The Medieval Church

1. The Medieval Church The Most Stable Authority in Medieval Times

2. Organization of Church

3. The Ultimate Goal • Everyone went to church • Catholic Church was the only Christian church in Europe • Only the Church could help people achieve salvation • All people wanted salvation, SO • Many would leave all their property to Church, hoping it would get them into Heaven • Many would buy pardons or go on pilgrimages

4. Importance of Parish Priests • After lord of manor, priest most important man in village • Mass was in Latin, the language of the Church • During Mass, priest described Heaven and Hell • Since almost no one could speak Latin, or read and write, icons, statues and Doom paintings helped depict horrors of Hell and joys of Heaven

5. Duties of Parish Priest • Say Mass in Latin every Sunday • Perform weddings and baptisms • Hear confessions • Bury the dead • Heal the sick • Teach children of the wealthy • Visit villagers to listen and help with problems • Tend to Church land, including growing and harvesting crops and herbs • Collect tithes • Keep all village records

6. The Power of the Church • Only the Church could offer salvation • Members of Church were usually the only ones who could read and write • Many important government positions were held by Bishops and Archbishops • Had great influence over common people, knights and kings

7. Why so much influence? The Church owned land • Owned a great deal of farmland • Anyone who grew crops on Church land had to give 10% of all they grew to the Church - Tithe

8. Why so much influence? The Church controlled people’s beliefs • Told people they would either go to Heaven or Hell when they died • Hell was a place of great suffering and the idea frightened most people • Church gave them hope that they at least might go to Purgatory instead, if they followed Church rules

9. Why so much influence? The Church could influence behavior • Returning knights - difficult time adjusting to peace • Often terrorized villages • Church could influence their behavior – make them swear on relics to • Enforce the Peace of God • Enforce the Truce of God

10. Why so much influence? The Church was rich • Since people didn’t want to go to Hell, they were willing to do what the Church suggested, such as: • Attend Church and live a good life • Go on a pilgrimage • Buy pardons, called Indulgences • The Church made a lot of money through people trying to buy their way to Heaven

11. Why so much influence? The Church was not controlled by the King • The Church was Roman Catholic and therefore controlled by the Pope • The King could not tell anyone from the Church what to do • Church officials could not be tried in normal court • Could only be tried in Church court • Church officials were often very lenient on their peers

12. Reform of the Papacy • Since 5th century, Church claimed rule over all business of the Church • Also gained control of territories in Italy – Papal States • Also maintained involvement in feudal system • Secular rulers chose local church officials; bishops and abbots received the symbols of authority from noblemen – they were invested with a ring and a staff (investiture) • Pope Gregory VII decided to change this practice

13. The Investiture Controversy • Gregory claimed he was God’s “Vicar on Earth” and had authority over all Christian world, including its rulers • Church should appoint all church officials • If rulers refused to accept this change, the Pope would remove the rulers • Henry IV tried to fight this and was excommunicated’ all of his subjects were absolved from any allegiance to him

14. Concordat of Worms • A year later, Henry IV humbled himself before the Pope, who removed the excommunication • However this continued to be a point of contention until 1122 – Concordat of Worms • Under this agreement, German bishops elected by Church officials • Then paid homage to German king as his feudal lord and invested him with symbols of earthly office • Then a representative of the Pope invested him with symbols of his spiritual office

15. New Religious Orders • Franciscans: • Founded by Francis of Assisi • Followers took vows of poverty, agreed to reject all property, and lived by working and begging • Very popular with common people, whom they lived among and aided • Undertook missionary work • Dominicans: • Founded by Dominic de Guzman • Believed his calling was to drive out heresy – the denial of basic Church doctrines/policies • Believed that a new religious order who lived in poverty and could preach effectively could best attack heresy

16. The Inquisition • The Church court set up to deal with heresy • Dominicans became well-known for their part in examining people accused of heresy • At first, those who confessed performed public penance and received punishment • In 1252, Inquisition added torture as a method of getting confessions • Those who didn’t confess but were believed guilty or those who had done penance and relapsed were executed

17. Relics and Pilgrimages • People believed saints, because of their holiness, could advocate for them in heaven • Relics, the bones of saints or objects connected to them with saints, were worshipped because the provided a link between the earthly world and God • Many believed relics could heal people or produce miracles • Many also believed a pilgrimage to a holy shrine could produce spiritual benefit • Greatest shrine was Jerusalem • Other popular shrines were Rome, Santiago de Compostela, and Canterbury • Pilgrims were to be “protected” • Uproar when Jerusalem was taken over by Muslims who allegedly prohibited pilgrims from completing pilgrimage to Holy Land