The Catholic states during the medieval period varied in local customs and laws. Still, they were constituents of a supranational entity, the respublica Christiana, that was held together by professed loyalty to the Church. Diversification, however, during the 15th century was noticeable as two rival traditions emerged: one papalist and one conciliarist. The idea of a separation between the affairs of the state and Church, spread among conciliarist, found its way into Protestant thinking during the 16th century. But it also found its way into the thinking of Venetian patricians during the Interdict Controversy of 1606–1607. During this controversy, Venice adopted a model whereby the state was perceived as independent from the arbitrary will of the Church. Followers of the papalist tradition, such as the Jesuit Antonio Possevino (1533–1611), argued, on the other hand, that Venice had stipulated laws in order to weaken the libertas Ecclesiae. By studying arguments that were raised during Interdict Controversy it becomes obvious that there were two conceptions of independence, which were equally dependent on unity of the state. In my presentation, I will discuss how and why these two different models clashed.