The Catholic Clergy
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Transcript of The Catholic Clergy
The Catholic Clergy
The “Regular” (MONKS and MONASTERIES)
The “Secular” (Priests that deal with normal folks)
Learning Targets:Who made up the two types (regular and secular) of Catholic Clergy?What political, social and religious roles did they play in medieval Europe?
• St. Benedict – Roman noble.– Left Rome in early 500’s to lead a life of
prayer.– Established a monastery in central Italy.– First person to set up a system of rules to
organize the monastic community.• Why“Regular” Clergy?• “Regula” means rules in Latin.
–What kind of rules?– Monks could own nothing of their own!– Several hours must be spent everyday for
prayer.– Monks had to spend several hours everyday
working.
Who Came Up With The Idea of Monasteries??
Benedictine Monestary, Ettal, Germany
Monasteries as centers for learning
• Monks were often the scholars during Medieval times.
• Monastery libraries were the main preservers of literature from ancient civilizations and of the early church.
Monastery library, Waldsassen, Germany
Vatican library
Gregor Mendel – Early Geneticist, Biologist
What About the “Secular” Clergy?
• How did they get so powerful?• The Church was given land by nobles and kings
– They wanted to save their souls!• Church officials (bishops), became nobles
themselves. • They were the LORDS who controlled the
manor.• In this way church officials could tell people how
to get to heaven (spiritual power)• and also control feudal lands (political power).
Some had WEALTH AND POWER!
The most land was held by the POPE!
Pope as “Supreme Ruler”
• In the Papal States the Pope was both the spiritual leader and the highest political leader.
• The church decreed that all monarchs (Kings) should obey the pope.
• Some Kings might have had a problem with that!• All Christians were told to obey the civil law,
unless it conflicted with church law.• Video
Areas within the Holy Roman Empire controlled by the Catholic ChurchIn these areas, the bishop was the feudal lord.