The Decline of Church Power

The Role of the Church in the Middle Ages

Only 1 Christian Church: The Catholic Church

+ Church has its own laws, land (1/3 of all the land

in Western Europe), and taxes

+ People who disagreed with church law or

criticized the church were called heretics and were severely punished

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The Catholic Church is a very powerful institution!

In the centuries after the fall of Rome, the Church carved out a unique position in Western Europe.

It not only controlled the spiritual life of Christians but gradually became the most powerful secular force in medieval Europe.

middle-ages.org.uk

During the Middle Ages, the pope was the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. As representative of Christ on Earth, medieval popes eventually claimed papal supremacy over all secular rulers. What does this mean

in your own words?stsmarthaandmary.org

The medieval Christian Church was dedicated to the worship of God. The only way to avoid the tortures of hell was to believe in Christ and participate in the sacraments. Because the medieval Church administered the sacraments, it had absolute power in religious matters.

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Church officials were closely linked to secular rulers. Because churchmen were often the only educated people, they were often appointed to high government positions – giving the church evenmore power.

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Seeing a need for reform, in 1703 Pope Gregory VII, a former monk, outlawed marriage for priests and prohibited simony, the selling of Church positions. He insisted that the Church, not kings or nobles, choose Church officials.

medievalfamilyck.blogspot.com

In the early 1200s, Francis of Assisi and Dominic took it upon themselves to change the church as well. They set up orders of friars, monks who did not live in isolated monasteries but traveled around Europe’s growing towns preaching to the poor.

conservation.catholic.org

Francis of Assisi set up the Franciscan Order, preaching poverty, humility, and love of God. Soon after, Dominic set up the Dominican Order. Its chief goal was to combat heresy, the denial of basicChurch beliefs.

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THE INQUISITION

The Church created their own solution to deal with heretics: The Inquisition A court designed to find and try heretics

Dominican monks served as examiners of people suspected of heresy

The church utilized public penance, physical punishments, torture, and even execution

Shortly after the Inquisition is founded, the Church’s power declined…

Pope Boniface VIII

Boniface says Philip cannot do this without pope’s consent, since the pope is supreme over both Church & state.

King Philip IV

Claims he has the right to tax the clergy.

Philip rejects the pope, sends French forces to Italy to bring him in for trial. Boniface escapes, but dies shortly after.

Philip IV engineered the election of a Frenchman, Clement V, as the new pope. Clement resides in Avignon, France, rather than Rome. From 1305 to 1377, the popes continued to

reside in Avignon The pope is the bishop of Rome, and the city

was the traditional capital of the church the pope’s residency in France led to an increase in antipapal sentiment.

The Great Schism -

2 popes as head of 1 church Papacy returned to Rome in 1377 with Gregory XI Italian/English cardinals elect Pope Urban VI -

Rome French cardinals elect Pope Clement VII – Avignon

IMPACT OF THE GREAT SCHISM

Divided Europe Damaged Christians’ faith in the Church and the

papacy Despite being resolved in 1417, the Church lost

much of its power and prestige