Middle Ages Unit Day Two

Catholic Church leaders assumed

more power during the Middle Ages

Role of the Catholic Church p.7

Cause

No large scale

government

existed in Europe

during the Middle

Ages.

Effect

Christian Church

assumes a

leadership role

in people’s lives

Priests- performed sacraments, little formal

education and came from the peasant class.

Bishops- managed a number of

parishes (dioceses) selected by kings.

Archbishops-

managed dioceses.

Pope

Church Structure p.7

Opportunity for Social Mobility

• Easiest way for a

commoner to

improve their

social status.

• Calistus I was born

a slave and became

the pope.

What is Benedictine Rule?

• Lifestyle followed

by monks and

nuns.

• Withdraw from

world, avoid

temptations, pray,

fast, and self-

denial.

Two Famous Missionaries• St. Patrick

– Built churches and helped spread Christianity to Ireland around 500.

• St. Augustine

– Helped center

Christianity at

Canterbury in

England by 600.

Smart Recruits (men and women)

• The Catholic

Church recruited

the most intelligent

members of society

to become

members of the

clergy (priests,

monks, and nuns)

What did Monks do?

• While living in

isolation at

monestaries

monks would

copy books by

hand one book at

a time.

Canon Law vs. King’s Laws

• As the most powerful organization in Western Europe, the Catholic Church expected people to obey laws unless they contradicted church law.

Disobey the Church- Interdict

• Group punishment

given to a region

which disobeyed the

church— valid

sacraments were not

given to anyone

living in the region

(no salvation)

Tithing

• The medieval

Catholic Church

had the power to

tax, and parish

priests were

responsible for

collecting a tithe or

1/10 of a person’s

income.

No Divorces—why?

• The church believed

that the family was a

sacred institution and

divorce was

forbidden. Only a

pope could annul a

marriage in this time

period.

What was the money spent on?

• Besides

extravagant

cathedrals and

lifestyles for

members of the

clergy it was spent

on hospitals,

orphanages, and

poorhouses.

Lay Investiture (friends and family)

• As a loyal noble

(king) you could

reward your friends

and relatives with

positions in the

Catholic Church—

even if they weren’t

the holiest of people.

Who were heretics?

• Committers of the ultimate sin in Christianity—someone who questions the principles of the Christian Church. Thousands of heretics were killed for these actions in the Middle Ages.

What happened during the Inquisition?

• Led by Dominicans (reformers of the Catholic Church), this was a church funded search for heretics. Many accursed heretics were tried in secret and tortured in order to force a confession.

Today’s Assignment- Middle Ages

Essentials Crossword pg. 8-9

Middle Ages Test/Packets due–Thursday 12/13 (B-Days), Friday 12/14 (A-Days)

Finals Schedule—5/7th -12/18, 8th 12/19, and 1st 12/20

STOP