In the first period, the oppression policies against Christians ceased to exist in 311 after Rome understood that it could not handle them. Later on Rome made a very smart decision and Theodosius announced Christianity as "the state religion." Thus, the emperor turned Christianity, which was a threat to it, into the power of Rome.

At the same time, Christianity rapidly turned into institutions. Patriarchs were established in Rome, Istanbul, Alexandria, Antioch, and Jerusalem and they became the corner stones of the world church while the patriarchs implemented their functions.

Given that these two churches are in Turkey, the planning needed a strategy considering the religious developments and the balances like "jeostrategy" and "petrostrategy" in a time when the concepts of dialog among civilizations and dialog among religions with their contradictions were being brought up.

The Bishop of Rome became a spiritual and an earthly power with their support coming from the noblemen and clerics in Rome after the capital of the Roman Empire was moved to Istanbul. After these developments in the Era of Pope Leo the Great (440-461) the East and the West got away from each other. The Eastern Church –that is to say Istanbul- diverged from Rome. At the end the Catholicism of the west and the orthodoxy of the East were dissolved and relations between them ceased to exist. In another words, Rome and Istanbul were on their own.

Pope Stephan the Second began to look for an ally against the Lombards who were threatening Rome and the Franc Kingdom was ready to give this support. King Pipin put an end to the threat exposed by the Lombards with two campaigns one in 754 and the other in 756 and Francs gave a region in middle of Italy to the pope as a gift.

Later King Karl the Great approved this gift thereby "the process of Europe's Christianization" began. He took his crown as the emperor of the Holy Roman-German Empire from Pope Leo .

# It might be not proper to associate the Holy Roman-German Empire with the power Karl the Great got and the relations with the Papacy only to "the land given to the Papacy and the permission given for Christianization of Europe. However, they must be considered as significant details.

In 13th century after a long period a power struggle broke out between popes and emperors for the first time. The deep disagreement over who will assign the bishops made mischief between Pope Gregory the Seventh and Emperor Heinrich the Forth. The crisis ended with victory by the pope and the emperor was excommunicated.

Thereby the era began when popes had more power then emperor. Pope Innocent the Third gained the status of being "representative of Jesus." The said development was a very significant development for the Christian history and the European history. Pope's conflict against emperors continued increasingly.

For example, Pope Bonifatius the Eight announced the universal sovereignty of the pope in 1302 by edict called "Unum Sanctum. The edict begins with " Urged by faith, we are obliged to believe and to maintain that the Church is one, holy, catholic, and also apostolic church" and ends with " Furthermore, we declare, we proclaim, we define that it is absolutely necessary for salvation that every human creature be subject to the Roman Pontiff"

By this decree the church announced that it held itself over the empire and the pope over the emperor. The Papacy had a crisis in the 14th century. Political problems in Germany and Italy brought about France’s gaining power and pursuing hegemonic policies.

If we discuss the situation in the modern terms: France was disturbing the balance of power and it was threatening the conjecture. The existing system in Europe would struggle against this threat. The Papacy was the most sensitive center against the threat. The rise of France firstly brought the sovereignty of an earthly power to question and consequently it was challenging the Papacy, which took its power from heaven.

Whereupon Pope Bonifatius the Eight excommunicated the king of France. France responded to this development and sent its units on the Pope The king put the spiritual power of pope under control of his military power. As a result King Philip the Forth of France initiated the period called the "Babylonian captivity" in the church's terminology in 1309. The popes were exiled to Avignon in France and for approximately for 70 years the popes were kept under service of the French throne.

Meanwhile, the promotion of French cardinals began. The effort of France, which has the only secular state in Europe beside Turkey, got reactions from Germany. Germany conveyed a meeting in Bodensee between 1412-1418. Clerics, cardinals, bishops, priests, scientists, and noblemen participated in the greatest meeting in 15th century.

In the meeting –while there was a pope in charge- Jean the Twenty Third, Gregory the Thelwe and Benedicts Thirteenth were appointed as papal candidates. Later Martin the Fifth was elected. The aim of Germany was to restrenght the Papacy against France and it succeeded in its mission.

