The Medieval Church

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The Medieval Church

• The Age of Faith

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I. Church in the Middle Ages

• A. Europes Age of Faith
• B. Western Church
• 1. Headed by the pope
• 2. Becomes the Roman Catholic Church
• C. Will rule Western Europe

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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

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Hierarchy Cont.

• B. Archbishops
• 1. Supervised Bishops
• C. Bishops
• 1. Supervised priests
• 2. Settled disputes over church teachings and
  religious practices

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Hierarchy Cont.

• D. Priests
• 1. Administered the sacraments
• 2. Gave advice
• 3. Taught rules of right and wrong
• 4. Helped the sick and needy

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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

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Monks Nuns Cont.

• 3. Services health care, education, hospitality
• 4. Preserved writings by copying manuscripts

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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

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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

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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

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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)

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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

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The Excommunication of Robert the Pious
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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

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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