Chapter 8, Section 3

 In 596 C.E. Pope Gregory I sent Augustine to convert the Anglo-Saxons of England.  People who convert others to a religion are called missionaries.  Christian missionaries traveled throughout Europe spreading the word of Christ and converted many people.  This conversion to Christianity will have a galvanizing effect on the people of Europe.

 In 1053 the first great splitting (schism) of the Christian faith took place.  The main dispute was between the two major centers of power on the Roman world: Rome and Constantinople.  Each territory was dominated by two distinct sects of Christianity: Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox.  Arguments over the true tenants of Christianity eventually broke the Church in two. The main arguments were over:  The nature of the Holy Sprit  The use of leavened or unleavened bread during the Eucharist  The pope’s claim to universal jurisdiction  The place of Constantinople in relation to the Pentarchy  This split still divided the Church to this day.

 The church was the social and religious center of a medieval town.  Villagers took pride in their churches and would adorn them with decorations.  In order to maintain the Church the people had to pay a tithe, or tax, equal to 1/10 th of their income.

 The local priest was most often the only contact that the common people had with the church.  The priest’s main responsibility was to care for the souls of his congregation.  This involved celebrating mass and administering the sacraments, or sacred rites, of the church.  The priest would also offer assistance to the sick and needy.  Since priests were one of the few people who could actually read the Bible they were vital in sharing the word of God.

 During the Middle Ages both men and women withdrew from worldly life to become nuns and monks.  The Benedictine Rule  Around 530 a monk named Benedict organized a monastery in southern Italy called Monte Cassino.

 Under the Benedictine Rule, monks and nuns had to take three vows: 1. They had to swear obedience to the abbot or abbess (the head of the monastery or convent. 2. They had to swear to a life of poverty. 3. They had to swear to remain chaste, or pure.  Benedictine monks were also expected to work, pray, and study.

 Monasteries often acted as hospitals and schools in a community.  Monks and nuns also preserved writings from the ancient world.  A monk named the Venerable Bede wrote the earliest known history of England.  He also created the use of B.C. and A.D. to date historical events.

 In the centuries following the fall of Rome the Church slowly became the dominant religious and secular (worldly) authority in Europe.  The leader of the church, the Pope, claimed papal supremacy which meant that he had authority over secular rulers.

 Since the people of Europe believed that they were sinners and they their souls were doomed to eternal suffering, the Church was the only power that could offer salvation.  The church administered the sacraments which would absolve them of sin.  The Church developed canon law which was a series of laws which applied to church doctrine.

 The sacraments are ceremonies which are sacred to Christians.  The seven sacraments are: 1. Baptism 2. Eucharist 3. Reconciliation 4. Confirmation 5. Marriage 6. Holy Orders 7. Anointing the Sick

 The most powerful weapon at the disposal of the Pope was excommunication.  If someone was excommunicated they were not allowed to receive the sacraments or receive a Christian burial.  Nobles who opposed the church could also face an interdict which excluded entire towns, regions, or kingdoms from receiving the sacraments.

 While Church power grew in Europe during the Middle Ages, kings began to resent their diminishing strength.  Philip the Fair, the King of France, wanted to levy taxes against clerical income.  In response, Pope Boniface VIII issued two bulls condemning Philip’s actions and asserting the supreme power of the Pope.

 In response to the papal bulls, Philip called for a council to judge the Pope on charges of “heresy, blasphemy, murder, … simony, and sorcery.”  While Pope Boniface was drawing up a Bull to excommunicate Philip, the French king had his agents seize the 86-year-old Pope and hold him for trial.  While the Pope was eventually freed, the shock of the outrage proved mortal and he was dead within a month.

 Under the direction of Philip, a French pope was elected at the next papal conclave.  This new pope was named Clement V.  Instead of returning to Rome (in fear of Italian reprisals for the way Boniface was treated) Pope Clement settled in Avignon, a part of what is modern-day southern France, in  With the papacy in Avignon, the Church was effectively in French control (in fact, the next six Popes will be French.)  Due to the Avignon Papacy’s questionable moral grounds, the papacy began to focus on “financial expansion.”  While Rome deteriorated, the popes in Avignon began to lead more lavish lifestyles.

 In January of 1377, Pope Gregory XI returned to Rome from Avignon. ◦ He died the next year, requiring a new conclave to be held to elect a new pope.  Pressured by a Roman mob to elect a Roman, the College of Cardinals elected Urban VI as the new Pope ◦ The Cardinals believed that Urban could be easily influenced to follow their decisions.  When Urban VI started attacking church practices, the Cardinals decided to hold a new conclave and elected Clement VII as a new Pope.  Pope Clement VII reestablished himself at Avignon and became the antipope, or someone who falsely claims to be Pope.  This divide made people question the authority of the Pope and church.

 Pope Urban VI  Pope Clement VII

1. Describe how young Francis behaved. 2. Which two events were turning points in his life? 3. What was symbolic of Francis’s confrontation with his father? 4. What is the defining characteristic of the Franciscan Order? 5. Why did Pope Innocent III give approval to the creation of Francis’s Rule? 6. What is considered the best-known element of the Francis legend? 7. What are stigmata? 8. Describe the overall importance of Francis of Assisi on the late-medieval Church.