Catholic Church

pilgrimages and crusades

A. Medieval people would go on pilgrimages to holy sites such as Jerusalem, Rome and Canterbury. 1. Pilgrims went on these journeys to show their devotion to God. 2. As an act of penance. 3. Being cured of an illness. 4. Travelling was difficult and could be dangerous. B. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote the Canterbury Tales. 1. Stories told by pilgrims to entertain themselves as they travelled to Canterbury and the shrine of St. Thomas Becket. C. The Crusades were a series of wars against the Muslims to regain control of the Holy Land. 1. Crusade comes from the word crux meaning cross, hence war of the cross or holy war. 2. The crusades were from1095 -1270. 3. People went on the Crusades to become rich, for adventure, to free the Holy Land from Muslim control and for salvation.

education and religion

A. Most schooling in medieval times took place in monasteries, convents, and cathedrals. 1. Charlemagne established this system. 2. The use of lower case letters also began with his system. B. The clergy were the only educated people in medieval times. 1. Sons of nobility would study and memorize Latin prayers and passages. C. Cathedral schools often grew into universities. 1. Students would study Latin, rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy and music. 2. All books were written by hand and were expensive and rare. D. The Church was uneasy about allowing scholars to study the works of ancient Greeks and Romans. 1. The Church feared that people would begin questioning teachings of the Church. E. Thomas Aquinas was able to unite scientific thinking with religious beliefs. 1. He thought that reason and faith were gifts from God and that both could be used together. 2. His teachings were accepted by the Church.

monks, nuns, and friars

A. Some medieval men devoted their lives to God by becoming monks. 1. This way of life is called monasticism. 2. Men become monks for many reasons including wanting a life of prayer, to study, as refuge etc. B. St. Benedict began the first monastery in Italy in the 500s at Monte Cassino. 1. Benedict's monks followed rules written by him, they were known as Benedictines. a. Vow of poverty. b. Vow of chastity. c. Vow of obedience.

the church was used for

A. The Church was the center of life in medieval Europe. 1. Every village, town, and city had a church or churches. 2. Religious services were held in the church. 3. Town meetings, plays, and concerts were also held. 4. Merchants had shops outside the church in the square. 5. Farmers sold their produce in the square too. 6. Festivals and fairs were held too. B. The Church also had other functions. 1. Provided education. 2. Helped the sick and the poor. C. This time was known as the Age of Faith. 1. Everything revolved around the Church. 2. Storms, disease, famines were thought to be punishments from God. 3. Medieval people were very concerned about their souls when they died, so they lived good lives in order to get into heaven.

the Christian Church takes shape

A. The Roman Catholic Church is a legacy from ancient Rome. 1. The Romans put Jesus on the cross. 2. Constantine made Christianity legal in the Roman Empire. 3. In 395C.E., it became the official religion of the Roman Empire. 4. After the fall of Rome, the Church became very important. a. It provided leadership. b. Fed the poor. c. Monasteries provided hospitality to travelers and the sick. d. Monks also copied ancient books to preserve them. B. The Organization of the Roman Catholic Church. 1. The pope is the supreme head of the Church. a. He is assisted by important men called cardinals. 3. Archbishops are next and are in charge of large areas called archdioceses. 4. Then come bishops who control areas called dioceses from great cathedrals. 5. Then come priests who take care of a local community within the diocese called a parish. C. The increasing power of the Church. 1. The Church owned more land than anyone or group in the Middle Ages. a. Some land was given to the Church and some land was taken by force. 2. Medieval people had to pay a tax to the Church. a. It was called a tithe and was one-tenth of a person's earnings, produce etc

holidays

A. The word holiday comes from holy day. 1. Medieval Christians celebrated many holy days. 2. Christmas and Easter were the most important religious festivals in the year. 3. People celebrated by having music, dancing and feasts. a. The lord of the manor often provided the entertainment for his peasants. 4. They also had bonfires, acrobats, jugglers and dancing bears. a. People would watch mummers perform plays etc.