter. Papacy led to popes who held great power. During the Medieval Church, much of history included the popes. Certain popes were strong leaders, heavily involved in politics and unfortunately, many were of less than high moral character. ... sacrament not to require the assistance of a priest. The sacrament, in fact, is performed by the couple; in public ceremonies, the priest merely guides the couple and insures the proper completion of the ritual. Clandestine marriages, while permitted, were frowned upon for several reasons. First, i...

• Word Count: 3804
• Approx Pages: 15
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School