Old Chuch in Voronej District

The Church had grown enormously rich, as well. Its income was more than that of all the important kings and princes put together. Also, it often recieved large gift of land in addition to the tithe, or tenth part of a person’s income, that each member had to donate to the Church.

The Sacraments

The Church had developed a body of beliefs that all Christians accepted. Nost important were the seven sacraments: (1)Baptism, (2)confirmation, (3)penance, (4) the Holy Eucharist, (5) extreme unction, (6) matrimony, (7) holy orders. These sacraments were ceremonies believed to be necessary for salvation; but no one recieved all seven.

In baptism, a person – usually an infant – became a Christian. In confirmation, the individual crossed over from childhood to become an adult member of the Church. In penance, one confessed his or her sins and was forgiven. In the Holy Eucharist, a priest reenacted Jesus’ Last Supper with His disciples, and the people attending the service recieved consecrated bread and wine. A priest gave extreme unction to a dying person. All Church members recieved these five sacraments.

Of the two that remain, matrimony was the marriage ceremony, and holy orders were for men who became priests.

Church Rules

The CHurch had courts to help protect the weak and to punish those who had done wrong. It also tried clergymen for religious offenses. These people were judged by canon law – the law of the Church.

Heresy was considered the most horrible of all crimes against the Church. It was throught to be a crime against God, because it denied important religious teachings. The Church sought out heretics and punished them with excomminication. When a person was excommunicated, he or she was no longer considered a member of the Church and, therefore, could never go to heaven. Thus, the Church tried to persuade heretics to give up their beliefs. If a heretic refused, he usually burned at the stake.

Growing Strength

During the 10th century, the papacy depended upon the German king for pretection against feudal abuses, unruly Italian nobles, and Roman mobs. This arrangement led German kings to interfere in Church affairs, even in the election of popes.

During the 11th century, the monks at the Abbey of Cluny in France spoke out against kings and princes who interfered in church affairs. They started a reform program to remove all civil control over the Pope, stop kings and nobles from choosing bishops, and forbid the sale of Chruch jobs. In 1059, the College of Cardinals was created. It was to elect a successor to the Pope who whould be the choice of the Church, not of a king or a mob.

The power of the Church grew under the papacy of Innocent III (1198-1216), who clamied that his authority was above that of any other ruler and that the word of the Church was final. In 1213, he became the feudal lord when King John of England turned over his kingdom to the Pope and took it back as a fief. This made king John a vassal of Pope Innocent III, who made vassals of other rulers. As part of their feudal obligation, these kings sent part yearly tributes to Rome.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, two friar groups – the Franciscans and the Dominicans – were established. Unlike other religious orders, these two worked among the people. They preached in the towns and countrysides to spread the Gospel and fight heresy. Both groups became famous as university teachers. Slowly, they gained influence at a time when many people were starting to criticize the Church for being too interested in power and wealth.