In the Middle Ages, hierocracy or papalism was a current of Latin legal and political thought that argued that the Pope held supreme authority over not just spiritual, but also temporal affairs. In its full, late medieval form, hierocratic theory posited that since Christ was lord of the universe and both king and priest, and the Pope was his earthly vicar, the Pope must also possess both spiritual and temporal authority over everybody in the world.
In the Middle Ages, hierocracy or papalism was a current of Latin legal and political thought that argued that the Pope held supreme authority over not just spiritual, but also temporal affairs. In its full, late medieval form, hierocratic theory posited that since Christ was lord of the universe and both king and priest, and the Pope was his earthly vicar, the Pope must also possess both spiritual and temporal authority over everybody in the world.
Source: Wikipedia "Hierocracy (medieval)" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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