Chapter 3 Catholic Church in Medieval Europe: 3.2, 3.3, 3.5 The Christian Church Takes Shape
Which Roman Emperor issued a decree allowing Christians to practice their religion freely? How had Christians been treated by Romans before they were allowed to practice their religion freely?
The Roman emperor Constantine issued a decree in 313 C.E. allowing Christians to practice their religion freely. Before that time, Christians were treated poorly. They were punished for not following the emperor and following another person. This punishment they got was most likely persecution.
According to the teachings of the Catholic Church, what was the purpose of sacraments?
The purpose of sacraments was to make the power of the Paschal mystery of Jesus present to us for the sake of salvation. The purpose of the sacraments was to also make people holy, to build up the body of Christ, and finally, to give worship to God; but being signs, they also had a teaching function.
How influential was the Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Europe? (Please respond in 4-5 complete sentences)
As Christianity was the core of medieval living, the Roman catholic church was the institution that people looked to for faith and as a way of life. Because the priests of the church were the only people that could read in the entire village, the only education they chose to provide was teachings from the bible about the Lord and how he wanted us to live and behave. They could chose what to read to the people, and nobody would know any different. They chose what they read to the people, and nobody would know any different. They chose what they taught to the nobles, and created holidays. The medieval world revolved around the church and if you were excommunicated from it your life just about ended. Everyone was a Everyone was Catholic and it not only told the entire society how to think and behave, but also the kings. When the Catholic Church came to Europe, most of the Europeans were not Catholic. So, when they came, large numbers of people became Catholic.
In your own words, summarize the conflict between Pope Gregory VII and the Holy Roman emperor, Henry IV. Use the words appoint, duty, excommunicate, beg, and authority in your summary.
As Pope Gregory VII was appointed pope, the started taking the authority to make reforms, forbidding things, banning people, and outlawing the selling of church positions. These actions had angered Pope Henry IV, so him and other bishops thought that this was a privilege to appoint the church and duties within it. Gregory's reaction was excommunicating Pope Henry IV and no one was allowed to follow him.Henry begged his forgiveness and was readmitted into the church and people were recognizing the authority over an emperor.
Describe two roles the Roman Catholic Church played in society after the fall of Rome.
The roman catholic played the following roles after the fall of Rome. They gave approval to Kings and Queens, the church controlled who went "down there" and heaven. The church also became the default government of the western countries which was the Holy Roman Empire. he role the Catholic Church played after the fall of Rome was one of stabilization and education. The Catholic Priests who could read and write acted as a civil service to the kings; the monasteries acted as seats of learning before the first university in 1120 A.D. In the absence of lawyers, the Catholic Priests 'attested' all documents to make them valid. So, the church became like a government running the city and working for the kings.
Draw a simple symbol that illustrates the meaning of each of the seven sacraments. Then write a synonym or picture to represent each sacrament.
*See Sacrament Flashcards*
Explain two advances in education during the Middle Ages.
Most people at the time couldn't read or write. So, it served as a visual way to teach people about Catholicism and the Bible. Churches had mosaics showing God, Jesus, prayers and stories from the Bible. The gargoyle helped the church represent the scaring away of evil, and bad spirits.