T h e Ro l e o f t h e Med i e v a l C a t h o l i c C h u r c h From the 11th to the 13th centuries, some aspects of feudalism could still be found in Europe. For example, nobles still ruled much of the countryside. However, both the Roman Catholic Church and European monarchies, such as those in France and England, were increasing their power. The Church and European monarchies were also trying to centralize political and religious authority.

The Roman Catholic Church needed strong organization to efficiently serve laypeople, (worshippers). This service included providing people with the sacraments. These were religious ceremonies, such as baptism, in which a member receives the "grace of God." The Church had many different levels of leadership among the clergy, or people who give their lives to serve the Church. The pope in Rome was and

is the spiritual and political leader of the Church. His office was called the Papacy. Below him were the various ranks of the clergy: cardinals, bishops, priests, monks and nuns. The men who filled important positions in the Church had strong social and political ties to Europe's nobility. In fact, local princes were also often bishops. Many nobles and religious leaders had gone to school together. As a result, European nobles and Church leaders had much in common, and they often supported one another. Many Church officials helped European political leaders run their kingdoms. 1.

For example, local priests kept records of births and deaths in their parish, or area served by their church. Monarchs needed this information to rule more effectively. The Church also had great wealth, which made it an even more powerful institution. The Church earned income from property it owned. The wealth of the pope was greater than that of any individual European monarch. Also, the pope's authority was often greater than that of kings and emperors. The pope's power caused many monarchs to cooperate with the Church ... ... but it could also cause conflict.

The Church played a dominant role in education. Religious orders were the Church's most important educational institutions. A religious order is a group of people who live by rules specific to their order. Two types of religious orders emerged in Europe: monastic orders and mendicant orders. First to form were the monastic orders in which the members (monks or nuns) separated

themselves from the rest of society to focus on prayer and service to God. The standard for future monastic orders was founded by Benedict of Nursia. "Benedictines" called for vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in order to do God's work.

Later, friars (monks) formed another type of religious order called mendicant orders. Friars were mendicants. They traveled, lived on donations, and worked in communities, not in monasteries. 2.

The most important mendicant order was founded by Francis of Assisi, the "friend to all living things." "Franciscans" lived without property, served as teachers, and helped the needy. Catholic schools were established at cathedrals. The students at

these cathedral schools were usually sons of European nobles who often became religious or political leaders.

As the cities grew, these "cathedral schools" expanded as early forms of universities. As the universities grew, the subject matter of schools expanded to include subjects such as mathematics, history, and philosophy. The Church was also an intellectual institution that worked to preserve the Latin language and religious texts.

Scholars studied classical philosophers. Muslim scholars had preserved and interpreted ancient Greek texts, lost for centuries in the West (Europe). Church scholars translated these texts into Latin and made them available at the new universities. But some Church officials worried that some classical ideas went against Church teachings on faith - foreshadowing a possible crisis. 3.

Natu r a l L aw : Th e com m on p urs ui t o f " go od nes s"

Rules o f co ndu ct ess en tia l fo r h um an

s oc i e ty to coex i s t . (“… an ordinance of reason for the common good …”)

Yo u are c reated for a pu rpo se . I f yo u ful f i l l yo ur p urpo s e then you are

In the mid-1200s, an Italian scholar named Thomas Aquinas began studying the classical writings of an ancient Greek scholar named Aristotle. Aquinas believed that there was no conflict between faith and reason. Aquinas argued that classical philosophy could exist in harmony with Christian faith and natural law, which he said came from God and concerned moral behavior. His work is a synthesis, of classical philosophy with Christian theology.

Vocabulary: monarchy: a form of government ruled by a king or emperor centralize: to bring under a single, central authority political: relating to the government institution: an organization founded for a religious, social, or political purpose specific: clearly defined cathedrals: large, major churches run by bishops philosophy: the study and pursuit of wisdom and virtue foreshadowing: suggesting, implying synthesis: combination, blend theology: the study of the nature of God