Why did the rise in wealth of the Catholic Church begin to threaten its authority?

Why did the rise in wealth of the Catholic Church begin to threaten its authority? By what means did the popes restore their position in society?

With the rise of wealth, its misuse has become more egregious. This seriously threatened the reputation of the Catholic Church.

The second (but not least) cause was the moral degradation of the church leadership. Those who headed it were drowning in wealth and luxury, they themselves did not believe in what they were telling the people about poverty, a righteous lifestyle, etc.

There were quite a few of those who wanted to take advantage of this wealth, including very influential, rich people.

The church restored its position by acting with a stick and a carrot. On the one hand, the Inquisition, on the other, a system of assistance to the poorest strata of the population, etc. The gigantic wealth allowed the church to deal with the latter without prejudice to itself. Of no small importance was a well-coordinated, well-developed system of propaganda and administration, the experience of influencing the masses.