Yet, the real weakness of the Church was recorded in Germany after the Thirty Years Wars in the period of 1618-1648 when Martin Luther established the Protestant denomination against Catholicism. He revolt against the universal hegemony of the Papacy as a result he was uncomfortable regarding the transformation of the Papacy toward being more secular power. He succeeded in his efforts. As for this period a movement to limit the power of clerics and return back the essence of the Bible began.

The religion and political struggle didn’t end from this development. The church continued to its resistance. But the greatest problem which the church faced appeared in the 19th century when the globalization winds created turmoil in the world. The nation based states rose and those who became rich by the resources coming from colonies established a new class.

The French Revolution was a severe hit upon the church. The next hit came from Napoleon as the Vatican constantly lostland and respect. When Pope Pius the Sixth died, he was a captive in the south of France. His successor, Pius the Seventh, was elected under protection of Austria in Venice. Pope Pius the Seventh was able to return to the Vatican after the Napoleonic era.

Yet the French army again entered Roma after the church showed its reluctance against getting into an alliance against Great Britain. The Pope was exiled to Fontainebleau in France.

The pope returned back to the Vatican after the fall of Napoleon. While in 1815 the Vienna Conference determined the new system in Europe the Vatican approved the reestablishment of the borders in 1797.

The last ruler of the church-state, which was the predecessor of Vatican, Pope Pious the Ninth, was a liberalist in his first period of his governing. He won the support of Italian liberals and nationalists but he couldn’t live up to their expectation and he had to flee during the revolution in Rome in 1848-1849.

A Republic was announced in the Church -State on February 9, 1849 however the Church-State was reestablished in the same year as a result of interference from Austria and France. Thereby Pope Pious the Ninth get into a war with Austria but France defeated Austria and annexed the Church-State to an Italian Kingdom.

Later on France was defeated and withdrew its army whereupon Italy gained strength and made the Pope uninfluencial in politics.

The Pope stated the necessity of the Papacy in Rome in 1870. The Vatican was associated with Italy in that period when Italy secured its unity and established its nation based state. Pope Puis the Ninth was not pleased to be depended upon a secular power.

In his book called "the Captive in The Vatican," he stated his reaction against being imprisoned in a 40 hectares field in a state whose borders reach to the Adriatic Sea and the abolishment of Patrimonium Sancti Petri.

The Vatican again become "Vatican City" and "The Sacred Chair" in 1928 the pope was acknowledge as head of the Vatican state. In legal terms the office of Rome's pope was reestablished.

According to Gregory Delvaux De Fenffe, the papacy became weakened in 20th century. It preferred to be silent against fascism and national socialism. Pope Puis the Twelfth (1939-1958) preferred to be silent against the anti-Semitism and the brutality.

Pope John the Twenty-Third initiated a significant development and opened the way to the conception of "religious freedom" and "dialog with other religions" in the meetings conveyed between October 11, 1962- December 8, 1965. He secured the church's strength against the traditional hierarchy by giving more power to bishops. He implemented very significant decisions regarding the use of local languages instead of Latin in the liturgies and that the priest should turn his face to congregation instead of his back during the service.

As a continuation of a short history of the Vatican, we need to refer to criticisms against the Vatican. These criticisms are very important because they not only put light on the concerns about an institution or concentrate on the contents of the concerns but also they are closely related to the equilibriums regarding yesterday, today and tomorrow of the European history.

To indicate how important the point is, we can give an example from the near past.

While the European constitution was being prepared, the Vatican always stated its objection against it. It continued to state its objection even after the signing celebration on October 29, 2004. It demanded that there be a direct reference to "God," "Bible" and "Christianity" in the beginning of the constitution. The Vatican stated its despair since there was no direct reference to these three things.

The signing celebration was in Campidoglio’da. There were historic and religious connotations regarding the preference for the place. The Rome Treaty in 1975, which is considered to be the birth of the European Economic Community (EEC), was signed in Orazi and Curiazi Hall in the Conservatory Palace in Campidoglio, that is to say, in the same hall.

There was a statue of Innocent the Tenth in the hall where the celebration took place and the table was under the statue. We need to look at who Innocent the Tenth, whose real name was Giovanni Battista Pamfili is.

