Transcript Problems in Roman Catholic Church

Problems in
Roman
Catholic
Church
New Ideas. From Ninja Turtles to a Mak Attack
Medieval Catholic Church
Was the only Christian church in most of Europe
The people of Europe were very devout
Everyone was concerned about going to heaven
Catholics believe in Purgatory-a place between
heaven and hell where a soul stays until the person has
done penance for any sins
Medieval Catholic Church
Was the only Christian church in most of Europe
The people of Europe were very devout
Everyone was concerned about going to heaven
Medieval Catholic Church
Catholics believe in Purgatorya place between heaven and
hell where a soul stays until the
person has done penance for
any sins
If you died with a dirty Soul you
would go to either Purgatory or
straight to hell.
You had to go to Church and get
the Priest to clean your Soul.
If you died with a clean Soul you
would go to heaven.
What did People believe at the Start of the 16th
Century?
If you went on a Crusade or a Pilgrimage you could earn
time out of Purgatory
You could buy a special letter from the Pope called an
Indulgence which was like a get out of jail for free card but
for Purgatory.
Abuses in the Church
Clergy was poorly trained and often illiterate
Higher ranking clergy were more interested in
materialism (lifestyle)
Popes needed lots of money to pay for lifestyle,
wars, and beautiful cathedrals
Often clergy bought their positions-simony
Indulgences were sold as penance for sins, but
often paid for Church projects
Abuses in the Church
People were calling for reform in part because of corruption in
the Catholic Church
• Between 1450 and 1520 a series of popes failed to meet the
Church’s spiritual needs.
• They were more concerned with the political interests of the Papal
States.
•
Julius II, the “warrior-pope,” even led armies against
his enemies.
•
•
Many people were disgusted with him and the
Catholic Church.
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Merchants and the Church
Because of trade with Middle East, merchants
needed to borrow money to pay for ships and
trading goods
The Catholic church banned usury
Usury=lending money at interest
Merchants resented they could only borrow
money from non-Christian moneylenders
They began to demand changes.
Some set up banks to lend money-de Medicis
Italian Domination of Church
Italians filled many of the high positions in the
Catholic Church-bishops, archbishops, popes
All members of Catholic Church had to tithe
10% of their income
Most money went to high clergy positions or to
Rome (Italians)
German princes and English royalty disliked
Italian domination of the Church
Wanted money to stay in their lands
Church’s Political Power
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Catholic church owned
HUGE amounts of land
throughout Europe-probably more than 30%
They paid no taxes on this
land
Church’s Political Power
High ranking clergy held political/feudal
positions in many lands increasing the Church’s
power
The pope ruled as a political leader-he ruled a
large part of Italy-the Papal States.
He often fought wars to control and expand his
holdings.
Indulgences
Were sold by the Church as a
penance for sins
Much of the money went to the
pope
The pope needed money to
build St. Peter’s Basilica in
Rome
He sent Johan Tetzel to
Germany to sell indulgences
He sent other priests throughout
Europe
Indulgences
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To sell more indulgences, Tetzel claimed they
could get a dead person’s soul out of
Purgatory
“The moment a coin in the coffer rings, a soul to
heaven springs”
Many were outraged by Tetzel’s selling
technique, including Martin Luther
This led to the Reformation
Other Changes in the World
People, not just priests, were learning to read
People started reading the Bible on their own
People stared to think on their own, and not listen to the priests
People started reading the ancient non-Christian Greeks – Homer, Aristotle, and
Plato – once again
New ideas of science and mathematics from the Muslim intellectuals were being read
New scientific ideas by Copernicus and others questioned the thinking of the
Church
Other Changes in the World
Erasmus and other thinkers were quietly pushing the church for reform
The new printing press rapidly spread revolutionary ideas
The rulers and priests in Germany were angry at seeing money earned in
their states being sent to Rome to build rich palaces and churches.
The Muslims now controlled the Byzantine Empire and cut of Italy from the
spices and silks of India and China
The Portuguese now sailed directly to India around Africa, bypassing the
Italian middlemen and thereby offering cheaper prices for spices and silk
Into This Enters Martin Luther
Reformer or Revolutionary?
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