Corruption Of The Roman Church In The Middle Ages

Man’s insatiable need for a higher power was quenched between the years of 1000 BCE and 1500 CE as many religions came out of the East. Some were given the chance to decide what religion suited them best; others had new systems of spirituality and worship forced upon them by conquering neighbors. Christianity should give credit to the trials and challenges of the Roman Empire for their widespread following. Some have implied that the circulation of Christianity had unequivocal accountability for the fall of the Empire, but it was more an indication of the imperfections of Roman Empire’s culture than the cause of its fall.

In Dr. Woods’s book, How the Church built Western Civilization, much insight is given on an unknown role of the Catholic Church. The Church isn’t known for their success but often there corruption. Many people overlook the fact that the Church’s values and beliefs built the Western Civilization. He writes “many people are aware of the corruptions rather than the good things” (20). Woods often argues throughout his book that without the Church’s help, the West would not have been what it is

The Roman Catholic Church, a civilizing force in the western civilization, played a prominent role in European history. Historical records of Europe’s culture began with Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. It continued with Christianization throughout the middle ages and developed into the reformation that was triggered by the Renaissance. However, the Renaissance influenced the way the European people viewed the world and enforced reasoning (the opposite of faith), which demolished Christian unity and doctrines on faith and morals.

When the Roman Empire collapsed, the Catholic Church was the only powerful authority not complete disrupted by the attack by barbarians. In fact, the work of great Popes is what helped their power increase even more. The newly christened barbarians, done by the Pope Gregory the Great, inaugurated a new age in Jesus Christ called Christendom. All culture in Christendom conformed to that of the Church’s, and, with its headquarters in Rome, the powerful “papal monarchs”, as they were called, controlled the machine that was the Catholic Church.

The Rome Catholic Church’s power increased instead of decreasing after the fall of the Roman Empire. One of the reason the Roman Catholic Church rose to power was because it always had the power during the Middle Ages in Roman if you wanted political control you had to go through the church to get it. The church used a hierarchy system based on priest, popes and priest, they had to take over the functions of government. The Pope became the strongest political leader in Western Europe. The Catholic Church states that all people are sinner and we needs God’s grace.

In Medieval Europe, the church played a critical role in shaping government and society. Most of the contemporary leaders were drawn from the church and contributed in championing the ideals of the church, leading to the papacy (Cook 33). During the papacy, the Pope of the Catholic Church assumed the position of the world leader, administering over the church flock and the non-Christian subjects. However, before the church rose to this eminent posit, its relationship with the government was tumultuous. Often, the people who professed the Christian faith were publicly persecuted. The ancient societies viewed the church with suspicion and suspected the church leaders incitement and sedition (Rublack 37). Based on the events leading to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the emotions the event evoked, the Roman rulers were wary of another public incident that may sway the loyalty of the subjects. The history of the church and the Eastern and Western factions of Rome shaped modern day Europe political landscape. The interaction between the Empire and the Papacy in Medieval Europe shaped modern day governments by influencing the rise to power or decline of some.

The period between 1300 and 1450 encompasses one of the most lamentable eras in European history – dominated by famine, war, plague, and death. During this period, the Roman Catholic Church was arguably the single most powerful institution, with Christianity being referred to as the “matrix of medieval life”. The Roman Catholic Church’s teachings and ceremonies underpinned beliefs surrounding morality, the meaning of life and the afterlife. Failure to follow the orthodoxy of the Catholic Church was deemed heretical, and resulted in the accused being subjected to an inquisition.

In the medieval Europe, the functioning of the societies across the different European regions revolved around the Christianity religion. During that period, Christianity was the main religion with the largest number of followers. The Catholic Church which oversaw the practising of the religion was a powerful international church. The Catholic Church was given importance both by the emperors and the people considering the superstitious attitude during that period. As such, the church used to give various teachings which used to be actively followed by the people. As the people had blind faith on the church, the emperors also used to give immense regard to the church and its priests. Not more than the Catholic church was not even less the power

Why is the Catholic Church so corrupt in its teaching? They have found ways to control the knowledge that their followers contemplate on. The control of knowledge and power is the foundation for every successful religious organization. The Catholic Church have acquired this power through strategic control on the mind of its follower. The Catholic Church propagate their ideals as righteous in order to be accepted; for without this acceptance, they are faced with the task of initiating this power through force. So to beguile their followers, they present themselves in “sheep clothing” (KJV, Matt 7:15). They are accepted as blameless, peaceful, loving and harmless but in actuality, “they are ravening wolves” (KJV, Matt. 7:15).

Christianity has become one of the world’s largest religions to date. We see the widespread of Christianity began in the Byzantine Empire during the rule of Constantine The Great after his decision to convert to Christianity and make the religion legal in his empire. The actions Constantine took paved the way for the religion to spread through the West and through Europe during the Middle Ages. The church would become a symbol of power, wealth, and social status among the clergy and society, it provided the idea of a divine right to rulers and the pope, and would ultimately influence almost every aspect of people’s lives. This document analysis will dig deep into the theme of Christianity during late antiquity and the middle ages with a focus on the relationship between church and state, the English conversion to Christianity, and Charlemagne’s efforts to spread Christianity in Europe.

The Vatican, situated within Rome, Italy, is the capital of the Catholic faith. Lead by a Pope, who is chosen by the Cardinals when one dies or retires, is the source of leadership for Catholics around the world. It has also been a source for many conspiracy theories. Dan Brown even set his Illuminati based novel Angels and Demons in the holy city of Catholics. Many others love to have Illuminati base theories set within this important place. What people do not realize is that there is a much deeper, very real corruption going on within the walls of the sacred city.

During a large portion of the medieval period in Europe the Roman Catholic Church held persuasive power over not just the common people but the nobility and ruling class. This gave the Church great authoritative and political sway in the decision making process of many countries. Not everyone was happy with the running of the Church, the power it wielded, or the personal wealth of the higher ranking priests. Church authorities used Scriptures to line their pockets with gold or to garner greater influence. The Church wielded power to start Crusades, to build great churches, to divide the world for discovery, and to elect emperors.

Towards the end of the Middle Ages and into the duration of the Renaissance, the Medieval Church’s social and political power dwindled. Centuries prior the Catholic Church gained a surplus of control, largely due to the stability it maintained during the chaotic breakdown of the Western Roman Empire . Yet toward the end of the Middle Ages the Church set in motion factors that would ultimately lead to its downfall as the definitive figure of authority. However, despite political and social controversy surrounding the church, the institutions it established cleared a path for a new way of thinking, shaping society in an enduring way.

As the only institution to survive the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, the Church was in a highly opportune position to take the reins over Europe. It had the devotion of just about everyone living in Europe and authority over the Western Roman Empire’s successor states as a result. It recognized and took advantage of this opportunity; from legitimizing itself through crowning and baptizing royalty to defining the morays and morals of European society, by the end of the high medieval age, Europe considered itself the whole of Christendom with the Church at its head. It’s clear that the Church had a fundamentally central role in early and high medieval European history.

In the void left by the collapse of the Roman Empire, the bishop of Rome grew even more in both power and prestige beginning in the sixth century and continuing to the reformation in the ninth century. It is the aim of this paper to explain how and why the papacy in Rome became the center of power of the medieval world, the factors contributing to this dominance over Western Europe, and the positive and negative ramifications of the position becoming so powerful. Through this paper you will discover how papacy was able to fill the vacuum of power left by the fall of an empire.