A imbricação da doutrina eclesial de Marsílio de Pádua com a teoria da soberania popular

Abstract

Marsilius of Padua (1280-1342) published the the Defender of the Peace in 1324. This is one of the most important and controversial writings of medieval political though. This work, clearly political, reveals
a feature characteristic of the author who draws an analogy between a living organism and the composition of the civitas. Ecclesiology is the central and most addressed theme in the second part of the work. The
author has the intention of correcting, according to his understanding, the misconceptions about the life of the Church at that time. He understands that the Church (ecclesia), as the group comprising all believers
(universitas fidelium), identifies itself with the Empire (civitas), namely, all citizens (universitas civium). The author aims to restore the early and apostolic concept of Church, even though it exposes some contradictions to emphasize the authority of Emperor over Church.