Pope Innocent the Tenth was born in Rome on May 6, 1574 and died on January 7, 1655. He was the pope during 1644-1655. While he was in charge in 1648 he witnessed the Peace of Westphalia, which is considered to be the beginning for the European Peace today and which is the peace reference in EU terminology.

The Peace of Westphalia stands out with two point: the first is that the Catholic Church accepted the efficiency and the existence of Protestants. At the same time, it ensured Germans to be under control. The Papacy opposed the Peace and it went down in history as the only side against the Peace of Westphalia and it put an annotation on the treaty.

The death of Pope Innocent was also dramatic. His sister in law did not pay for his funeral beside looting his office and room. Nobody paid attention to his body for three days and he was buried without a funeral. Maybe it can be interpreted that the fact that two most important celebrations performed under his feet were depending upon their positive or negative outlook regarding the Peace of Westphalia. From that some results appear but nobody is optimistic.

After this example if we turn to the criticisms regarding the church:

Rolf Augstein wrote an article bearing the headline "The Rock That Has Never Been in Rome" in Der Spiegel in 2000. The researcher argues that Peter, who is considered the establisher of the church and that he established it by a request from Jesus, "has never been to Rome." He offers some proofs for his claim.

In his research bearing the headline "How Was Christianity Made?" on July 22, 2001 Helmut Steuerwald states that Christianity has different features in different periods and the Church gained power by distorting concepts. Some thesis claimed by the Church have never existed, neither in the time of Jesus nor at the beginning of Christianity.

Stating that the Church has refuted many doctrines and eliminated ideas and groups that it has thought were against its interest in the balance of power, Steuerwald points out some significant facts.

According to Helmut Steuerwald, Christianity is "a natural and typical product" of its period and environment. When the Roman Empire was at its peak of power its borders were covering the entire Mediterranean basin, Danube and many other important places. After the civil strife lasted for one century, Caesar came and then Octavian became the emperor, who took the name Augustus.

The resistance was limited to the Barbarians in Germania and Jews in the Eastern Mediterranean. In the period when Augustus proclaimed himself as God, the stability was restored and the prosperity revived. In Rome, there was religious freedom and tolerance as long as the respect for the emperor was sustained.

Thereby many religions and doctrines developed many temples established. The wide borders of the empire brought about many religions coexisting together. The expansion of the empire toward the east paved the way for many mixed and hybrid faiths.

The Osiris-Isis of Egypt, the dualism of persons (good soul and evil soul) and the mysticism of Ionia with Yin-Yang of the Eastern Asia and Buddhism incited religious debates.

Steuerwald thinks Jesus had been influenced by these thoughts. He gives these examples, given the Egyptian culture, Osiris was god, Isis was the mother of god. Horus in Isis' arm was a divine son. Horus at the same time was the symbol between this world and the other one. Again the Mithras faith in the Persian culture had influenced Jesus very much.

He thinks that Jesus and the Christianity's thoughts were a typical and natural evaluation of Judaism indicating that the Jews were dispersed around in the empire. Steuerwald thinks that Jesus was influenced by these thoughts recalling that Judaism was influence by other cultures and movements in these regions.

According to Steuerwald, Jesus in fact did not say anything new and didn’t make any new definition. Jesus was a charismatic Jewish priest who had high credibility in the society. He thought that the end of world had came closer like Jews did in the time when they were having trouble. Jesus, whose thought was influenced by Judaism, Hellenism and Buddhism, had never thought to establish a church, he had no thought like “Trinity” and he was only a good Jewish believer.

Pointing out that Jesus, according to Rascke and Arthur Drews, who had never lived, had different portraits Steuerwald says that the sayings referred to Jesus became written decades after his death.

The hope of Jews, who were under a great pressure, was help from God and they equated this with the end of world.

According to Steuerwald today’s charismatic leaders coming from oppressed groups in developed countries preach about corruption, inefficiency of politicians and state and that God will help and there will be a new beginning.

Steuerwald highlights that there is no information for certain about what Jesus said or preached about. He says that there is no proof about it especially in Aramaic, which is the language Jesus used.

