Download - The Church in the Middle Ages
The Church in the
Middle AgesWorld History A
Forest Lake High SchoolMr. Koch
The Church in the Middle Ages
• The Pope/Church start to claim secular and spiritual authority– “papal supremacy”– Especially in west Europe
The Church in the Middle Ages
• Bishops– A lot of local control (official or not)
• Many corrupted or highly secular clergymen– Often an establishment for the wealthy
Meanwhile, in the East (Byzantine Empire…)
• Greek (or Eastern) Orthodox Christianity• Rejected papal authority
• Kept marriage for clergy
• Greek (not Latin) official language
• Easter – primary holy day
• Ban use of icons (later reversed)
• Rivalry develops between two churches
Holy Roman Empire• 962 AD
– Pope John XII crowns King Otto of Germany emperor
– Successors called “Holy Roman Emperor”
Pope Gregory VII (1073-1085)
• Tried to break Church’s ties to secular rulers
• Declared only Pope can appoint Bishops
• “lay investiture”
• Angered Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV
• Gregory excommunicates Henry
• Henry asks for forgiveness – it’s granted
• Later forces Pope into exile
Pope Innocent III (took office 1198)
• Claimed supremacy over all other rulers– Won many conflicts with powerful rulers
Avignon Papacy• 1309-1377
– Papal court moved to Avignon (France) • Started by Clement V
– Reformers felt this papacy became too worldly
– 1378 papacy moved back to Rome– Dispute over election leads to
“antipopes” ruling from Avignon
– “Western schism” – 2 (sometimes 3) Popes ruling
Monasticism
• Many becoming monks/nuns during this time
Monasticism
• Benedictine Rule – regulates monastic life
1. Obedience (to Abbot/Abbotess)
2. Poverty
3. Chastity• Manual labor particularly important• Provided basic services in community
or traveled as missionaries• Would preserve/copy written works• Allowed women a stronger social
role
Monasticism
• Friars – traveling monks– Preach to the poor
• Francis of Assisi (Franciscan)
• Dominic (Dominican)