Catholic Church in Medieval Times

7 Catholic Sacraments

Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Matrimony, Holy Order, Penance, Extreme Unction (Anointing of the Sick)

Crusaders

some people who went on the journey to seek wealth and some to seek adventure. Some believed that they would be guaranteed salvation if they re-gained Christianity of territories.

Carnival

A 3-day festival before the start of Lent.

In the Middle Ages,

Lent and Carnival were important holidays.

The word Holiday

comes from "holy day." Almost every day of the year was dedicated to a Christian saint, an event in the life of Jesus, or an important religious idea.

Church bells

rang out the hours, called people to worship, and warned of danger.

Starting in the 1200s, cathedral schools gave rise to universities. Students in universities studied

Starting in the 1200s, cathedral schools gave rise to Latin grammar and rhetoric, logic, geometry, arithmetic, astronomy, and music. Books at that time were hand copied and very rare, so teachers often read to students. Ancient texts were greatly respected in the universities, but the Church was sometimes uneasy about them. The Church taught people to be guided by faith. Ancient writers like the Greek philosopher Aristotle taught that reason, or logical thinking, was the path to knowledge. Church leaders feared that studying such writers might lead people to question its teachings.

What are other names for the Middle Ages?

The Age of Faith, the Medieval times, the dark ages, the early Middle Ages, and late Middle Ages.

Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a popular narrative poem about pilgrims. They were amusing tales or stories that a group of pilgrims told each other to entertain as they travelled to the shrine of Saint Thomas Becket at Canterbury. The pilgrims include a knight, a miller, a cook, and a prioress.

The Canterbury Tales.

Year 1050

The Church acquired great economic power. It was the largest landholder in Europe. Some were gifts from monarchs and wealthy lords. Some was taken by force.

The Church

Was the center of life in medieval western Europe. Almost every community had a church building. Larger towns and cities had a cathedral. Was the center of community activities. Religious services were held several times a day. Town meetings, plays, and concerts were also held there. It provided education for some and it helped the poor and sick.

tithe

A tax equal to one-tenth of each person's money, produce, or labor to help support the Church.

The Organization of the Roman Catholic Church

By the High Middle Ages, the system that was created where all clergy members had a rank.

In 395 C.E.

Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.

The Chartres Cathedral in France

Construction began in 1194 and took 66 years to complete.

Pope Gregory

Elected Pope in 1073. Ambitious leader that took several reforms, such as forbidding priests to marry and outlawing the selling of Church official positions. He also banned the practice where kings could appoint priest, bishops, and heads of monasteries.

Bishops

Governed areas called dioceses from great cathedrals.

Many nuns became important reformers and thinkers. This nun founded a convent and was an adviser to popes and other Church officials. She also wrote books in which she criticized some of the practices of the Church.

In Germany, Hildegard of Bingen

Walk to Canossa

In winter 1077, the Holy Roman Emperor, Henry IV, traveled to Italy to the Castle of Canossa to beg forgiveness from Pope Gregory. Pope Gregory's ruling banning kings from appointing priests, bishops, and heads of monasteries angered Henry IV. Henry and a council of bishops declared that Gregory was no longer pope. Gregory excommunicated Henry and threw him out of Church, meaning he could not gain salvation. Legend says the Pope made Henry stand barefoot in the snow for 3 days before he forgave him.

Political power of the Church

Latin was the language of the Church and common in Europe. Church officials were often the only people who could read. They kept records for monarchs and became trusted scribes and advisers.

Priests

Located within each dioces, priests served local communities called parishes. Each parish had its own church building.

Sacraments, Pilgrimages, and Crusades The Church's sacraments marked all the most important occasions of life, from birth to death.

Many people expressed their faith by going on pilgrimages or fighting in the Crusades.

Nuns

Monastic life was one of the few opportunities open to medieval women who did not wish to marry. Women who became part of it lived in convents. These communities were run in the same way as monasteries. These women did most of the same types of work that monks performed.

Archbishops

Oversaw large or important areas called archdioceses.

During the Middle Ages, most art was made for a religious purpose.

Paintings and sculptures of Jesus and Christian saints were placed in churches to help people worship.

Friars

Some people wanted to live a religious life without the seclusion of the monastery. They travelled among ordinary people to preach and to care for the poor and sick. They lived in complete poverty and had to work or beg for food themselves and the poor.

Men became monks for many reasons.

Some were seeking refuge from war, sickness, or sinfulness. Some came to study. Some were attracted by a quiet life of prayer and service.

