Corruption of the Roman Catholic Church AIM: Did the Catholic Church need a reformation?

1. Take Notes Sheet, Turn in HW #3 2. DO NOW: Great Schism The Western Schism or Papal Schism was a split within the Catholic Church which lasted from 1378 to 1417. Three men simultaneously claimed to be the true pope. Driven by politics, the schism was ended by the Council of Constance. For a time, these rival claims to the papal throne damaged the reputation of the office. If your Church had 3 leaders, who would you listen to? How would you react?

Collection of Tithes The Catholic Church collected tithes (a policy where 10% of a person’s pay was donated to the church). This was mandatory for all noblemen. This was necessary for the church to expand its power and build new churches all over Europe. This made the Catholic Church one of the largest land owners and the richest organization in the world at the time.

Nepotism/Simony Churchmen at all levels practiced nepotism (favoring friends and family by giving them bishoprics, etc.) and simony (the buying and selling of ecclesiastical privileges). In order to ensure that he would be Pope, Julius II engaged in bribery. His election only took a few hours and he received all but 2 votes. The Church was in such a bad state that even humanist scholars, particularly in Germany, openly mocked the Church for her immorality and ignorance.

Sale of Indulgences Pope Leo X became famous for his sale of indulgences. Indulgences were letters of forgiveness provided by the Roman Catholic Church given in exchange for payment. If somebody wanted themselves or their dead relatives to go to heaven, according to the RCC, all they had to do was to go to their local priest and give money to the church and they would receive a letter stating all their sins were forgiven and they were returned to a state of purity and innocence.

Extravagant Living By Church Officials Pope Alexander VII had three children by his mistress. When they became teenagers, Alexander gave them very high positions in the Church and Italian government – he made his 17-year old son an Archbishop and another son was made a duke (a very powerful noble) in Italy. Alexander also enjoyed life in the Vatican – he threw parties and plays, while Rome became infested with violence and crime.

Topic Sentence (Restate and Answer the Question) Writing Response: Did the Catholic Church need a reformation? TEAL Paragraph Topic Sentence (Restate and Answer the Question) Point Value 4 points 3 points 2 point 1 points Topic Sentence Interesting, original topic sentence, reflecting thought and insight; focused on one interesting main idea. Clearly stated topic sentence presents one main idea. Acceptable topic sentence presents one idea. Missing, invalid, or inappropriate topic sentence;  main idea is missing. Supporting Details  Interesting, concrete and descriptive examples and details with explanations that relate to the topic.   Examples and details relate to the topic and some explanation is included.  Sufficient number of examples and details that relate to the topic. Insufficient, vague, or undeveloped examples.  Organization and Transitions Thoughtful, logical progression of supporting examples; Mature transitions between ideas. Details are arranged in a logical progression; appropriate transitions. Acceptable arrangement of examples; transitions may be weak. No discernible pattern of organization; Unrelated details; no transitions. Mechanics Consistent standard English usage, spelling, and punctuation. No errors. Some errors, but none major, in usage, spelling, or punctuation. (1-2) A few errors in usage, spelling, or punctuation (3-4) Distracting errors in usage, spelling, or punctuation