He was informing about the end of world. He defended the exorcising. He was telling that he was son of God with the same meaning as what the Jews meant Neither Jesus or the Jews liked Rome nor did they like those who like it. He was crucified for that reason. Crucifixion was a natural way of execution.

Steuerwald argues that Jesus never wanted to establish a church as he was a good Jew but he intended a reform among Jews.

Pointing out that Jesus addressed only Jews Steuerwald thinks that he was always loyal to the Torah.

On the other hand, Theologian Gerd Lüdemann argues that Jesus was not given birth by a virgin he also claims that Jesus didn’t give any statement before the crucifixion. According to Lüdemann the resurrection is nothing but a indirect speech. At the same time, he says that the sayings referred to Jesus are mostly fabricated.

In Christianity it is being said that the people around Jesus strived for the continuity of the community by telling stories of his miracle after his death.

Steuerwald said the aim of the propaganda which was told about Jesus in that period, was plausibility but not truth. Theologian Uta Ranke-Heinemann uses bitter statements regarding the subject.

According to Uta Ranke-Heinemann, the history of the disciples is very rich with fantasies and full of fables and legends. Steuerwald finds it strange that those who crucified Jesus didn’t touch anyone else. In that period Jesus and his legend got stronger and stronger but the end of world that he preached and predicted never came about.

Among Steuerwald's thesis there are important objections regarding Paul. According to the writer, it is argued that Paul pushed Christianity to be a world religion and joined the community after the death of Jesus and he had never seen Jesus.

Paul had had a serious objection regarding Hellenism and Judaism. Later he joined Christianity as a converter and in a short time he was among the leaders. He was reactive against the Romans and had never been a faithful Jew.

He had a wider outlook compared to other Jews because of the education he received about Hellenism. He had serious objection regarding loyalty to the Torah and above all, he was against circumcision. He was pragmatic and successful at bringing in new members to Christianity . He thought the community shouldn’t be open to Jews only and paved a way for Christianity to be a global religion, which was "a Jewish sect."

According to Uta Ranke-Heinemann, he turned Jesus into a universal lord and the ruler of Rome and Catholicism while he was a Jewish priest and maybe a prophet. Jesus claimed that he was sent for the lost sheep of Israel."

Steuerwald argues that it is nothing more than a tale that Peter was the bishop of Roma. The writer claims that it was fabricated by the Church in the 2nd century. According to the writer, the aim was that Roma, which was in difficult situation against its competitors, desired to be the central power and the only leader.

Ranke-Heinemann argues that there is no proof or sign regarding Peter's visit to Rome. He also thinks that the description regarding the birth of Jesus came form the Maronite culture.

Meanwhile, Rome was in crisis in the 2nd century as it was changing it’s emperors often and the disturbance was at its peak. There was no support for a multi-religious culture while the institution of the empire was loosing it’s reputation. As a result the society, which lost its common denominator, pinned its hope on heaven for a better life. As a matter of fact, Christianity arose from hope and consolation according to Rosa Luxemburg.

Prof. Richard Krauthammer puts Christianity's political efforts for why it turned into an institution, gained privileged rights and become rich with the gifts in 313 even though they were only 10 % of Rome.

Regarding Rise of Christianity in Rome, Rudolf Augstein puts it in his book "Jesus, Son of Man":

"None of the spiritual community of the Emperor Constantine obey the disclaim of rules as easy as Christian church."

In fact Christians put on sward those for who did not think like them or who objected to their power. Even Emperor Theodosius the First was a collaborator. A decree issued in 380 makes this statement:

"We command that those who obey this low to be Christian. We will declare those who object to this to be mad and they will live through the shame of being an infidel. The name of place where we meet will not be a church. First, they will face the revenge of God and then they will live through our scourge. This authority was given to us from heaven."

Even they began call non-Catholics "butchery animals which will go to hell." Hieronymus, one of Bible's translators, was using that phrase for "infidels."

According to Uta Ranke-Heinemann, the library in Alexandria, which was "inspiring for atheists," was deliberately set on fire. In 516, the non-Christians were expelled from the state. The writings that were not proper for Christianity were forbidden. Those who were not catholic were excommunicated in 423 and their commodities were confiscated. Capital punishment was set for those who participated in ceremonies contrary to Catholicism in 435 and 438. All temples were destroyed again in 438. Later on the Christianization wars began.

