The Church and Medieval Life

The Church Church’s biggest achievement was Christianizing the diverse people of Western Europe The Parish Priest – looked after a local region in manor villages and was usually the only contact people had with the church

The Parish Priest Parish Priests also were responsible for administering the sacraments Sacraments – the sacred rites of the church Priests also preached the gospel and the teachings of the church Dealt with morality issues, sick and needy, and marriage

The Church An important part of the church was the tithe or tax equal to a tenth of the income The Church was also used as a meeting place to talk, dance and have town meetings

Benedictine Rule Monks and Nuns became a big part everyday life in the Middle Ages A monk named Benedict drew up a set of rules to regulate monasteries and convents Benedictine rule had monks and nuns take three important vows:

Benedictine Rule One: Be obedient to the abbot or abbess, who were in charge of the monestaries Two: dedicated to a life of poverty Three: dedicated to a life of chastity or purity

Benedictine Rule Monks also believed manual labor so they worked in the fields or other physical tasks Many monks and nuns became missionaries They also copied important documents to preserve these writings

Papal Supremacy During the middle ages, the Pope was the spiritual leader of the Church Papal Supremacy – authority over all secular rulers (in charge of all leaders of the church)