Intentionally leaking the war declaration date in advance, Franz once again made historical precedent unintentionally.
As an Emperor, every move made by Franz inevitably became subject to political interpretation. Actions that seemed playful in nature were in fact yet another struggle between monarchical and papal powers.
The struggle between monarchical power and papal authority in the European world had persisted for thousands of years. The religious reformation that began in the Middle Ages was premised on the words of Jesus: "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."
However, what belonged to God and what belonged to Caesar still lacked a clear demarcation.
The general consensus was between the religious and the secular, yet religion in Europe had already integrated into people's daily lives, making the separation of church and state virtually indistinguishable.
