Papal Monarchy The papal control of the Papal States in central Italy kept the popes involved in politics, often at the expense of their spiritual duties. The Church became increasingly involved in the feudal system. Bishops and abbots came to hold their offices as grants from nobles, and so were vassals. These bishops and abbots often cared little about spiritual duties.

Papal Monarchy By the eleventh century Church leaders realized the need to be free from the interference of lords in the appointment of Church officials. When an individual became a Church official he was given a ring and a staff as symbols of the authority he was invested with. Secular, or lay, officials began granting this investiture. Pope Gregory VII saw the need to stop this practice.

Papal Monarchy Only then could the Church regain its freedom, the sole right to appoint clergy and run its own affairs. If secular rulers did not accept this, the pope would remove them. Gregory VII believed the pope’s authority extended over all rulers.

Papal Monarchy Pope Gregory VII decided to fight the practice of lay investiture. He was convinced that he had been chosen by God to reform the Church

Pope Gregory VII Pope Gregory VII, though unpopular, initiated many reforms for the church. These reforms became known as the Gregorian reforms. Pope Gregory Stated: The Church was founded by God Alone The pope alone can with right be called universal. The pope alone can depose or reinstate bishops The pope’s name alone can be spoken in churches The pope may depose of emperors The pope may be judged by no one The Roman Church has never erred; nor will it err to all eternity, the Scripture bearing witness.

Henry IV vs. Pope Gregory VII Henry sent a letter to the Pope which declared that the Pope was a fake and had no real authority. His letter ended, “I, Henry, king by the grace of God, with all of my Bishops, say to you, come down, come down, and be damned throughout the ages” Obviously, the Pope was not pleased by this. Pope Gregory VII excommunicated Henry IV and supported the overthrow of his power.

Henry IV, was faced with the prospect of losing his kingdom to lords who were rebelling against him and supporting the overthrow of his power. Henry decided to go apologize to the Pope and be reinstated with the Church. Henry traveled to Canossa in northern Italy to meet the pope and apologize in person. He wore a hair shirt and stood outside barefoot in the snow. As a priest, the Pope had to accept Henry’s penance and lift his excommunication.

The Concordat of Worms The dispute over lay investiture continued. Henry overthrew the Pope and then, Gregory died in exile. After they were both dead the conflict continued for several generations. Finally in 1122 at Worms the Concordat of Worms passed. In this agreement the Church won the power to appoint church officials and the emperor got to give the new bishop the symbols of government authority while the church instilled the ring and staff which were symbols of spiritual authority.

Papal Monarchy The Catholic Church reached the height of its political power during the papacy of Pope Innocent III.

The Church Supreme The attempts to make the church more powerful did not end with Gregory VII. During the 12th and 13th century the Popes continued to strengthen the papacy. Pope Innocent III declared the Act of Papal Supremacy. He stated that the Pope was, “lower than God but higher than man . . . Judges all and is judged by no one. . . . Princes have power on earth, priests over the soul. As much as the soul is worthier than the body, so much worthier is the priesthood than the monarchy . . . NO king can reign rightly unless he devoutly serve Christ’s vicar.”

“Weapons” of the Church The Church claimed that it held the power of salvation through the administration of the sacraments. The church could manipulate people and their leaders through the control of these sacraments. The church could excommunicate someone, this was where they cut off a single person from receiving the sacraments. The church could also place an interdict over an entire country. In this case no one in the entire country or region could receive the sacraments.

New Religious Orders A wave of religious enthusiasm seized Europe in the first half of the twelfth century and led to a spectacular growth in the number of monasteries and new orders. The most important new order was the Cistercians, founded by a group of disgruntled Benedictine monks in 1098. The order spread rapidly throughout Europe.

Cistercians Strict! They had only one robe and ate a simple diet. They removed all decorations from their churches and buildings and split their time between prayer and manual labor. They weren’t allowed to speak unless absolutely necessary. Cistercians were more active in the world than Benedictine monks. They took their religion to the people outside of the monastery.