Steuerwald highlights another significant point. It completes the picture that the decree indicating that Emperor Constantine presented the entire Western Roman Empire to Pope Sylvester the First as a gift turned out to be fake.

The point Steuerwald makes is that Christianity spread either by violence or by deception.

These similar or similar claims are neither new nor exceptional. Francesco Carotta wrote in Gießener Anzeiger daily on December 23, 1999 that the possibility that Jesus had lived is not more than the one for William Tell. Francesco Carotta argues that Christmas as well is not true.

Carotta determines some similarities that are very difficult to be accidental after an intensive research. These similarities are very interesting. Ahead of these, the similarity between Jesus and Caesar stands and Cleopatra and Mary Magdalena, Nikodemes and Nikodemus, Galia and Galilea, Cofinum and Rubicon, Lepidus and Pilatus…

According to the researcher, Jesus was born "Before Christ." His birth was not in 1 BC instead it was few years before. According to the researcher, Jesus was born "Before Christ." His birth was not in one BC, instead it was a few years before. He thinks the calculation indicates that Caesar was born 100 years before Jesus was a need for the politics of the period. He thinks that we can not be sure because there is nothing proving Jesus had lived.

The researcher gives this example: "Do we have to think Caesar was using mobile phone since we can not find any cables laid down in the excavation from the Roman period"

It seems the Catholic Church had some inspiration sources and it is possible that it was established by these inspirations. This also it became inspiration for others as well. There are the Armenian claims for their argument against Turkey uttered by Hitler, but they are without any proof. However there are proven sayings of Adolph Hitler regarding the Catholic church.

"I have learned a lot from the Jesuits , there has never been any greater hierarchic organization than the Catholic church. I took many features of the organization for my party. Of Jews, I am following the police applied by the3 Catholic Church. It had decided that Jews were dangerous and forced them into ghettos" (The Nazi Persecution of the Churches, JS Conway, page 25-26)

The history of the Vatican always has had influence over the European processes. Maybe it was not only a determent but every time it was taken into consideration.

In the political atmosphere of 30s, it launched a campaign against "infidels." Cardinal Eugenie Pacelli, Pope Pius the Twelfth, Pope Paul the Sixth and Pope Paul the fifteenth are significant names.

Hitler, Mussolini and Franco were called defenders of the Catholic Church and popes, cardinals and priests prayed for them. It is claimed that the church supported Hitler financially and expected him to establish a catholic system in return. Among other claims there is another claim that Hitler's book "Main Kampf" was written by a Jesuit priest called Staempfle.

In that era, Franz Von Papen was of great importance in the relations between Berlin and the Vatican. It is interesting to noete that Von Papen said "The Third Reich not only acknowledges the high principle of the Papacy, but it also the power applying them".

The high principle meant that Catholicism was be the dominant power. The basic methodology of them was the inquisition laws declared by Paul the Third in 1545.

Heinreich Himmler established the Gestapo organization and the secret police organization was the fundamentals of the system. Himmler was a Jesuit and the Gestapo was established according to the Jesuit order and principles. At the same time Hitler's Propaganda Minister, Dr. Josef Goebbels, was a Jesuit. He said "We get in this struggle as if we are going to a ceremony."

For a long time it has been said that there is a secret service of the Vatican. It is claimed that the members of this organization are composed of the members of Jesuits. Again the responsibility for the massacres performed against protestants in England in the 16th and 17th centuries is put on Jusuits.

It is said that Jesuit is basically a Jewish order. That is way once the leaders of the Jesuits were called "the black pope"# The secret power balances and complex equations bring some strange points with them. The catholic church was in contact with many secret services during and after the Second World War.

The OSS (Office of Strategic Services), the MI6, the Black Nobility, P2 and the 300 Committee were ahead of them. Some people even mention "the Great Vatican Loudge." When the P2 scandal broke out in 1976, the names of 121 senior Vatican officers were disclosed.

The Adviser, Cardinal Jean Villot, the Vatican Foreign Minister Agostino Casarolli, Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio, Cardinal Ugo Poletti and the General Manager of the Vaticanbank Bishop Paul Marcinkus were among these names.

