I Am a University Student

@SomeLikeItHot Most people would cringe at the thought or can't imagine where isbthebfun in that. After visiting the museum of the Vaticans' Secret Archives you realise the importance the office has in the development of world affairs throughout history and Western culture in particular.

An exhibit of the correspondence between the Pope and Henry VIII, and the side communications with Thomas Moore at the time are particularly interesting. Reads more exciting than Tom Clancy!

(it's an unfortunate choice of name, since S.Sp. John Paul II made sure nothing secret remained there and they are wide open for scholarly research)

@Stranger
I personally was fascinated with the move to Avignon France and the relationship of the Papacy with the House of Medici.

According to Catholic lore, the apperance of St Jean D' Arc, (my favorite Saint), is an example of clear divine intervention on behalf of the church. Had France not prevailed in the 100 years war that Jean D'arc helped bring to an end, France would not have been sufficiently strong to shelter the Holy See during the flight to Avignon. Arguable? Perhaps Coincidence? Maybe Fascinating? You betcha!

(I am a sort of amateur Hagiographer, mostly as a hobby though)

@Stranger It is fun to hunt down relevant literature to do research with.
The recent ties with contemporary movies with Gnosticism I find disturbing.

Agreed! Probably the only redeeming quality of pamphlets like Dan Brown's and their bundled movie deals is promoting tourism at some historical sites through Europe, and sparking curiosity about medieval art and society. Most will shortsightedly stop digging and be satisfied with an entertaining but shallow. Conspiracy theory that needs to be resolved within the confines of 600 pages or less, but at least a few will seek further knowledge and find the incredibly rich work and thought that was developed before the Renaissance.