Big Idea

The Church grows in power. Essential Question

How did the Church gain power in Medieval ? Words To Know

Secular – this means not-religious.

Canon Laws – laws developed by the Church, based on the bible.

Excommunication – the limiting or ending of a person’s membership in the Church.

Holy Sacraments – sacred ceremonies of the church.

Interdict – an order or ban from the church preventing a person or group of people from receiving holy sacraments in the . Words To Know

Papal Supremacy – the authority or power of the over all secular rulers (non religious rulers, including kings and emperors). Let’s Set The Stage…

After the fall of the Roman Empire, western Europe broke into small warring kingdoms. Since it was the official church of the Roman Empire, most people in Western Europe were Christians. The Church owned a great deal of wealth and land. It became the most important unifying and stabilizing force in western Europe during the . The power vacuum left by the Roman Empire was filled by the Catholic Church. The Power of the Church The church was the center of medieval life in western Europe. Almost every village and town had a church building. Church rang out the hours, called people to worship and warned of danger. Over the course of the , the Catholic Church became more influential and powerful, to the point where the Church and the beliefs of its [people who had high positions in the Church like and ] controlled secular [non-religious] life and secular government. By the (1000s), the Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church, claimed papal supremacy or authority over all secular rulers (non religious rulers, including kings and emperors). The Pope had the power to decide who would be king in some regions and was able to raise an army to go to war. For centuries afterwards, secular (non-religious) leaders and the Church (the Pope) competed for power in western Europe. By the year 1050, the church was the largest landholder in Europe. The medieval Church also added to its wealth by collecting a tithe, or tax. Each person was expected to give one tenth of his money, produce or labor to help support the Church. Canon Law The Catholic Church developed its own set of laws called canon law. Medieval canon law was based on the Bible. Canon law set out the rules that Catholics needed to follow and included topics like religious teachings accepted by the Church, crimes, the role of the clergy and marriage. Excommunication Depending on the situation, breaking canon law could result in excommunication, the limiting or ending of a person’s membership in the Catholic Church. People excommunicated could not receive the sacraments [sacred ceremonies of the church] or a Christian burial, which many believed could condemned them to hell for eternity. and other clergy members in the Church used excommunication to punish those who opposed them. If the Church wanted to send a message to a noble or king who disagreed with them or spoke out against them he could impose an interdict, an order that excluded a whole region from receiving holy sacraments in the Catholic Church. A Force of Peace The Church tried to use its great authority to end warfare among nobles. It declared periods of temporary peace known as the Truce of God. It demanded that fighting stop between Friday and Sunday each week and on religious holidays. Such efforts may have contributed to the decline of warfare in Europe during the 1100s. Essential Question Answered How did the Church gain power in Medieval Europe?

The Church was the center of medieval life in western Europe especially after the fall of the Roman Empire.

The Church gained economic and political power from owning land and from members of the Church serving in government positions. Essential Question Answered How did the Church gain power in Medieval Europe?

The Pope claimed Papal Supremacy, the authority or power of the Pope over all secular rulers (non religious rulers, including kings and emperors).

The Church used the canon laws, threat of excommunication and interdicts to force rulers to obey them.