Section 1, Chapter 4 Flashcards
Abuses and criticisms of the Church
What was simony?
When a priest enjoying the income of a rich parish sold his position to the person willing to pay the most rather than the most learned.
What was nepotism?
The promotion of members of one’s family to a lucrative position rather than allocating positions on ability.
What was absenteeism?
A common complaint was that in order to increase their incomes priests held the right to more than one parish but would take money from both. They might employ a partially educated cleric to take the service in his place. About 25% of parishes had no clergy.
What were mortuary fees?
A payment to the priest on the burial of a person by their relatives.
What were sanctuaries?
These were places that people could flee to escape the Kings courts and be tried by the church. This could only be done once as the person seeking sanctuary had their finger branded.
What happened in the Richard Hunne case?
- When his baby son died in March 1511 the parish priest asked for the baby’s christening robe as a mortuary fee, Hunne refused.
- In November he was involved in the property dispute with the priest and the priest took him to court.
- In October 1514 he was arrested as a search of his house had discovered a Lollard Bible.
- On the fourth of December 1514 Hunne was found dead in his cell.
- His body was burned.
- The coroner’s court which met in February 1515, confirmed that he had indeed be murdered.
- It was widely believed that the church had killed a critic to protect privileges and Hunne had been regarded as a martyr by his supporters. The case was subjected debating parliament and 1515 and again in the Reformation Parliament in 1529.
What did the criticisms of the clergy include?
- Clergy members did not honour their promise of chastity; some having many children.
- Clergy members could claim ‘benefit of the clergy’ if they had committed a crime meaning they would get a lighter punishment.
