4 - Abuses and criticisms of the Church Flashcards
What were the main anti-clerical critisisms of the Church in c1529
- Exploiting the devotion of pilgrims, by granting indulgences at religious sites
- Excessive mortuary fees
Evidence to show how morturay fees were becoming increasingly challanged in c1529
Richard Hunne was taken to the archbishops court for refusing to give his baby’s christening robes as a morturay fee
Why is it difficult to estimate how widespread anti-clericalism was in the country in c1529
Much of the evidence comes from the 1530’s when Henry was looking for means by which to critise the Church
What groups of society were the most anti-clerical and why in c1529
Merchants and those involved in the cloth trade as they were in closer contact with literture from Europe that was critical of the Church
Overriding statement of how serious anti-clericalism was in c1529
- Majority of laity deeply attatched to the Church and not seeking reform
- Low-level ‘grumbling’ had been around for hundreds of years
- No one sought to reform it
What was simony in c1529
The sale of an ecclesiastical title to whomever would pay the most, rather than who was most qualified
What was nepotism in c1529
The promotion of ones family member to a lucrative position, rather than who was most qualified
What was an example of Wosley’s nepotistic deeds and poor clerical behaviour
- Swore a vow of chastity, but had his son promoted to Provost of Beverly Minister, and Dead of Wells
- Both came with large incomes and landed property
What was absenteeism/pluralism in c1529
- Priests would hold the right to more than one parish and take the income from both
- Employing a patially-educated cleric to take services at one parish
What were common complaints about priests poor behaviour in c1529
- Not upholding their vows of chastity
- Greed
- Laziness
- Sexual impropriety
How widespread was poor behaviour of the clergy in c1529
- Difficult to estimate
- Much was based on heresy
What was claiming ‘Benefit of the Clergy’
- If a priest was tried with commiting a crime
- They’d escape the harsher sentences by being tried in a Church court, not a crown court
What shows how Church courts were much more leniant than Crown courts
Wouldn’t administer the death penalty (except for heresy)
How were wealthy people able to use their wealth legally
Could recite key Latin phrases, known as ‘neck verses’, allowing them to be tried in a Church court, not a Crown court
