Wednesday 25 December 2013

How did the Roman Catholic Church control daily life in medieval Europe?

The church was at the crux of people's lives in medieval Europe. People not only attended regular worship services at the church but also marked important events, such as baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals, at the church. Most holidays were saints' days and were also religious in nature, and people's beliefs about life, death, sin, and the afterlife were largely determined by the church.


The church played a major role in the economy of medieval...

The church was at the crux of people's lives in medieval Europe. People not only attended regular worship services at the church but also marked important events, such as baptisms, confirmations, weddings, and funerals, at the church. Most holidays were saints' days and were also religious in nature, and people's beliefs about life, death, sin, and the afterlife were largely determined by the church.


The church played a major role in the economy of medieval Europe; the church was a major landowner, and many peasants worked land that belonged to the church. In addition, people were required to pay one-tenth of their income, called a tithe, to the church, and many of these payments were made in animals or grain, which were stored in tithe barns owned by the church.


Cathedrals, constructed in cities, were the sites of the first universities, and monasteries (referred to as part of the "regular church," as opposed to the "secular church" where people worshipped) were the site of schools. Many great universities in Europe, including the Sorbonne in France, originally developed as schools associated with cathedrals. In addition, the church held political power, and technically, the Pope could even excommunicate kings and queens if they went against his dictates. Therefore, the church had a major political, social, and economic role in people's lives during medieval times.

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