Changes

The growing power of the Papacy in central Italy made the Pontiff, perhaps the most important ruler in Italy<ref>Duffy, p. 317</ref>. The Pontiff began to resemble the absolute monarchies of England and France. The Pope although the head of the Catholic Church acted like any other secular leader of the time. The Pope’s with their great wealth they were able to raise armies of mercenaries and they fought wars to reclaim their lost lands in central Italy. They also played an important role in the politics of the Italian City-States and they often entered into alliances with Republics and fought wars to secure their interests. The Popes were also very active in international affairs and were often eager to build alliances against the growing power of the Ottoman Turks.<ref>Johnson, Paul. <i>[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0812966198/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0812966198&linkCode=as2&tag=dailyh0c-20&linkId=4bdb3f7bd3d5bb662cc6b65138fdcc95 The Renaissance: A Short History]</i> (Longman, London, 2000), p. 197</ref>

====Papal Corruption====