How Did The Catholic Church Influence Medieval Europe

Words: 701

Pages: 3

Open Document

The powers of the Catholic Church were very influential in Medieval Europe. From monarchs to serfs, the Church touched many lives. The Catholic Church was also the largest as well as the only church in Western Europe in the Middle Ages. The Catholic Church had three main forces, or powers: religious power, economic power, and political power. Some of these powers were more influential than others.
Firstly, the Catholic Church used religious power to spread its customs throughout Europe. It gained much of its power through the spread of the idea that if one were to follow a certain set of sacraments, they would be equal to those in heaven. They would be rewarded in heaven after death. Life in Medieval Europe was short and hard, so many people liked the idea of reaching heaven. The seven sacraments were baptism, confirmation, marriage, penance, communion, taking care of the sick, and holy orders. The Roman Catholic Church charged money to perform some of the sacraments. Despite the fact that they charged money, people were willing to pay …show more content…
These gifts, along with taxes, made the Church very wealthy and consequently made the Church a large economic influence. Since the people were desperate to escape to heaven, they were willing to pay their tithes to stay in the Church. For those who gave gifts to the Church, “Special favors” were awarded to ensure that one would reach heaven. The gifts that were given to the Church also played a role in their economic success; many gifts would include land, expensive items like jewelry, along with even more money. The giving of land made the Church the single largest landowner in Europe during the Middle Ages. With more land, the Church impacted more people. These are the ways the Catholic Church was influential in Medieval Europe and how the Church’s economic power was the most

Byzantine Empire Research Paper

Evaluate the extent to which the Byzantine Empire and Medieval Western Europe were similar. In 476 CE, the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, marked by internal strife, economic instability, and relentless external pressures from barbarian invasions, plunged Europe into a period of profound transformation. Emerging from the ruins of Rome's decline, medieval Western Europe navigated with the rise of fragmented political entities and shifting power dynamics. Meanwhile, Constantinople strategically…

Words 1066 - Pages 5

Notes on Medieval Europe and Japan Essay

02.01 Travel Journal 1. How did manorialism develop in Medieval Europe? • Some people moved to countryside and focused on agriculture. • Small, independent economies arose, centered on large agricultural manors. • system controlled by powerful warrior landlords, built small armies to protect manor. • Landlords also leased out land in exchange for loyalty. 2. How did the idea of feudalism emerge as an historical construct? • 3. What role…

Words 2143 - Pages 9

The role of Christianity in Eur Essay

The role of Christianity in medieval Europe Christianity had transformed greatly throughout the first millennium of its existence along with the changing political culture of Europe. The collapse of the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries gave rise to an increasingly powerful and influential Church that would remain so for five hundred years. However, the onset of the feudal mutation and the collapse of imperial and royal power in Europe in the tenth century led to the division and…

Words 1029 - Pages 5

The Dark Ages SWICK Essay

portrayed. Science and western thinking prevailed, flourished and lived harmoniously with religion. The dark ages are relative to whom you are speaking. To the inhabitants of what is now the islands of the United Kingdom and those in the north and west of Europe, times were normal. Civilizations closer to the equator called these northern folks barbarians which insinuates the slow ascension to modernization. Based on the spread of education and learning, it is clear that “enlightenment” would spread like…

Words 2116 - Pages 9

Essay on Religious Effects From The Black Death

The Black Plague, or Black Death, ran rampant throughout Europe starting predominantly in 1348, after reaching Europe through Asia by way of trading ships and the Silk Road. Fleas on rats that traveled on cargo ships would carry the bubonic plague with them. The disease first reached Europe in October of 1347 in Sicily, an island country south of Italy. From there the disease spread through Italy into middle Europe eventually engulfing all of Europe with the disease. The disease was high infection and…

Words 2067 - Pages 9

Middle Ages and Europe Essay

MEDIEVAL EUROPE: FROM THE FALL OF ROME TO THE RENAISSANCE A BACKGROUND READING LINKING CLASSICAL TO MODERN TIMES From approximately 200 B.C. to 476 A.D., the "civilized" areas of Europe and the Near East were dominated, ruled, and imprinted with a lasting influence from the Roman Empire. At its greatest extent, the Roman Empire stretched east to include Greece, Turkey, Syria, Mesopotamia and Persia; it stretched south to encompass Africa north of the Sahara from the Atlantic to Egypt; and, it stretched…

Words 6558 - Pages 27

Fall Notes Essay

There is much debate as to whether or not the contingency of events leading up to the Protestant Reformation were foreseeable by the Roman Catholic Church. The Church reached a level of political power and growth; however, this sparked a major revolution of those who rejected to the Church’s greed for authority and control. The Protestant Reformation was inevitable due to several events prior to the movement such as a complete change and transformation of Christianity, humanistic critiques such as…

Words 1224 - Pages 5

Essay on Spanish Inquisition

Inquisition is an organization in the Roman Catholic Church. In the past the church was responsible for finding and punishing people who did not accept its beliefs and practices. Prior to the Spanish Inquisition, the Medieval Inquisition occurred around 1184. The Medieval Inquisition was a series of investigations in response to actions opposing Christianity in southern France and northern Italy. With Christianity dominating most of Europe, the Medieval Inquisition played a major role in influencing…

Words 2856 - Pages 12

APEH Review Guide Answers Early Modern and Renaissance Essay

Section I: Foundations of Western Civilizations (Late Medieval Period) A. Late Medieval Period Enduring Understandings ● The roots of some modern political tenets are found in the late medieval period ● Late medieval economic developments changed the class structure of Europe and led to a more modern demographic arrangement. ● The breakdown of the Catholic Church, and other late medieval disasters (plague, little ice age, etc.) began to change the traditional structures of Europe. 1. Babylonian Captivity/ Great Western Schism/ Conciliar Movement…

Words 2654 - Pages 11

chapter 24 questions Essays

in the 16th century, and it was when political rulers rebelled against beliefs of the Roman Church. 2. Who was Martin Luther and what were some of his complaints against the Church? Luther was a prolific and talented writer, and he published scores of works condemning the Roman Church. He attacked the Roman Church for a wide range of abuses and called for thorough reform of Christendom. 3. What role did the printing press play in the reformation? People’s ideas were shared among others faster through…

Words 3159 - Pages 13