1.   The nightmare of the lack of a known heir, which brought many feudal dynasties into disastrous situations, was ever present within the papal court.

2.   A position at the papal court brought influence within the city and in a two-way process popes created cardinals from among the Roman baronage.

3.   The cardinals joined in all the rapidly growing administrative and judicial functions of the papal court.

4.   His interests lay in power in the imperial court not in the papal court.

5.   The only protection for the petitioner at the papal court is the Purse.