Transcript The Medieval Church

The Medieval
Church
The Age of Faith
I. Church in the Middle Ages
A. Europe’s “Age of Faith”
B. Western Church
1. Headed by the pope
2. Becomes the Roman
Catholic Church
C. Will rule Western
Europe
II. Church Hierarchy
A. Pope
1. Spiritual Leader of the Roman
Catholic Church
2. Ruled the Papal States
3. Claimed authority over
secular rulers (e.g.
Charlemagne crowned by
Pope Leo III)
4. High Church Officials –
usually nobles
Hierarchy Cont.
B. Archbishops
1. Supervised Bishops
C. Bishops
1. Supervised priests
2. Settled disputes
over church teachings
and religious practices
Hierarchy Cont.
D. Priests
1. Administered the
sacraments
2. Gave advice
3. Taught rules of right
and wrong
4. Helped the sick and
needy
E. Monks and Nuns
1. Withdrew from the secular
world, dedicated to serving God,
prayer and good works
a) Lived in monasteries or convents
b) Taught skills: carpentry, weaving
c) Set up hospitals
2. Benedictine Rule
a) Vows of poverty, chastity, and
obedience
b) Life of worship, work, study
Monks & Nuns Cont.
3. Services – health
care, education,
hospitality
4. Preserved writings
by copying
manuscripts
III. Life in the Church
A. Parish Priest – served in local area
1. Main contact with Church
2. Offered preaching, guidance, aid to sick and
needy
B. Church was the social center, part of
everyday life
Life in the Church Cont.
C. Tithe
1. Required to pay 10% of earnings to the
Church
2. Would use to support the Church
3. Also to help the poor
Life in the Church Cont.
D. Women and the
Church
1. Men and women equal
before God
2. But, on earth, women
were seen as inferior
3. Church tried to protect
women
E. Church punished
women harshly
Life in the Church Cont.
F. Life for the Jews
1. Lived throughout Europe
2. Christians and Jews tolerated by Muslims
in Spain
3. Eventually, Jews were persecuted by the
Church
a) blamed for Jesus’ death
b) forbidden to own land and hold good
jobs
c) blamed for social ills (plague)
IV. Church Power
A. Church had its own laws and courts
1. Canon Law – laws of the Church; applied to
marriage/morals/teachings
2. Sacraments – sacred rituals of the church
B. Church decided who could take sacraments
1. Severe penalties for disobedience
a) Excommunication: banishment from the
church
b) Interdict: when sacraments and religious
services were banned in a territory
The Excommunication of Robert the Pious
Church Power Cont.
C. Church Rulers and Secular Rulers
strongly linked
1. Can you think of an example?
a) pope crowning secular rulers; “Holy
Roman Emperor”
2. As the church gained power and wealth,
it lost discipline
V. Church Reforms
A. Pope Gregory VII
1. Outlawed priests from
marrying
2. Ended simony (the sale
of Church offices)
3. Called for renewal of
faith
4. Said that the Church,
not the nobility, will
choose Church officials