There is a tendency to argue in favor of Roman Catholic practices,

[zipplewrath]

76. Oh, yes it did

Probably not what you think of as governing today, but there was a time in europe when there was few real "national" governments. Various rulers existed, but their "authority" to rule came from the Catholic Church and the pope. In some areas, the catholic bishop was a ruling authority and would settle disputes. The church, whether it be monasteries or otherwise, owned large areas and were the local economic engines. The crusades were conducted under the auspices of the church. So was the spanish inquisition. The church was the structure under which much of Europe operated. It had a gigantic corrupting influence on Canon law and the structure of the church itself. It's one of many reasons that the cardinals are still secluded during the election of popes, so as to avoid external influences on their voting.