1. The Church in the Middle Ages

2. The Role of the Church
Christianity was a major religion of the Roman Empire
“The Church”= Catholicism

3. Organization of the Church
Pope
Pope is the Bishop of Rome and leader of the entire catholic Church
Archbishops
In charge of bishops
Bishops
In charge of groups of churches called diocese

4. Parish Priests Monks and Nuns Laity Leaders of local churches (Parish)
Had contact with ordinary, church-going people (laity)
Monks and Nuns
Men and women whose lives are devoted to service to God
Laity
Regular folk who attend church

5. Pope
Archbishop
Bishop
Priest
Monks
Laity

6. Importance of Priests
After the Lord of the Manor, the priest was the most important man in the village
Parish priests were also responsible for the following activities:

7. Importance of Monks
Monks were the social workers and record keepers of the community:
Provided schools for the young
Hospitals for the sick
Hospitality for travelers

8. Why was the Church so powerful?
Organization
Allowed messages to spread quickly through the ranks
Owned Land
Controlled large areas of farmland
People who used the land owed 1/10 of the crops to the church (tithe)

9. Controlled People’s Beliefs
People were frightened of their soul suffering in Hell
It Was Rich
Earned money through taxes, fees and “special services”
To shorten a soul’s time in Purgatory the church said you could:
Attend more Church (Give money every Sunday)
Go on a pilgrimage (Pay the Church to guide you)
Buy an Indulgence

10. Not Controlled by the King
The king could not tell anyone from the Church what to do
Even if a churchman committed a crime, he would be tried by other churchmen who were very lenient
Active in Government
Many important positions in government were held by Archbishops
This sometimes meant that churchmen had to choose between loyalty to their king or the Pope

11. Catholic Church Conflicts with Kings
By the s, the lords had control of the local church leaders and could make their appointments
Church leaders did not like it

12. Pope Gregory VII
In the 11th century Pope Gregory VII sent out a papal decree
It stated that the Pope’s power is the most high in the Catholic Church
This decree allowed the complete take back of the power of the Church
Also gave the Church a foothold in politics

13. Decline of the Church Power
Church had a majority of the power in the late 1200s
By the end of the 14th Century (1300s) it began to decline
European Kings no longer wanted to accept the supremacy of the pope and the church

14. The Great Schism
2 Popes divided Europe
Driven by politics rather than theological disagreement
Romans and English wanted a Roman as Pope
French wanted a more trustworthy man in power
France and their allies supported the Pope in Avignon

15. Because religion was not united, people lost faith in both the papacy and the Church
The Church lost much of its political and spiritual authority