The Medieval Church The Catholic Church

Transcription

1 The Medieval Church The Catholic Church Catholic Church Catholic means universal or the church of all Christians. With the Pope at its head it was the only church of the Roman Empire it is the only church in western Europe during the Dark and Middle Ages. Not the Church of the Byzantines Eastern Orthodox don t recognize the Pope as head. Not the church of the Arab Empire. The Church (monks, nuns, priests, Pope, missionaries) has had an immense impact on western Europe so far. Monks in scriptoriums preserving knowledge of past Converted German barbarians who took over after Rome helping to civilize them and bring order Charlemagne. Converted and civilized Viking invaders Catholic Church raised Europe out of the Dark Ages Church s role in the medieval world Oversaw all feudal vows swore to God Only ones who could read and write so close advisors to lords and kings. Kept records and oversaw births, marriages and burials. Ran schools and hospitals. Enforced morality chivalry. Assure all go to Heaven. How? Obey God, the nobles and kings. If not you ll burn in Hell!

2 Most importantly! Prevent the unknown from destroying the world witches, goblins, demons, disease and the Devil! Pray for and protect the world! How did the Devil try to lure people to Hell and destroy the world? It was believed that Satan was always trying to lure people to Hell. How? Well he couldn t advertise and say hey heaven stinks. Hell is a lot better. You burn forever and you re tortured. No one in their right mind would sign up with the forces of evil so Satan had to trick people into going to hell. How would he do that? He would twist the Gospels and the Bible ever so slightly so people believed the wrong things. If they believed incorrect information they would burn and he would win. Heresy: Beliefs that are not Church doctrine. Dangerous words of the devil which endanger souls. Belief is contagious so must be destroyed! - heretics Witches and warlocks: people in league with the devil who can destroy crops, bring on disease, poison wells, etc...usually old women, widowed and alone. Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live Exodus 22:18 Did witches and warlocks exist? No they were a convenient scapegoat for things people didn t understand. People they thought were worshipping demons were worshipping old and forgotten Greek, Roman, and Norse gods! How did the Medieval Church fight the Devil s evil plans? Dominican and Franciscan friars: wandering preachers who depended upon the generosity of others. Followed monastic rules but

3 unlike monks who lived apart, friars worked to bring Christianity directly to the people. Highly educated. Doctrine: official teachings of the Church. Correct belief. Traveling friars found many who believed incorrectly and some who resisted their corrections! This is a serious problem as heresy must be destroyed. Thus the Pope sets up the Inquisition: church courts run by friars and churchmen who rooted out heresy and witches. 1) If accused you were guilty and you had to confess! You are not told who has accused you. If you don t confess you re tortured until you do! 2) When you confess you have to name others involved in your heresy. Afterwards do a penance and you re readmitted into the Church. Penance might be a pilgrimage, or a large donation to the church. Or you may be branded. 3) If you relapse into heresy or if you refuse to confess you may be too dangerous a heretic and you must be purified by fire. You were burned at the stake. Who knows how many untold thousands were burned. When the Inquisition came to a town or village people lived in fear. Old scores were settled, people told on people they didn t like and innocents were killed. Did the Catholic Church know this was happening? Yes they did! Better that 10 innocents be burned than one guilty person be set free, because the innocent will go to heaven.

4 How did a peasant assure he would go to Heaven and protect himself from the Devil? Church taught that all people were sinners because even thinking impure thoughts put your soul in jeopardy of going to Hell. Mass ceremony in which worshipper takes holy communion blood and body of Christ. Confession: everyone sins or has impure thoughts so admit them to a churchmen so you may perform a penance or penalty for that sin. If confess perform penance then all forgiven. Bless me father for I have sinned! Saints martyrs and those who have performed miracles with the help of god. May pray to them and they take your case to God. Depending on the need you pray to a different saint. Some good for money, some for sickness, etc Remains of their bones and clothing capable of healing the sick and other miracles. Relics: holy objects. Bones and clothing of saints. Better yet, pieces of the True Cross, thorns from the crown, clothing of Jesus, hair, nail trimmings. Most of them are certain fakes. Shroud of Turin rumored burial shroud of Jesus. Image burned into the cloth when he rose from the dead. Dates from the 1300s A.D. Virgin Mary: Mother of Jesus and thus the mother of God. She is looked to as the loving mother over all.

5 Rosary Beaded chain. Prayer for each bead. Our Father and Hail Mary Hail Mary, full of grace. The Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Holy Water water that s been blessed by a priest: purity Crucifix cross with Jesus on it. Sign of the cross Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Lent 40 days before Easter. Time of mourning and sacrifice. Political power of the Church! Owned lands held great fiefs and lands. They were vassals and thus had to fulfill the duties of a vassal. Many churchmen fought as knights, even some Popes took to the battlefield. Tithes everyone had to pay 1/10 of their income to the church. Serfs, freemen, lords and even kings. Incredible wealth for the church which also leads to corruption. If a bishop was a vassal and a great lord, what happened to his lands after the bishop died. There was no son to pass the lands to, so oftentimes kings would give the lands to a friend or relative and make them the new bishop. Or the king would sell the office.

6 Simony sale of Church offices. Results in corrupt churchmen. At one time even the office of Pope was bought off! This led to much conflict between lords, kings and the Pope. Who s is more powerful the Pope or the King? Depends who the people are going to listen to. If they were respected Popes had one great weapon. Excommunication: thrown out of the Catholic Church. You lost all political rights. All vows to you were annulled. You were a heretic. You were sent to HELL! Torture devices of the Inquisition Pillory- featured in every town. Held head and hands for public ridicule. Pressing: flat board placed on top of you while heavier and heavier weights were applied. The Iron Maiden spikes not meant to kill. Spikes stay in the body stem the blood flow and keep you alive longer. The Rack device that stretches the body. Inquisitional Chairs: spikes on all surfaces on the chairs. Ropes tide tighter and tighter so you ll talk. The garroting chair last used in 1975 in Spain on a young student later found to be innocent. Spike twisted into the back of the neck.

7 Cat s paws also called the Spanish Tickler. Ripped through flesh, muscle and bone. Mask of Infamy ball stuffed down the throat prevent you from yelling. The Wheel break all limbs and let the birds finish him off. Next up the Crusades!