The Head of the CIA Allen Dulles stood to benefit from this system after the Second World War. Naturally what was important for Dulles was his field in this diagram. Thus he talked with the lead of the SS, Gehlen.

It is claimed that SS officers under priest identities participated in some operations as subcontractors because of their relation with the church. But neither of these can be proven nor be discredited. Within the same frame the SS officers assigned in Argintina, Uruguay and the US were also involved and it is even claimed that "Radio Free Europe" was planned by Gehlen

Joseph Retinger (not Ratzinger) was a member of the Committee of 300 and he died in 1960. It is said that he was the bridge between the CIA and the Papacy and he had established an intuitional cooperation via the doctor of Pius the Seventh.

Look Magazine published an article in January 1966 bearing the headline "How did Judaism change the thought of the Catholic Church"

There are many more claims in this world where the El Informador daily on July 3, 1963 covered the suspected death of Pope John the Twenty-Third which occurred July 3, 1963. Are the claims regarding Pope Paul the Second true?

In his book "in the Name of God" David Yallop writes that William Cooper, who worked the secret service of the US Navy for 12 years, claimed that the pope had worked for the production of gas, which was used in the gas chambers, in the German IG Faben Firm during the Second World War. He argues that he had to flee to Poland for not being tried and became a priest, Later on he went to the Vatican as Cardinal.

It is considered redemption that “the Codex Iuris Canonici” decree, which was issued by the Pope on 27 November, 1983, abolished the excommunication of masons. There many more claims, maybe some of them or all them are true or maybe all of them have been fabricated. One point is for certain that it is not rational to think that Vatican would be out of the equation.

Actually the Head of CIA, Robert Gates, announced that there was a secret agreement between the US and the Vatican during the Cold War. "We fight against communism with Pope John Paul the Second" said Gates.

Thus, the cooperation between the Vatican and the Central Intelligence Service during the Cold war was proven. The ex-head of the service Gates confessed that they cooperated with the Vatican after Polish Pope John Paul the Second got the throne.

In the book "The Man who Changed History", which was published in Italy, Gates says that we were sharing information with the Vatican and we were fighting against communism on the same front. As a matter of fact, the dissolution began in Poland in the 80s. Today does Vatican interfere les in the world politics?

According to the book, the secret information documents was given to the Pope by the ex assistant director of the CIA. The US was estimating the effect of a pope from the Eastern Bloc, on the bloc, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan in 1980s. The Pope's visit to Poland in 1979 was like an agent movie

The Polish Communist Government tried everything it could to obscure the schedule of the visit. It wanted to make the participation for his speech as low as possible. But the CIA agent smuggled a radio transmitter as big as a suitcase in. Bypassing the Polish State TV they broadcasted the detail of the Pope's visit.

According to the US administration, the alliance, which was established by the US, was "the greatest secret alliance."

Meanwhile one of the objection against the Vatican is that it only prays for the poor and against the epidemics even thought it has great financial resources.

The church's opponents ask why the Vatican does not do any thing against the "devil works" (Epidemics). There are other objections. The Seventh day of the week is a holiday in all the western countries. The reason for this is the Christian tradition and it means "sun day" in the western countries.

Before Christianity the Europeans were idolaters and Sunday for them was the first day of the week and it was the day for worship of the sun which is why they called it Sun Day. The opponents object to it and say that it depends on the non-Christian tradition. They argue that the holiday and worship day was Saturday in the time of Jesus.

As it is seen, the history and the applications of the Vatican are very complex. But there is a point for sure: The outlook of the Papacy upon Turkey and Turks were shaped by the development in the course of time.

Naturally, the Vatican does not prefer to speak often about Turkey's EU membership. It seems more pragmatic that the romantic phrases like the dialog among civilizations and religions at the time when the globalization storm shakes the world.

Cardinal Ratzinger, before taking name Benedictus and becoming the pope, made harsh statements against Turkey. Saying that Turkey should not be a member of the EU because it is not a Christian country, Ratzinger stated that it is the contradiction of Europe and it should establish a union with Arabs.