Roman Catholics were the largest branch of Christianity and were led by the Pope. The first Christians were persecuted during the Roman Empire. The clergy were important in guiding the rulers and politics of the Roman Empire. The church served as a unifying factor between the people and the politicians. However, in the Middle Ages the Church took over from the Roman Empire and provided leadership at the helm of power. The church influenced politics and culture. The church took over government through a pope who was the head of the Catholic church at the time. The church performed political functions as well as religious functions. The church was responsible for both the laws of Almighty God and the laws of the land. The Catholic Church has made political progress by taking on the role of promoting education and development. The church was responsible for political advice when kings sought their wise counsel. The church and religious leaders played an important role in ensuring a peaceful existence in empires under different political rulers. In 452, the church played a role in European politics when religious leaders met Attila the Hun and advised him to change his decision on invading Italy. The pope played an important consultative role in shaping the politics of ancient civilizations (Backman, p