A report regarding the Catholic Church struggles in the early century and how

2. 
1.) How did the popes’ removal to Avignon
signal a change in the status of the papacy?
--- The people were disturbed about the Pope living away from
Rome. They believed the Pope should live in Rome just like
Peter did.
--- The Avignon popes asked for more and more money--- far
more than previous popes, through taxes.
--- The English people were worried because the Church
government was dominated by French which they fought
against in the Hundred Years’ War.

3. 
Important Facts:
The Church acted
independently
from the
government.
The Church did not
allowed any King’s
intervention.
The government
(king) was able to
control the Church.
How?
Before After

4. 
• King Philip IV of France
Arrested Pope Bonaface VIII
• Pope Bonaface VIII
Arrested and was rescued by the
people of Rome but died a month
later.
The King gained more confidence
in his manhandling of the future
popes!!
Two years later, a French Bishop
who was a personal friend of the
king was elected Pope.

5. 

6. 
2.) The Hundred Years’ War had implications
for the Church. What are some of these?
--- The English were worried that the French
were ruling the Church by themselves.
---The Church cannot be a mediator between
English and French

7. 
 Increased taxes
 Living far away from their Papal States the Popes
could not collect usual revenues from their area and
so, to find money in other ways to run the church
gov., they collected increased taxes.
 Popes lived extravagantly
 Less number of English men were with the Church
government.
 English vs. French worsened doubt
3.) In what ways was the Avignon papacy
difficult for the whole Church at this time?

8. 
 No more priests
 New priests were ordained without adequate and
frequently the selection of priests candidates was
hasty and ill-advised.
4.) The black death killed 1/3 of Europe’s
population, what is its effect?

9. 
 Caused by a bacterium from rat fleas
 This was spread in Italy and North Africa by a
merchant from Genoa who was trading with the East
 The infected rats were almost part of every train
carrying the cargo.
 One-third of Europe’s population had died.
Black Death

10. 
5.) Explain why St. Catherine of Siena was
such an unusual person for her era---maybe
for any era. Why was the religious order to
which she belonged different from most of the
other religious order for women?
She acted as a successful mediator in the conflict
between Florence and the pope which was quite
remarkable for she was still in her twenties.
In this era, when few women had any real rights,
she was being looked to by nobles and generals for advice.
She managed to learn how to read, something
unusual for her time.

11. 
 An order of laywomen who wore the Dominican
habit but who lived at home.
 Unusual because at this time, nuns, by definition,
lived in cloistered convents.
Mantelate

12. 
CAUSES
6.) What were the causes and effects of the
election of two and then three popes? How
was this solved?
Gregory was
succeeded by
Urban VI. The
cardinals would
like to have
elected another
Frenchman but
the people of
Rome wanted a
Roman.
Urban was hot-
tempered, so
the French
cardinals
slipped quietly
out of the city
an elected a
French cardinal
as Pope, who
went to live in
Avignon.
Problems arise so
some cardinals
met at Pisa, Italy
and elected a new
pope in the hope
that he would be
accepted. But
neither of the two
popes agreed to
be pushed out.
Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund and his
council, elected a
Roman, MARTIN V as
the one and only pope

13. 
 The political situation is in conflict. Italy was being
torn apart by small wars among various city-states.
Conflicts between Lorenzo Medici (“Lorenzo the
Magnificent”) and Savonarola triggered the church to
put Florence under an interdict.
7.) What was the political situation of Italy at
this time, and how did it influenced the
Church?

14. 
Lorenzo de Medici
(rig elections so that
they look legal)
Savonarola
(began preaching
publicly against the
dirty Florentine
politics)
Pope
STOP WHAT
YOU’RE DOING
SAVONAROLA!
I REFUSE TO!
I WON’T GO TO
ROME TO ANSWER
ANY CHARGES
AGAINST ME.
When SAVONAROLA refused to answer
charges against him, the POPE threatened to
put Florence under an INTERDICT.
Interdict---- PRIESTS WERE FORBIDDEN TO
ADMINISTER THE SACRAMENTS TO
ANYONE UNLESS IT WAS LIFTED.
Even though Savonarola had reformed the
taxes for the people of Florence and had served
the poor, they all turned against him.
After trial, Savonarola was burned at the stake
in the center of the city. The Medici family now
turned to power. In effect, the POPE supported
the continuation of corruption and power.

15. 
 Because even in the end, he showed his commitment
to reformation. He gave his life for it.
8.) After his death, Savonarola became
somewhat of a hero to people trying to reform
the Church. Why might this be so?

16. 
 Maybe, learning from the past experience of the
Church, the pope cannot anymore issue an interdict.
 If this was not so, there would be a great mishap in the
church. People would protest and we would not trust
the Church.
9.) What is an interdict? Could it be used
today by the Pope? What would be the result
if he tried to?

17. 
 Renaissance was a period of rebirth after the Black Death.
This movement in art, literature and culture came to be
named the Renaissance---- which means “REBIRTH”.
 The Church especially the popes encouraged writers and
artists in their work. Some paid artists to do projects for
them.
 Pope Nicholas V--- started the renowned Vatican library.
 He also began plans for rebuilding the basilica of St
Peter’s at Rome.
What was the Renaissance and how the
Church became a patron of this movement?

18. 
 Humanists---- Those who stressed making human
life more tolerable and fulfilling by surrounding
themselves with the beauty found in art, science, and
literature. Some of them adopted a pagan lifestyle.

19. 
 It enabled any literate person to read the Bible.
The popular possession of the Bible would be one of
the catalysts in the Reformation of the 1500s.
 The change increased the demand for Bibles in
different languages as well.
In 1456, the Bible was printed by Guttenberg.
How did this event hasten the demands for
reform in the Church?

20. 
 Living in double lives mean you live a two-faced life.
Serving two masters at a time--- Christ and money.
The popes position is holy, so they were perceived
holy. But the truth is they live in corruption, bribery and for
others openly violating celibacy.
 Alexander VI--- the most notorious of the Renaissance
popes. He had six children although they were born
before he became pope. Further, he did not hesitate to
give them high positions in the Church.
The popes of the Renaissance seemed to lead
double lives. What does this mean?

21. 
 Life in the countryside had changed a little---
primarily, they hoped for just treatment and enough
to eat. At noon and 6:00 pm they said special prayers
when the cathedral bells rang out. They walk to
Mass every Sunday and like everyone else they
enjoyed the celebrations of feasts.
What were some of the ordinary religious
practices of the common people during the
fourteenth and the fifteenth centuries?

22. 
 Indulgences---offered a release from the punishments due
in the next life for sins done in the present life.
 They began several centuries before when people were
allowed to build chapel or contribute a stained-glass
window instead of doing some sort of penance for their
sins.
 This gave way to the buying and selling of indulgences-0-
as though God could be bribed into forgiving sins.
Particularly, how did the practice of granting
indulgences began, and what distortions resulted? ?

23. 
 In contrast to the corruption in part of the church, a
revival of meditation and prayer was going on in
pockets all over Europe.
 Several great works about spiritual lives were
written by people like:
Nicholas of Cusa, Erasmus, and Gabriel Biel.
Imitation of Christ---- written by Thomas Kempis

24. 
How did Moscow became the third Rome?
Turks
conquered most
of the Byzantine
empire, in the
end, they also
conquered
Constantinople
The Byzantine
Emperor was
killed in battle.
Turks looted the
rich city.
Constantino
ple became
Istanbul.
Russia, on the
other hand
regained
independence
Ivan the Great, a Muscovite prince saw
himself as the successor of the
Byzantine emperor. He considered
Moscow the “third Rome”