The Roman Catholic Church played a central role in medieval Europe. It was the center of religious and social life, owned a third of the land, and collected tithes from peasants. The Church taught that the seven sacraments were essential for salvation. Pilgrimages to sites like Jerusalem and Rome were also important for Christians to undertake. Monasteries were vital religious communities that housed monks following the Benedictine rule of poverty, chastity, and obedience and performed important social functions like farming, providing refuge, and copying manuscripts.

1. The Role of the Church
in Medieval Europe

2. Introduction
• Center of religious and social life
• All Christians belonged to one
church – Roman Catholic Church
• Provided leadership in an unstable
time
• The church was as important, if not
more important, than many
kings/queen

3. • Clergy – the
people who
perform
sacred
functions of
a church
(ex: priest)

4. Power of the church
• Owned 1/3 of all land in Europe –
largest landholder in Europe
• Collected a tithe – 1/10 of income
or 1 penny from peasants

5. • Generally, the clergy were the only
people who could read; often kept
records for kings

6. • Power struggles were common
between Pope and King (ex: Pope
Gregory VII and Henry IV)

7. Sacraments and
Salvation
• The church taught that receiving
the 7 sacraments were an essential
part of salvation
1. baptism

8. 2. Confirmation – formal
declaration of belief in God
and the church
3. Eucharist – like the Lord’s Supper (bread
and wine)
(now Mass)

9. 4. Marriage
5. Holy Orders – when a man becomes a
priest

10. 6. Penance – confession of sins to priest
(Reconciliation)
7. Extreme Unction – blessing when sick or
dying
•

11. Pilgrimages
• Christians tried to make a pilgrimage
to Jerusalem and Rome at least
once

12. • Visited churches that supposedly
housed relics (holy items)
$975
$1,800Sold for $430.000

13. • Geoffrey Chaucer wrote a popular
book about pilgrims called the
Canterbury Tales

14. Art & Architecture
• Most art was for
religious purposes
• Most people couldn’t
read, art helped tell
Christ’s story

15. • Towns spent 50 – 100 years building
cathedrals
• Gothic style was popular

19. Monasticism (life
devoted to religion)
• St. Benedict - Benedictine rule of
poverty, chastity, and obedience

20. A Medieval Monk’s Day

21. • Farmed the land and raised livestock
• Inns, hospitals, refuge in time of war

22. • Libraries and “scriptoria” to copy
books and illuminate manuscripts

24. • Friar – traveling preacher, took a
vow of poverty, lived by begging

25. • Provided schools for children of
upper class
• Eventually, monasteries became too
small to teach all who wanted to be
educated
• Began meeting outside monastery
• Those buildings grew into universities

26. Medieval Universities

27. Monastery• Complex
community of
many different
buildings
–Granaries
–Breweries
–Bakeries
–Wineries
–Abbey church
–Library /
scriptorium
–Hospital
–School
Self contained like a town

28. • http://www.monasterygreetings.com/

29. 11/17 Starter
1. Write in planner.
2. In today’s box, define
MONK and NUN.
Use the glossary in
your textbook.
3. Clear desk when
finished.