Church Order of Hierarchy

Pope, Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops, Priests, Clergymen

Sacraments

Receiving them was essential in gaining salvation. They were sacred rites that Christians believed brought them grace, or a special blessing from God. The sacraments marked the most important occasions in a person's life.

The man who developed the monastic way of life in western Europe was __________________________. In the 6th century, he founded a monastery in Italy. His followers became known as the Benedictines.

Saint Benedict.

Pilgrimage

Some local rulers built special roads and bridges for the routes of these journeys.

Since most people did not know how to read,

art helped tell the story of Jesus's life in a way that everyone could understand.

The library writing room, called the scriptorium,

The library writing room, called the scriptorium, was on was on the fourth side of the cloister. Here the monks copied books by hand and created beautiful illuminated manuscripts. By copying rare documents, monks kept knowledge of the past alive. Much of what we know today, about both the Middle Ages and ancient times, comes from their important work.

The Roman Catholic Church emerged from the fall of Rome to play

a central role in daily life in medieval western Europe.

Most monasteries were laid out around a cloister,

a covered walkway surrounding an open square. On the north side was the church. On the south side were the kitchen and dining hall. On the third side was the dormitory, or sleeping quarters. Monks slept in small cells, often on beds of wood.

Franciscan friars mendicants,

a word that means "beggars."

Christians

are followers of Jesus, who, according to Christian scripture, was put to death on a Roman cross in the 1st Century C.E. They believe that Jesus is the son of God, that God sent him to Earth to save people from their sins, and that he rose from the dead after his death by crucifixion.

The invention of flying buttresses was a crucial step in the development of medieval cathedral design.

because they helped to make the soaring, thin stone arches and vast stained-glass windows possible by carrying the load of the building on the outside.

Pilgrims

believed that their journeys of devotion earned them grace in the eyes of God. These journeys were called pilgrimages, where they traveled long distances to visit holy sites, such as Jerusalem (where Jesus was killed) and Rome. Canterbury Cathedral was a major destination. Most travelled on foot and banned together for safety. Sometimes they hired an armed escort to protect against robbers.

All Christians in western Europe

belonged to a single church, which became known as the Roman Catholic Church.

Gothic cathedrals were

built between 1150 and 1400. They were designed to look like they are rising to heaven. On the outside are stone arches called flying buttresses. The arches spread the massive weight of the soaring roof and walls more evenly. This building technique allowed for taller, thinner walls and more windows.

Thomas Aquinas developed a

concept of natural law stated that there was an order built into nature that could guide people's thinking about right and wrong. Natural law, he said, could be discovered through reason alone. Since God had created nature, natural law agreed with the moral teachings of the Bible. This scholar's teachings unified ancient philosophy and Christian theology. His teachings were later accepted and promoted by the Church.

The Church Takes Shape More than just a religious institution, the Catholic Church was the center of community life and acquired great political and economic power. All clergy had a rank in the hierarchy,

from priests to bishops, archbishops, to the pope.

Interior of medieval cathedrals

had soaring arches and beautiful stained-glass windows, that inspired and reinforced religious belief.

Medieval art and architecture found their most glorious expression

in cathedrals.

During the Middle Ages, most schooling took place

in monasteries, convents, and cathedrals. This pattern was established under Charlemagne, who encouraged the Church to teach people to read and write. During his reign, scholars developed a new form of writing that helped make reading easier. Instead of writing in all capital letters, as the Romans did, scholars began to use lowercase letters, too. We still use this system today.

The importance of the Church to medieval people was seen

in the art and architecture of churches, in education, and in holidays.

Most cathedrals were built

in the form of a cross, the main symbol of Christianity. The longer, central section of the building is called the nave (outlined in orange). The shorter, section that crosses the nave is called the transept (outlined in green). Although it was not always, builders tried to construct a cathedral so that it faced east toward Jerusalem. They were visible expressions of Christian devotion. They were mostly constructed by hand by hundreds of workers and craftsmen over many years. On average, it took from 50 to 100 years to complete. In some cases, the work took more than 200 years.

belief in God and an afterlife

in which the soul lives on after the body's death.

A famous example of a friar

is Saint Francis of Assisi. Francis was born to a wealthy Italian family, but he gave up his money to serve the poor. He founded the Franciscans, an order that is also called the Little Brothers of the Poor. With his friend Clare, Francis founded a similar order for women called the Poor Clares. Francis, who loved nature, believed that all living things should be respected. He is often pictured with animals. To many, his example of faith, charity, and love of God represents an ideal of Christian living.