St. Bernard of Clairvaux Embodied the new spiritual ideal of Cistercian monasticism. “Arise, soldier of Christ, arise! Get up off the ground and return to the battle from which you have fled! Fight more boldly after your flight, and triumph in glory!”

New Religious Orders The number of women joining religious houses grew dramatically. Most nuns came from the landed aristocracy. Female intellectuals like Hildegard of Bingen found convents a haven for their activities. Hildegard of Bingen became abbess of a convent, and she was also one of the first women composers.

Hildegard of Bingen She had mystical visions and wrote three books based on her visions. She contributed to the genre called Gregorian chant. She was also sought out for her advice as a mystic & prophetess. Popes, emperors, kings, dukes, eagerly sought her advice.

New Religious Orders The Franciscans and Dominicans emerged in the thirteenth century. Each had a strong impact on the lives of ordinary people

Franciscans Saint Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscans.

Saint Francis of Assisi Born into wealth, he had a series of spiritual experiences that led him to abandon material pursuits and preach poverty. His simplicity, joy, and love attracted followers. Franciscans rejected all property and lived by working and begging for food.

Franciscans The Franciscans became popular with the poor, among whom they lived and whom they helped. Unlike many other religious orders, the Franciscans lived in the world and undertook missionary work. First throughout Italy and then in all parts of Europe and even in the Muslim world.

Dominicans The Spanish priest Dominic de Guzman founded the Dominicans to defend Church teachings from heresy—the denial of basic Church doctrines.

New Religious Orders People who denied Church doctrines were called heretics. Dominic believed that the best way to combat heresy was to have an order of men who lived in poverty and preached effectively.

New Religious Orders The Church’s wish to discover and deal with heretics led to the Inquisition, or Holy Office. This court was instituted to try heretics, and it developed a regular way to deal with them.

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New Religious Orders From 1252 on, those who did not confess voluntarily were tortured until they confessed. Many who did not confess were considered guilty and were executed by the state. Relapsed heretics were also subject to execution. For Christians of the thirteenth century, using force to save souls was the right thing to do. Heresy was a crime against God, and people’s salvation hung in the balance.

` Analyzing: What impact did the Franciscans and Dominicans have on the lives of people in the 13th century?

The Inquisition The Church appointed a special court, usually headed by the Dominicans, to find and try heretics. If an accused heretic confessed, he or she was forced to perform public penance. Beginning in 1252, those that did not confess voluntarily were tortured until they did confess. Many did not confess but were still considered guilty and turned to the state for execution. If a heretic relapsed, they were also subject to execution. Christians of this time believed that the only path to salvation was through the Church, heresy was a crime against God and humanity, the church believed it was doing this to save peoples’ souls.

Popular Religion in the High Middle Ages The sacraments of the Catholic Church, such as baptism, marriage, and Communion, were very important to ordinary people. The sacraments were a means for receiving God’s grace and were necessary for salvation. Only clergy could give the sacraments, which made people dependent on the clergy.

Popular Religion in the High Middle Ages Venerating saints was also important to ordinary people. Saints had a special position in Heaven and could ask for favors before the throne of God. The apostles were recognized throughout Europe as saints. Local saints such as Saint Nicholas, the patron saint of children and the inspiration for Santa Claus, sprang up.

Popular Religion in the High Middle Ages The Virgin Mary was the most highly regarded saint of the High Middle Ages. Many European churches in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were dedicated to her. Emphasis on the saints was tied to the use of relics, usually bones of saints or objects connected with the saints.

Popular Religion in the High Middle Ages They were worshipped because they offered a connection between the earthly world and God, they could heal, or they produced other miracles. Medieval Christians also believed that a pilgrimage to a holy shrine produced a spiritual benefit. The Holy City of Jerusalem was the greatest such site.

Popular Religion in the High Middle Ages Rome, with its relics of Saint Peter, and Santiago de Compostela, supposedly where the apostle Saint James is buried, were also important pilgrimage destinations.

Hmmmmm Medieval Christians believed that relics produced miracles, especially of healing. What is a miracle in the religious sense?