Download The Catholic Church in the Middle Ages - Hale

The Catholic Church in the
Middle Ages
CHW3M
Disunity in Europe
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Conflicts and war between different
groups dominates the early middle ages
The feudal system brings some stability,
but dynasties, kingdoms, and territories
are ever shifting throughout the middle
ages
England
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Anglo-Saxon king Alfred the Great gets rid the
Vikings in the late 9th century, establishes a
system of law of gov’t
But Danes invade after, establishing own rule
William the Conqueror (Norman) takes control of
England in 1066 – all British monarchs since
trace their ancestry back to him
The Mainland
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France, Germany, and most of Italy
brought together under Holy Roman
Empire by Otto I in late 10th century
But Germany and Italy soon after
disintegrate into hundreds of small states
France and Britain at war from 1337-1453
The Church
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The only constant, and the only thing that
unites Western Europe, is the Catholic
Church
All people are expected to live according
to Christian doctrine (as determined by
the Catholic Church)
The Church as an Institution
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Has own gov’t, laws, courts, system of taxation
Provides education*, is the main source of
knowledge and records (clergy are basically the
only people who could read and write in
medieval Europe)
Looks after poor and sick, and provides spiritual
comfort during the very difficult and bleak
middle ages
*Also bans/burns vast numbers of books, forbids translation of bible, censors
Gutenberg’s printing press, Galileo convicted of heresy, Aristotle outlawed, etc.
The Church and the Feudal System
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Church itself holds vast areas of land and
grows rich off taxes and tithes
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Uses money to acquire new lands, and thus
new sources of income
Elsewhere, nobles are appointed as high
officials within the Church
The Pope can release a subject from their
feudal obligations to the king
The relationship between the
Church and Kings
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Smart rulers ally themselves with the
Church to further their ambitions
No king can rule in Western Europe
without the Pope’s approval
Popes use a variety of tactics to exert their
will over kings
The relationship between the
Church and Kings
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“Now, therefore, we declare, say, determine and
pronounce that for every human creature it is
necessary for salvation to be subject to the
authority of the Roman pontiff”
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Papal Bull of Boniface VIII
Basically: both spiritual and temporal power are under
the pope’s jurisdiction, and that kings were
subordinate to the power of the Church.
Papal Weapons
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Excommunication
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A person is basically kicked out of the church and
condemned to hell
Makes a king vulnerable to challenge from other lords
Interdict
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Excommunicating an entire territory
Ensures that the entire population will be against the
king so that their souls can be saved
The Medieval Popes
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Some of the most powerful men in history
Controlled Europe in a way no king ever
would
As the Church’s focus shifts towards
growing its wealth and power, it sacrifices
many of its original spiritual ideals
Next to impossible to find a medieval pope
not guilty of numerous crimes/sins
Corruption!
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Many Popes, such as Nicholas III (1277-1280),
Boniface VIII (1294-1303), and Clement V
(1305-1314) distributed lands amongst
supporters and family members (essentially
giving them land and political power) and played
countries and kings against one another to
achieve greater power
Papacy is literally bought (Alexander VI) and
sold (Benedict IX)
Adultery!
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Sergius III (897, 904-911), John XII (955964) and Alexander VI (1492-1503) all
notorious for sexual escapades, both
fathering numerous bastards that, if they
were boys, usually wound up being
cardinals, or even popes themselves
Murder!
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Sergius III had his predecessor,
Christopher, and his predecessor's
predecessor, Leo V, strangled in prison
Other popes notorious for killing enemies
(nobles, cardinals, whoever) by poison
(Alexander IV, Leo X) or hired killers
(Boniface VIII)
Torture!
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Innocent IV (1243-1254) approves the use of
torture to extract confessions of heresy during
the Inquisition
Urban IV (1378-1389) ordered the torture and
murder of Cardinals that did not agree with his
policies - he was recorded as complaining to the
torturers that he did not hear enough screaming
when the Cardinals were tortured
Genocide?
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Urban II (1088-1099)
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Ten million slaughtered by the army of Peter the Hermit under
the approval of Urban II in Belgrade, Turkey, Syria, Antiock, and
Palestine
Every single man, woman, child and animal in Jerusalem is
slaughtered (150,000 to 200,000 people), upon specific order of
Urban II
Innocent III (1198-1216)
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Over a million people throughout Europe are tortured to death
during the Inquisition
Authorized the murder of the inhabitants of Constantinople,
many of whom were Christians, during the fourth crusade
(100,000 slaughtered)
Instigates holy war against Christian heretics – over a million
Albigensians/Cathars killed in south of France from 1208-38
The Decline of the Church
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Fourth Crusade leaves a bad taste in peoples’ mouths
Black Death undermines peoples’ faith in God
Church corruption questioned - in 14th century people
like John Wycliffe and Jan Hus had the bible translated
from Latin so people could read it for themselves
Great Schism in 15th century results in 3 different Popes
Leo X’s efforts to raise funds through selling indulgences
(basically buying your way into heaven) and church
offices results in Martin Luther’s Protestant Reformation
in 1517
Work
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Luther’s 95 Theses
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Page 280
The Middle Ages are often called “The Age
of Faith” – do you agree with this
description? Explain your reasoning.