Lent

is a period of 40 days before Easter when Christians are especially pious and give up luxuries.

The Christian religion

is one of the most important legacies of ancient Rome.

Easter

is the day when Christians celebrate the Resurrection. In Christian belief, the Resurrection is Christ's rising from the dead. For medieval Christians, this holiday was a day of church services, feasting, and games. Often the games involved eggs, a symbol of new life.

Christmas

is the day when Christians celebrate the birth of Jesus. During the Middle Ages, this holiday's celebrations lasted for 12 days. On the day, Christians attended church. Then they enjoyed a great feast, which was often held for everyone on the manor by its lord.

A prioress

is the head of a convent, or community of nuns.

The Pope

is the most powerful official of the Roman Catholic Church, and the bishop of Rome.

Roman Emperor Constantine

issued a decree allowing Christians to practice their religion freely in 313 C.E.

Music, dancing, and food were all part of

medieval holidays and festivals. People sang folk songs and danced. They drank their favorite beverages and they ate baked and fried foods. Other favorite holiday entertainments included bonfires, acrobats and jugglers, and dancing bears. Plays were also popular. During religious services on special days, priests sometimes acted out Bible stories. By the 13th century, plays were often held outdoors in front of the church so more people could watch. In some English villages, mummers (traveling groups of actors) performed with masks, drums and bells, dances, and make-believe sword fights.

Monks, nuns, and friars were

men and women who solemnly promised to devote their lives to God and the Church.

The gargoyles on

on Gothic cathedrals were often carved in the shape of hideous mythical beasts. They are decorative stone sculptures projecting from the rain gutters or edges of a cathedral roof. Some people thought they were there to remind them that devils and evil spirits would catch them if they did not obey the teachings of the Church.

Monks and nuns set up hostels,

or special guest houses, spaced a day's journey apart for pilgrims.

They followed Benedict's "Rule," or instructions. Benedictines made three solemn vows, or promises:

poverty (to own no property), chastity (never to marry), and obedience (to obey their leaders).

Monks spent their lives in

prayer, study, and work. They attended eight church services every day. Other duties included caring for the poor and sick, teaching, and copying religious texts. Since most monasteries were self-sufficient, they spent much of their time working. They farmed their land, tended their gardens, raised livestock, and sewed clothing.

Thomas Aquinas (uh-KWINE-iss), an Italian scholar of philosophy and theology,

tried to bridge the gap between reason and faith. He greatly admired Aristotle. He saw no conflict between faith and reason, because he believed that both were gifts from God. Reason, he believed, helped people discover important truths about God's creation. Faith, meanwhile, revealed its own truths about God. He wrote logical arguments in support of his faith to show how reason and religious belief worked together.

The Church taught salvation (or entry into Heaven and eternal life)

was gained by following the Church's teachings and living a moral life. Failing to do so condemned the soul to eternal suffering in hell.

The immense space inside a Gothic cathedral

was lined with pillars and decorated with religious images. Beautiful stained-glass windows let in colorful light. Stained-glass windows are made from pieces of colored glass arranged in a design. The pictures on medieval stained-glass windows often taught people stories from the Bible.

sacrament of baptism

welcomes a person into a Christian church. Baptism is the 1st sacrament of a Christian's life. It is required to receive the other sacraments.

Crusades

were a series of military expeditions to the land where Jesus had lived, which Christians called The Holy Land. Between 1095 and 1270, Christians in western Europe organized these to recover Jerusalem (from the Muslims), along with the other sites of pilgrimage in that region.

Cardinals

were high-ranking clergymen that were appointed by the Pope, assisted and counseled him.

The Monastic Way of Life Monks

were men who joined monasteries, communities devoted to prayer and service to fellow Christians. This way of life is called monasticism.

Cathedrals

were the large churches headed by bishops. The word comes from the Latin word cathedra, meaning "the throne upon which a bishop sits". They were built to inspire awe. For centuries, they were the tallest buildings in any community. Often they were taller than a 30-story building of today. Most were built in the shape of a cross, with a long central section called the nave and shorter side sections called transepts.

In medieval times, the clergy

were the people most likely to be educated. Most of the students in Church schools were sons of nobles who were studying for careers in the clergy. They spent much of their time memorizing prayers and passages from the Bible in Latin.