The Catholic Church's peak of authority over all European Christians and their common endeavours of the Christian community — for example, the Crusades, the fight against the Moors in the Iberian Peninsula and against the Ottomans in the Balkans — helped to develop a sense of communal identity against the obstacle of Europe's deep political divisions. google_ad_width = 728; //-->. Later in 1174 he submitted himself before the tomb of Thomas Becket, thus recognizing St. Thomas's sanctity. No subsequent popes were to repeat Boniface VIII's claims. However the King reneged on his promises made at Fréteval and in response Becket produced a number of censures on royal officials and clergymen. One common theme throughout The Middle Ages was the relationship between the Church and the State. Because there was a vacuum for power, the Church rose in prominence. Although initially close to King Henry II, as Archbishop of Canterbury Thomas Becket became an independent figure. The first clause declared that the Church in England would be free from interference by the Crown.