Church During The Middle Ages

Chanah Leyah Oberlander

Professor Bietry

Survey of Modern History I

10 February 2015

The Church During the Middle Ages

The Middle Ages are referred to by some historians as the "Age of Faith," owing to the extensive reach of the Christian religion. During the Middle Ages, the Church played a highly central role in society. It was nucleus of religious activity, with worshippers coming several times a day. Natural disasters were viewed as punishments of god and people believed that only religious devotion would save them from god's wrath and eternal damnation. The church helped the town's poor and the ill and also served as its hall for town meetings and concerts. Merchants and farmers usually sold their produce in the square surrounding

the church and many shopkeepers sold their wares from stores bordering this square as well. But more than just a religious institution, the church wielded great political and economic power. The clergy were influential figures both spiritually and politically and were highly respected.
However, this centralized Christian kingdom which ruled of most of Europe for much of the medieval period began with humble and fragmented roots. Before the year 1000, the church was a disorganized system mixed with pagan and superstitious beliefs, run by clergy whom were often illiterate and ruled by a far off pope in Rome, most of whom were unworthy of the title and had little influence.
However, Pope Gregory VII sought to change all of this by attempting to realize his vision of a world united by religion rather than political leadership; a world where rulers and emperors bowed in submission to the will of the Holy Church.

Gregory strongly believed that the choosing of bishops was solely the church's role and opposed German Emperor Henry IV's policy of "lay investiture" which allowed the bishop to bestow a bishop title on a layman. When Gregory excommunicated Gregory for continuing this policy, Henry was forced to beg for forgiveness and submit to Pope Gregory. This led to decades of quarrel as popes and emperors struggled for supremacy. Many years later, Pope Innocent III immortalized his papacy by fully actualizing Gregory's vision and successfully establishing a united Kingdom of Christianity throughout most of

Europe.
Despite its centralization and strength, by the 1300s troubles, once again, began besetting the church. In 1302, Pope Boniface VIII, issued an edict prohibiting civil leaders from taxing the clergy and their associated estates, in response to such taxation by the kings in both France and England. The French king arrested Boniface and ensured that the newly elected pope would be subservient to his rulership. However, most of Europe viewed this new pope, whose residence was in Avignon France, as little more than an extension of the king's hand. In 1378, when the College of Cardinals elected two equally legitimate popes, the Great Schism of the West was formed leaving a fragmented Europe in its wake with the French supporting the pope in Avignon and England and Germany supporting the pope in Rome.
The period of the Great Schism was difficult for many Christians as they sought to reconcile the complexities of two papacies and two churches.

The beginnings of these confusing times coincided with that of the Black Death many religious Christians began to question the extravagance and lavish spending of the church. Religious insecurity became common as many sensed weakness and troubles within the church. Some turned to witchcraft and flagellation as an alternative hope for salvation and new, dark, trends began to form across Europe. With time, not only did rulers and lay people become disillusioned with the church, but even low level priests began to have misgivings about their ecclesiastical superiors. Doubt began to spread across all ranks throughout Europe as the Church's integrity, and perhaps even its necessity, were brought under question. Church councils were formed to come up with ideas to reform the

church.
After several council meetings, the schism was finally ended when a single pope, Martin V was elected, restoring the unity of the church. Upon becoming pope, Martin dissolved the council, sparking a new series of battles between popes and councils during the next thirty years. Eventually, however, the popes regained their full power and reestablished their supremacy in the year 1450. The church was now once again secure in its reign and in this manner entered the period of the Renaissance.