The
Captain General of the Church was the
de facto commander-in-chief of the papal armed forces during the
Middle Ages. The post was usually conferred on an
Italian noble with a professional military reputation or (later) a relative of the pope. The parallel office of
Gonfalonier of the Church was more a formal and ceremonial honor than the responsibility of a tactical military leader.
Pope Innocent XII removed both ranks and replaced them with the position of Flag-bearer of the Holy Roman Church (
Italian:
Vessilifero di Santo Romana Chiesa), which later became hereditary in the Naro Patrizi.