The Medieval Church

The Age of Faith

I. Church in the Middle Ages

A. Europe’s “Age of Faith”

B. Western Church1. Headed by the pope

2. Becomes the Roman Catholic Church

C. Will rule Western Europe

II. Church HierarchyA. Pope

1. Spiritual Leader of the Roman Catholic Church

2. Ruled the Papal States3. 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. Bishops1. Supervised priests2. Settled disputes over church teachings and religious practices

Hierarchy Cont.D. Priests

1. Administered the sacraments2. Gave advice3. Taught rules of right and wrong4. Helped the sick and needy

1. Withdrew from the secular world, dedicated to serving God, prayer and good works

a) Lived in monasteries or conventsb) Taught skills: carpentry, weavingc) Set up hospitals

2. Benedictine Rulea) Vows of poverty, chastity, and obedienceb) Life of worship, work, study

E. Monks and Nuns

Monks & Nuns Cont.

3. Services – health care, education, hospitality

4. Preserved writings by copying manuscripts

III. Life in the ChurchA. Parish Priest – served in local area

1. Main contact with Church2. 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 Church2. Would use to support the Church3. Also to help the poor

Life in the Church Cont.D. Women and the

Church1. Men and women equal before God2. But, on earth, women were seen as inferior3. Church tried to protect women

E. Church punished women harshly

Life in the Church Cont.

F. Life for the Jews1. Lived throughout Europe2. Christians and Jews tolerated by Muslims in Spain3. Eventually, Jews were persecuted by the Church

a) blamed for Jesus’ deathb) forbidden to own land and hold good jobsc) blamed for social ills (plague)

IV. Church PowerA. Church had its own laws and courts

1. Canon Law – laws of the Church; applied to marriage/morals/teachings2. Sacraments – sacred rituals of the church

B. Church decided who could take sacraments1. Severe penalties for disobedience

a) Excommunication: banishment from the churchb) 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 linked1. 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 ReformsA. Pope Gregory VII

1. Outlawed priests from marrying2. Ended simony (the sale of Church offices)3. Called for renewal of faith4. Said that the Church, not the nobility, will choose Church officials