World History / Unit 4: The Byzantine Empire, the Islamic World and Medieval Europe
4.5 The Medieval Church
Notes
The Roman Catholic Church was the most powerful institution in medieval Western Europe.
- The pope led the Church. Clergy ran local parishes, and the Church owned large amounts of land.
- Sacraments, such as baptism, were seen as necessary for salvation. The Church collected a tithe (one-tenth of income).
- The Church could excommunicate (expel) people. In 1077, Emperor Henry IV begged Pope Gregory VII for forgiveness at Canossa, showing papal power.
- Monasteries copied manuscripts and preserved learning. Monks followed rules like the Benedictine Rule.
- Gothic cathedrals, with pointed arches, flying buttresses and stained glass, were built from the 1100s.
- Universities began in cities such as Bologna, Paris and Oxford. Thomas Aquinas combined faith with Aristotle's reason.
Practice
Which example best shows the political power of the medieval Church?
Henry IV at Canossa showed that popes could pressure kings.
How did monasteries contribute to medieval Europe?
Monks kept learning alive when few people could read.
Thomas Aquinas is best known for:
His writings blended theology with Greek philosophy.
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