History glossary
papal bull
a formal papal document carrying official authority.
- Category
- Church document
- Region
- Roman Catholic Church
- Date range
- Medieval-present
What it means
A papal bull is a formal document issued by the pope. In Elizabethan England, Regnans in Excelsis mattered because it used papal authority to challenge Elizabeth's legitimacy.
Stories using this term
The Elizabethan Age
Elizabeth I’s reign brought stability, cultural flourishing, exploration, and victory over the Spanish Armada.
The English Reformation
Henry VIII’s break with Rome reshaped religion, politics, and identity through decades of upheaval.
The Rise of the Medieval Church
From the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Avignon papacy, this story traces how the Christian Church built its authority through bishops, monasteries, missions, reform, and direct confrontation with Europe's rulers.
The Holy Roman Empire
From Otto I’s coronation to Napoleon’s upheaval, emperors, princes, bishops and cities built a political order sustained by contested and shared authority.
