the role of the church in medieval europe. clergy church guided life of people… from baptism to...
TRANSCRIPT
The Role of the Church in
Medieval Europe
Clergy
• Church guided life of people… from baptism to marriage and to death
• Power to condemn or to forgive very powerful in people’s lives
Church Hierarchy
Pope – head of church, Latin for “Father”
Cardinals – advisors to the Pope, controlled the archbishops and choose new Pope from the cardinals
Current Pope:
Benedict XVI
El Grego, Portrait of a Cardinal
Church Hierarchy
• Archbishops – controlled
archdiocese and bishops
• Bishops – controlled “diocese”
in larger cities or
provinces made of
many parishes
Church Hierarchy
• Abbots – in charge of
monasteries and local parishes
• Priests - local church or parish; led religious services(weddings,
baptisms, and funerals),
cared for sick
Church Hierarchy:
Monks
• Lived in monasteries• “Hard” or physical
labor to support their communities
• Occasionally preached• “Low man” on the
Church Hierarchy “totem pole” but crucial since they were in contact with people the most.
Monastery• Complex community of many different buildings owned by the Church– Granaries– Breweries – Bakeries– Wineries– Abbey church– Library /
scriptorium– Hospital– School
Self contained like a town
“Spreading the Word”
St. Francis of Assisi
• Religious communities formed
• Monks could travel, spread Christianity, and do “good deeds” for the poor
• Saint Francis of Assisi began his own group of monks ….helping the poor and sick
Church Hierarchy: Women
• Women were excluded from church employment except as nuns or directors of Abbeys
• Nuns were “Brides of Christ”; swore never to marry, devoted to charitable work
Power of the Church
Church encouraged Christians to save their souls by donating money to the churches
•Nobles were encouraged to leave their lands to the church (upon death) in return for saving their souls>>> increasing the church’s holdings and wealth
Power of the Church
Clergy> most often the only members of society able to read and write
• Most kings were illiterate>> clergy were advisors to the king =
Increase in political power (very powerful)
Kings >> conflict with the Church
800 c.e., Kings and nobles tried to take power from church.
Kings appointed their own people/ relatives to church positions, such as bishops and cardinals
Kings >> conflict with the Church
New pope> Gregory VII wanted to give back power to church.
Announced that Pope was higher than king and that only the Pope could appoint members to church
Kings >> conflict with the Church
King Henry IV refused Pope’s edict (formal announcement)
Pope excommunicated King Henry IV
Excluded from participation in the Catholic Church/ religion (Kicked out of the church)
Education Spreads in Europe
Monasteries became too small to teach those who wanted to be educated
• Began meeting outside or in taverns ….eventually began to construct buildings, which grew into universities and colleges
Power of the Catholic Church
• How did the Catholic Church gain power in Medieval Europe socially, politically, and economically?