The Church Wields Power

1. The Church Wields Power Section 4

2. Church Authority • When the pope crowned Charlemagne emperor he tried to influence political matters. • The pope and emperor were constantly fighting over who had the most power. • Political • Religious

3. Church Structure • The Church was set up just like the Feudal system. • It had different levels of clergy. (Religious Officials) • The Pope was on top. • Below him were Bishops then Priests. • Local Priests were the main contact the people had with the Church.

4. Religion as a Unifying Force • Feudalism and the Manor system divided people during the Middle Ages. • Religion was the unifying force during this time. • Everyone believed the same thing. • Needed to receive sacraments to achieve salvation. • The village Church was a gathering place for the people.

5. Church Justice • All people were subject to Cannon Law. • The law of the Church • If you broke Cannon Law two of the harshest punishments that could be given to you were excommunication and an interdict.

6. Excommunication • Excommunication was banishment from the Church, this meant that you could not go to heaven. • It also meant that all of your vassals would be freed from service.

7. Interdict • If the threat of excommunication was not enough to get a King to change then the Pope could put an interdict over the King’s lands. • This meant that sacraments could not be performed on the King’s lands. • People believed that to achieve salvation you must receive the sacraments.

8. Holy Roman Empire • When Charlemagne was crowned emperor by the pope this set later leaders up for power struggles between the Church and the Emperor. • The Holy Roman Empire was the strongest kingdom that developed from Charlemagne’s Empire. • Otto I tried to recreate Charlemagne’s glorious Empire himself.

9. Otto I • He formed an alliance with the Church. • He tried to limit the power of the nobility by gaining support from the bishops and abbots. • He took power in Germany and, like Charlemagne, he invaded Italy on the Pope’s behalf. • The Pope rewarded him by crowning him emperor.

10. The Fall of Otto I • Otto’s power did not last. • Italians resented his rule and the Pope began to fear his political power. • The Church also began to resent the power that political leaders, like Otto, had over Church offices. • The biggest point of conflict was lay investiture.

11. Lay Investiture • Lay investiture was a ceremony in which church official were appointed by kings or nobles. • Church officials felt that the clergy should not be under the power of any king. • Pope Gregory VII banned lay investiture in 1075. • Henry IV was not happy about it and called a meeting of German bishops he had appointed to try and gain power.

12. Gregory vs. Henry • Henry sent a letter to the pope calling him “not pope, but a false monk” and ordered him to step down from the papacy. • Gregory quickly excommunicated Henry in return. • The German bishops sided with the pope and Henry now was worried about losing his throne.

13. Henry Begs • Henry now was trying to win the pope’s forgiveness. • He went to Canossa and stood outside in the snow, barefooted and humbly clad, for three days asking the pope for forgiveness. • Eventually the pope forgave him, but this did not solve the problem of lay investiture. • This problem would not be solved until the Concordat of Worms in 1122.

14. Concordat of Worms • Representative of both the emperor and the Church met to solve the problem. • They decided that the Church alone could appoint Bishops, but the emperor had veto power over any appointment.