history 3 Flashcards
what was the importance of the church in medieval england
people saw thier life goal as going to heaven. every part of their life was influenced by church.
what was the dominance of the catholic church
The Catholic Church had the power of a country and was based in Rome. The Pope was the head of the Catholic Church. As the Pope was regarded as God’s representative on earth, even kings of countries were subject to his authority. The majority of Western Europe were Catholic. The concept of being a different type of Christian (e.g. a Protestant / Methodist etc.) did not exist yet.
what is the role of the pope
Due to the fact the Pope was so powerful and so highly regarded, it was impossible for him to not get involved in the affairs of individual countries. Therefore, there was a strong cross-over between politics and religion. Kings did have some control over the Church in their own country, such as the appointment of key officials like archbishops and bishops, however decisions on these matters sometimes led to conflict with the Pope. This happened with King John and Pope Innocent III during King John’s reign.
How much of a say to do with religion in their own country did King’s have?
King’s normally just walked a very fine line with the Pope and tried not to have too much disagreement with the Pope. However, during the reign of King John, the Pope - Pope Innocent III - was just as stubborn as King John and eventually, after a brief falling out, John reconciled with the Pope in a way that actually gave England less influence over itself the Pope more influence over matters to do with England.
