The rise of the Roman Papacy under Gregory I (590 C.E.) marked a turning point. The Church in the West entered deep spiritual decline marked by false doctrines, ritualism, indulgences, priestcraft, and unscriptural sacraments. Yet God preserved a remnant through groups like the Waldenses and faithful translators who clung to Scripture over tradition. Despite widespread apostasy, the Word of God endured underground, often at great personal cost to those who rejected Rome’s innovations.