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Shattered. >> all of this becomes a real problem for the church and you have to sort that out. >> in july of 1048 benedict ix is officially ousted once and for all. the cardinals decide the fairest way to consolidate papal power is to ignore sylvester and gregory's claims to the throne, clear the decks, and elect a new pope. >> one of the problems in the 11th century was there was no clear way of choosing a pope. >> it was a matter of, frequently, murder. bribery. and also relationship, the sons of popes sometimes became popes, choosing a pope. it's very confused, and it's never a pretty sight...

Episode. benedict, they wanted benedict to be pope for their own financial gains and supremacies. if a king needed a sensation to marry his brother's wife. if people wanted to take possession of a local parish, they would have to get >> 19-year-old benedict has no interest of bureaucracy or public service. he is only interested in the privilege of power. >> benedict is someone who's clearly made pope in order to

>> now their positions had reversed. benedict is in rome and sylvester iii is in exile. but they're both still claiming to be pope. >> benedict ix was the first pope that comes back and they have to decide who's the real pope now? >> with rome's allegiances split between benedict and sylvester, the church faces a crisis of faith. how does one decide who holds the legacy of st. peter? the romans will not have long to figure it out. only one month into benedict ix's second papacy he complicates the matter even further. >> benedict then, in the way of impetuous young men, he decided he didn't wan...

Which, of course, is against the cannons. >> in the 11th century, conclaves had not yet been invented. popes are chosen by brute force or nepotism. >> buying church power was the considered one of the worst sins there was. the fact he sold the papacy in return for money was appalling to everyone. >> for the first time in recorded history, a pope resigns in exchange for money, which catapults the papacy into the world of dirty politics. >> the papacy becomes the pawn in politics of central italy. >> though the young pope accepts the young cardinal's bride, this will not be the last the world he...

>> and the awkward thing now is that there were two popes, and both of them were claiming to be the heir of st. peter. >> benedict, however, had a wealthier family than sylvester, and so, his family rallied behind him, gave him an army. he marched back into rome and he drove sylvester iii out. >> you find yourself bewildered by this. and it's so far from the apostles or how any christian leader should be. but that was the way the church was. it's about spiritual power, uncomfortably mixed with worldly power. >> six months after accepting the cardinal's bribe to resign, benedict ix is reinstate...