Pope Boniface VIII

Who was Pope Boniface VIII?

Pope Boniface VIII, born Benedetto Caetani, or Gaetani, was the head of the Catholic Church from 24 December 1294 to his death in 1303. He organized the first Roman Catholic "jubilee" year to take place in Rome and declared that both spiritual and temporal power were under the pope's jurisdiction, and that kings were subordinate to the power of the Roman pontiff. Today, he is probably best remembered for his feuds with Dante, who placed him in the Eighth Circle of Hell in his Divine Comedy, among the simoniacs.