<span>The religious events in England provided a stage for expanding into the underdeveloped nations and giving them a sense of purpose, as believed by settlers that their religion would provide a better quality of life. This allowed for an excuse to expand into other areas.</span>
In the 1300s, the Church encountered a series of problems. These problems led to a decline in the Church's power. European kings had begun to reject papal claims of supremacy by the end of the 1200s. The struggle between Pope Boniface VIII and King Philip IV of France had serious consequences for the papacy.
