The Rise of the Pope

S1 E1: The modern pope is the spiritual leader of 1.2 billion Catholics, the head of an independent nation, who wields international influence on a wide range of both religious and secular issues. But to understand how one man and one institution rises to such heights, we must go back 2,000 years to the remarkable origins of the Catholic Church. Beginning with Peter's perilous grassroots movement in the wake of Christ's crucifixion, we'll follow Christianity's dramatic journey through the time of the Crusades, undertaken to recover the Holy Land from Islamic rule. Through blood, battle, and faithful perseverance, we will watch as the pope evolves from the spiritual leader of an outlawed cult to one of the most powerful men on earth.